🌐 Mailman 3 October 2000 - Tutor - python.org

Windons Task tray
by rhicks＠rma.edu July 4, 2001

July 4, 2001

Is it possible to minimize a python program to the task tray area of the taskbar in Windows95/98? Bob pop3.rma.edu

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I'm just full of questions today
by wheelege Dec. 13, 2000

Dec. 13, 2000

I've been trying to get global variables to help me, the way I've been getting around it is to pass local variables to a function through arguments - but that is going to get very unwieldy and messy. So, I decided to change my little section of code to give me an error about using a local variable before assignment. I think the error is because I tell it to change the value of the 's' variable to 's' + 1, which is using its own value to define itself which it might not like. Not sure though. And, as a side note - why isn't my window title 'yo'? Anyway, here is the little bit of code : from Tkinter import * root = Tk() root.title = "yo" s = 7 f = Frame(root) b = Button(root, text='hi', command=hi) f.pack() b.pack() def hi(): s = s + 1 print s

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RE: [Tutor] calling functions with buttons - why doesn't this wor k??
by alan.gauld＠bt.com Oct. 31, 2000

Oct. 31, 2000

> There are alot of things I don't understand about Tkinter. Join the club. :-) > doesn't work. When it is run it executes hi() but not when Thats because of the ()... > def hi(): > print 'hi' > > f = Frame(root) > b = Button(text='hi', command=hi()) b = Button(text='hi', command=hi) hi is the function object. hi() executes the function and stores the return value in the command option. In your case hi() returns 'None' so clicking the button executes the empty (none) command. As to why the title doesn't work, I'm not sure but from memory, isn't the title set as a function: root.title('Hi') rather than by assignment as you have done? Alan G.

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RE: [Tutor] Python 2.0 newbie questions
by alan.gauld＠bt.com Oct. 31, 2000

Oct. 31, 2000

> > >In which case you should also add to your AUTOEXEC: > > >SET PYTHONPATH=C:\PYTHON20\MYPYTHON > > > Then you don't need to do this: > > import os > > os.chdir('C:\PYTHON20\MYPYTHON') #make sure to > > Is this in anyway wrong? meaning is it dangerous or flatout wrong No, its not wrong but its not very portable to have that hard path in your program. If anyone else trires to use it they will be forced to keep their modules in that exact same folder... PYTHONPATH means you can create a single place for all your Python modules and then use them in all new projects. Thus I have a folder: E:\PROJECTS\PYTHON Under that I create a LIB folder which I add to my PYTHONPATH: SET PYTHONPATH=E:\PROJECTS\PYTHON\LIB Now for each froject, spam say, I create a new project folder: E:\PROJECTS\PYTHON\SPAM And place the top level and experimental code there. But once I get a module working I move it to the LIB folder where Python can see it, not just for the current project but for every project, thus enabling reuse. Doing it your way you have to a) hard code the folder name into any program thats going to import the module and b) can only import modules from one folder at a time, which reduces(eliminates!) reuse across projects. > to import modules this way?. I just find that it's a > little quicker to use > "import os/os.chdir(' ')" and include the path in the IDLE path > browser > than to add to my already bloated AUTOEXEC and reboot windows > everytime I create a new project folder. Try this then: Create a batch file containing the set PYTHONPATH=.... called setpypath.bat Call that from AUTOEXEC.BAT. Then while programming update that file then just execute it: C:\PROJDIR> C:\SETPYPATH.BAT That will reset the environment and next time python runs it will correctly find your modules. No need for a reboot. Of course the next time you reboot all the changes will automatically be picked up too. HTH, Alan G. PS It might be necessary in AUTOEXEC to use CALL to exec the SETPYPATH.BAT, I can't remember if thats still needed in Win9x DOS.

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by shadow88＠intergate.bc.ca Oct. 30, 2000

Oct. 30, 2000

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Re: I'm just full of questions today
by Glen Wheeler Oct. 29, 2000

Oct. 29, 2000

You guys should get paid for this :) I had a read through that chapter and everything is much clearer! I realise now what everyone means :) I haven't tried using classes to any decent extent, and I was considering making a lot of classes that only hold data (I think they are attributes?) that tell the script what is going on at the time. Like bdir is the direction of the ball atm (right now its a string but I will make it a bearing (true) soon, gotta get paddle movement right) and it would be much easier to just use a ball class and then it would be ball.bdir...hmmm why am I saying this instead of doing it? Better now before the code becomes giant :) Here is what I did in regard to lambda ... PaddleLeft = Button(ButtonFrame, text='left', command= lambda lpx1=px1, lpx2=px2, lpy1=py1, lpy2=py2:PaddleMotion('left', lpx1, lpx2, lpy1, lpy2)) PaddleLeft is a button, which is meant to move the paddle left. Here is the PaddleMotion function (or the bit that applies). I'm only using a button now instead of an event because it is easier - its probably going to either use <B1-Motion> (click and drag with mouse) or something similar when I get around to doing it. def PaddleMotion(dir, lpx1, lpx2, lpy1, lpy2): if dir == 'left': lpx1 = lpx1 - 30 lpx2 = lpx2 - 30 Screen.coords(paddle, lpx1, lpy1, lpx2, lpy2) So it moves left. I have to re-assign the values of everything again so that it will keep moving with repeating presses of the button. I promise to give everyone a copy of the script once its finished - you don't want it now when its got a billion comments in it, and doesn't even achieve anything useful anyway. Not to say that when it is finished it will be useful - but hey, at least I will have an arkanoid clone :) I know I am going to look at this script in a week and find a million ways to optimise it, actually I can do some thigns to optimise it right now - but I think it's better big, so I can get a clearer understanding of it. I do have a question, don't worry. I am asking about threads - I read about them in the python documentation and in some books, but I am not sure how to incorporate them. Basically I am using one big mega-for loop to run the entire program, but in that there will be some other for loops. And I can see the problem that when I get to those loops they are going to iterate and finish and my main loop will pause - this is bad, cos the mainloop moves my little ball. So I am wondering, is it feasable to use threads to do two or more loops at the same time? Sorry if I seem tiresome, but it seems everywhere I look I see a different definition of a thread, and a different way to use them. Thanks alot, Glen.

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RE: [Tutor] I'm just full of questions today
by Doug Stanfield Oct. 29, 2000

Oct. 29, 2000

Boy was I glad to see Daniel answer this first. :-) Laid the groundwork well. Let me try to lay on a bit more. By the way, I've rearranged the flow of questions in what I hope is an instructive way. [wheelage wrote:] > That isn't the first time I have seen the lambda thing but > I am still confused about it. I am too. Thats why I like to avoid them and make the functions explicit. When I need to do a callback I prefer: class Command: def __init__(self, func, *args, **kw): self.func = func self.args = args self.kw = kw def __call__(self, *args, **kw): args = self.args + args kw.update(self.kw) return apply(self.func, args, kw) It's used like this, for example: Command(modem_form.exit,'Account') modem_form.exit is a function, 'Account' is a parameter passed to it. The above is not original to me and I've lost the attribution for which I apologize sincerely. There are some juicy bits in that little bit of code that, when understood, can go a long way to reaching the Python Zen. [wheelage again] > If I could just define everything as global then it would > all be good - and I could reference those variables from > anywhere in the script (so to speak). > > Another way to solve this, is to assign local variables the > values of the variables that I want global. You need to reexamine your concept of globals. You had code that looked like: s = 7 def hi(): s = s + 1 print s It would probably do you good to go to the Tutorial to read the section on namespaces (9.2 Python Scopes and Name Spaces). Actually having just read it it may just confuse you, but its worth the attempt. From that you might get that there are three and only three namespaces in Python; I think called builtin, global, and local. Builtin is the fundamental stuff that is always in Python when the interpreter starts. Global is what gets loaded in when you run your script/program. Local is defined on a per function basis, so for example, when the code within the def hi(): block is run it has its own namespace. In lay language that means it doesn't know about variables that were defined in the Global space, such as s, so you get a NameError. So the purpose of the global statement is to tell a local namespace that a variable from the global namespace should be used. In other words (whew!): s = 7 def hi(): global s s = s + 1 print s > Hmm....problem is, I'm trying to get about 50 arguments in > there. Well, > not 50 but close to it. The following is advice I'm giving with the expectation that you will ignore it. I know I ignored it for a long time and had to learn the hard way. Daniel also already subtly warned you off (Daniel Yoo: "Global variables... nooo! *grin*"). DON'T USE GLOBALS. DON'T USE THE GLOBAL STATEMENT. (ok, get the point ;-)) Learn to use an object to hold all that important stuff and pass it around. Better yet, write code in an object oriented way. An example of a crude way: class holder: __init__(self): pass from Tkinter import * root = Tk() root.title = "yo" holder.s = 7 f = Frame(root) hi_command = Command(hi,holder) b = Button(root, text='hi', command=hi) f.pack() b.pack() def hi(stuff): stuff.s = stuff.s + 1 print stuff.s > x0,y0,x1,y1 coords for a bunch of shapes in a bunch of > different lists and > things. I have all the methods working fine, and everything > gels (thus far) > except I cannot change the values of these variables (or get > their value) > from inside a function/callback (the same thing?). SO what I tried > initially was to re-assign the values to local variables, but > alas ... What you describe here are objects. Give them life and pass them around and let them do all the work. ;-) I hope this was not too professorial and actually helpful. I also hope that it is factual and expect better minds to correct any errors I've made. -Doug-

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calling functions with buttons - why doesn't this work??
by wheelege Oct. 29, 2000

Oct. 29, 2000

There are alot of things I don't understand about Tkinter. I was trying to call a function from a button, and it wouldn't work. So I wrote this little thing and even it doesn't work. When it is run it executes hi() but not when the button is pressed. Help? As a side note, why isn't my window title 'yo'? Here is the code... from Tkinter import * root = Tk() root.title = 'yo' def hi(): print 'hi' f = Frame(root) b = Button(text='hi', command=hi()) f.pack() b.pack()

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Python 2.0
by as79cs＠netscape.net Oct. 29, 2000

Oct. 29, 2000

What's the link for downloading Python 2.0 for Windows 2000?

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tkinter newbie problem
by wheelege Oct. 29, 2000

Oct. 29, 2000

Hi all. This is probably so mind-numbingly simple but hey - I'm a newbie. can anyone see any problems with this? from Tkinter import * root = Tk() root.title("I'm a Tkinter Program !") mBar = Frame(root, relief=RAISED, borderwidth=2) mBar.pack(fill=X) CmdBtn = makeCommandMenu() mBar.tk_menuBar(CmdBtn)#, CasBtn, ChkBtn, RadBtn, NoMenu) def makeCommandMenu(): CmdBtn = Menubutton(mBar, text='Button Commands', underline=0) CmdBtn.pack(side=LEFT, padx="2m") CmdBtn.menu = Menu(CmdBtn) CmdBtn.menu.add_command(label="Undo") CmdBtn.menu.entryconfig(0, state=DISABLED) CmdBtn.menu.add_command(label='New...', underline=0, command=new_file) CmdBtn.menu.add_command(label='Open...', underline=0, command=open_file) CmdBtn.menu.add_command(label='Wild Font', underline=0, font=('Tempus Sans ITC', 14), command=stub_action) CmdBtn.menu.add_command(bitmap="@bitmaps/RotateLeft") CmdBtn.menu.add('separator') CmdBtn.menu.add_command(label='Quit', underline=0, background='white', activebackground='green', command=CmdBtn.quit) print 'bitch' CmdBtn['menu'] = CmdBtn.menu return CmdBtn root.mainloop() This is almost exactly copied from John Grayson's book, but I cut some things from it. I'm using Python 2.0. It keeps telling me there is an error with the makeCommandMenu thing, says there is no such variable as mbar. Help!

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