Index of /pygadgets-products/unzipped
PyGadgets - GUI Toys, Just for the Hack of It
Versions:
Jan 31, 2019 (n/a): New guide - limited Android support (see below)
Sep 28, 2018 (4.3): PyPhoto image auto-rotation + Pillow workarounds
Nov 01, 2017 (4.2): PyPhoto update for single-file thumbnails cache
Oct 05, 2017 (4.1): PyClock optimization + hand redraws fix
Sep 28, 2017 (4.0): Initial standalone release
Earlier versions appeared in the book Programming Python
Author:
Copyright M. Lutz (http://learning-python.com), 1996-2018
License:
Provided freely, but with no warranties of any kind. This program is
open source and is yours to use and copy as you like for personal use.
For quality and attribution purposes, any bulk redistributions must
include in full and unaltered form this file, and folder "screenshots"
from the top level of this package. This license applies both to the
PyGadgets program, as well as each of the gadget programs it launches.
Platforms:
PyGadgets is a desktop GUI that runs on Mac OS, Windows, and Linux.
It provides a stand-alone format for each, and source code for all.
All formats run PyGadgets' calculator, clock, photo viewer, and game.
Fetch:
From "http://learning-python.com/pygadgets.html" download and unzip:
- PyGadgets.app.zip (Mac app)
- PyGadgets-64bit.zip or PyGadgets-32bit.zip (Windows executable)
- PyGadgets.zip (Linux executable)
- PyGadgets-source.zip (source code)
See Package Usage Basics below for more install details.
Start:
To launch the program, run the unzipped folder or its file:
- PyGadgets.app (Mac app)
- PyGadgets.exe (Windows executable)
- PyGadgets (Linux executable)
- PyGadgets.py or PyGadgets_bar.pyw (source code)
Users of source code and Windows and Linux executables may
also run gadgets individually with command-line configurations.
See Package Usage Basics below for more run details.
Docs:
Press '?' on your keyboard in PyGadgets and each gadget it runs
to view in-program documentation. Some gadgets also open help
on 'Help' or '?' widget clicks or menu entries. On Mac OS, each
gadget's help is also available in the top-of-screen menu.
Configs:
Edit file PyGadgets_configs.py to customize the appearance and
behavior of both PyGadgets itself and all the gadgets it spawns.
That file documents all the settings available.
Tools:
PyGadgets is coded in Python, and uses tkinter/Tk for its GUI.
Mac frozen apps are built with py2app; others use PyInstaller.
Upgrades:
To install a new version of PyGadgets in the future, save and
restore any customizations you've made in PyGadgets_configs.py.
Updates:
Watch http://learning-python.com/post-release-updates.html
for new-release announcements and additional usage pointers.
Other:
See top-level folder "screenshots" for GUI samples. Open its
file "index.html" to view thumbnail links in any web browser.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RELEASE NOTES
See the [code] and [web] links in the following for more details.
Jan 31, 2019 (n/a): New guide - limited Android support
For details on running some PyGadgets on Android devices, see this page:
https://www.learning-python.com/using-tkinter-programs-on-android.html
Sep 28, 2018 (4.3): PyPhoto image auto-rotation and Pillow workarounds
PyPhoto now automatically rotates tilted images with "Orientation" Exif
tags to display right-side up - both the thumbnail when stored, and the
image when viewed. It also works around a Pillow library bug which
could trigger too-many-open-files errors in rare contexts, and an
obscure issue in older Pillows that botched image formats on saves.
Users of the prior version should delete their "_PyPhoto-thumbs.pkl"
cache files in image folders to enable the auto-rotation enhancement.
Else images will rotate when viewed, but thumbnails will remain askew.
[code] _PyPhoto/PIL/pyphoto.py, _PyPhoto/PIL/viewer_thumbs.py (2.2)
[web] learning-python.com/post-release-updates.html#pygadgetssep2018
Nov 01, 2017 (4.2): PyPhoto update for single-file thumbnails cache
PyPhoto now stores a folder's thumbnail images in a single pickle file,
instead of individual image files in a subfolder. This requires no more
space or time, but avoids extra files (15k images formerly meant 15k
thumbnail files); multiple file loads and saves; and rare modtime-copy
issues for thumbnails in backup programs. PyCalc also now allows
fractional numbers to be entered with a leading "." instead of "0.".
The PyPhoto change is mildly backward incompatible. Prior PyPhoto
version users: when upgrading to a newer release, run the included
"delete-pyphoto2.0-thumbs-folders.py" script (or its frozen executable)
from a command line to delete all former PyPhoto thumbnail subfolders.
[code] _PyPhoto/PIL/pyphoto.py, _PyPhoto/PIL/viewer_thumbs.py (2.1)
[web] learning-python.com/post-release-updates.html#pygadgetsnov1
Oct 05, 2017 (4.1): PyClock optimization + hand redraws fix
PyClock now avoids updating the analog display's AM/PM label every second
(just like the minute and hour hands) to optimize Mac memory use, and fixes
a minor defect in PyClock which delayed redraws of the analog display's
minute and hour hands too long in some contexts.
[code] _PyClock/Clock/clock.py (3.0.1)
[web] https://www.learning-python.com/post-release-updates.html#pygadgetsoct4
Sep 28, 2017 (4.0): Initial standalone release
Radically upgraded and enhanced versions of both PyGadgets itself, as
well as all the gadget programs it spawns. See each gadget's code
file(s) for more details; their subfolders are prefixed with a "_".
See also learning-python.com/programs.html for PyEdit and PyMailGUI.
Earlier versions 1..3 appeared in editions 2..4 of Programming Python.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PACKAGE USAGE BASICS
PyGadgets is available as full source code, a Mac app, and executables
for Windows and Linux. Source code is the ultimate in portability,
but apps and executables integrate better with your computer's GUI,
do not require any additional install steps, and are immune to
future changes in the Python programming language they use.
In all packages, and on all platforms, the PyGadgets launcher toolbar
GUI allows you to start any of the four gadget GUIs on demand:
- the PyCalc calculator
- the PyClock analog/digital clock
- the PyPhoto photo viewer
- the PyToe AI-based game
The source-code and Windows and Linux executable packages also allow
you to run gadgets individually, by starting their main scripts or
programs via click, command line, or other technique. This mode does
not use PyGadgets' config-file settings, but accepts configurations
as command-line arguments as described ahead. The Mac app provides
the PyGadgets toolbar for launching configured gadgets easily.
The following sections give the fundamentals of each format's usage:
- Mac OS App Package
- Windows Executable Package
- Linux Executable Package
- Source-Code Package
Each section is self-contained, so read the section for your format(s).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAC OS APP PACKAGE
The Mac OS (X) app runs only on Mac OS systems, but requires
no Python install and better supports the Mac user experience.
To Install:
Fetch file "PyGadgets.app.zip", unzip it by a double-click (or other),
and drag the resulting PyGadgets.app to your /Applications folder in
Finder to access it from Launchpad. You can also move PyGadgets.app
and create aliases to it anywhere else on your computer. No other
software must be installed to run the app.
To Run:
Click "PyGadgets.app" to start the program (or run the app any other way).
Running PyGadgets.app automatically launches PyGadgets' GUI toolbar,
the same as running the source-code package's PyGadgets.py.
Clicking PyGadgets' app icon or Dock entry while the program is running
automatically deiconifies (unhides) its main window, and always lifts
it above other windows on screen (handy to locate it in a busy session).
Double-click the app and single-click the Dock to make this work.
Tip: to access a gadget on every Mac desktop, right-click its Dock app
icon, select Options, and choose the Assign To section's All Desktops.
This both displays an open gadget on every desktop, and reopens a
minimized gadget directly on the current desktop. For more details:
http://learning-python.com/post-release-updates.html#macalldesktops.
Files:
Your PyGadgets_configs.py configurations file is located inside the
unzipped app's folder, at path:
PyGadgets.app/Contents/Resources
Navigate to this nested folder in Finder by a right-click on
PyGadgets.app and Show Package Contents (or use "ls" in Terminal).
There is no separate user guide in this program, as each gadget
GUI provides in-program help; press "?" or use widgets in the
toolbar or any gadget to access its help.
Versions:
The Mac OS app was built on Mac OS version 10.11 El Capitan, as a
Mac universal binary. It has been verified to run on this as well
as Mac OS 10.12 Sierra, and is expected to work on later Mac OS
versions. Support for earlier versions of Mac OS (a.k.a. Mac OS X
and macOS) remains to be verified.
Known Issues and Workarounds:
1) Mac Dock zombies: use App Exposé
Due to a flaw in the underlying Tk 8.5 toolkit, closed windows may
leave zombie items in Dock menus that can be safely ignored. Tk 8.6
fixes this bug, but has other problems on Macs that cloud its adoption;
see http://learning-python.com/post-release-updates.html#homebrewdoa
and https://learning-python.com/post-release-updates.html#macpythontk86.
As a workaround: use App Exposé to access open windows (e.g., 3-finger
downswipes on a window, app, or Dock icon), per the updates note here:
http://learning-python.com/post-release-updates.html#appexpose.
2) Mac PyClock disallows PNGs: use GIF or JPEG
On Mac OS only, due to a flaw in both Tk 8.5 and 8.6, PyClock may
leak memory badly on El Capitan, and worse on Sierra, if a PNG image
is used for the clockface in the user configurations file. Use a GIF
or JPEG image instead, as described in PyGadgets_configs.py. On Macs,
PyClock uses a GIF image as its default; if a PNG is configured, it
issues a warning and falls back on its default GIF to avoid issues.
3) Minimize PyClock to reduce memory growth on Macs
Also on Mac OS, despite the PNG fix, PyClock's memory usage may still
grow modestly over time. To avoid memory growth, minimize PyClock
to the Dock when it's not in use; PyClock skips display updates on
Mac OS and Windows in this state, to minimize both memory and CPU use.
No memory growth occurs while PyClock is minimized.
You can also lessen the impact of memory growth by restarting PyClock
every few days, though neither running without an image nor digital
display mode has a significant impact on CPU or memory use on Macs.
PyClock memory growth has been seen only on Mac OS; it does not occur
on Windows or Linux, and may be less (but is still present) in Tk 8.6.
See also the Oct 5, 2017 release notes above; Mac now leaks less memory.
4) Minimize PyClock to reduce CPU usage on most platforms
PyClock updates its display once per second. This is normally a trivial
overhead. To reduce CPU usage over time, though, PyClock skips display
updates on Mac OS and Windows when minimized (a.k.a. iconified). On
Macs, this both lessens CPU and energy draw, and avoids memory growth
per the prior note.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WINDOWS EXECUTABLE PACKAGE
The Windows executables run only on Windows systems, but require
no Python install and better support the Windows user interface.
To Install:
Fetch file "PyGadgets-64bit.zip" or "PyGadgets-32bit.zip" and unzip
it on your computer (see Versions below for the difference).
Copy the unzipped folder to your desktop or elsewhere to
save it. Make Desktop shortcuts to the unzipped folder's
executable (per the next section) for quick access as desired.
No other software must be installed to run the executable.
To Run:
Click on the unzipped folder's "PyGadgets.exe" file to run.
This automatically starts PyGadgets' GUI toolbar, the same as
running the source-code package's script PyGadgets.py.
You may also run individual gadgets directly, by running their
executables located in the unzipped install folder. Use
command-line arguments to configure in this mode (e.g., the
file's "Setting = Value" becomes argument "-Setting Value").
Files:
Your PyGadgets_configs.py configurations file is located at the
top level of the same folder as the ".exe" executable (the folder
created by unzipping the download).
There is no separate user guide in this program, as each gadget
GUI provides in-program help; press "?" or use widgets in the
toolbar or any gadget to access its help.
Versions:
The Windows executable comes in both 64- and 32-bit forms, as denoted
by its zipfile names. The former works only on 64-bit systems; the
latter works more broadly but may run slower on 64-bit systems. The
64-bit executable was built on Windows 7, and the 32-bit version on
Windows 8, but both have been verified to run on Windows 7, 8, and 10.
Known Issues and Workarounds:
1) Startup delays: use source if needed
Startups may be briefly delayed due to PyInstaller folder extracts.
Use the source-code package if this is problematic on slower machines.
2) Minimize PyClock to reduce CPU usage on most platforms
PyClock updates its display once per second. This is normally a trivial
overhead. To reduce CPU usage over time, though, PyClock skips display
updates on Mac OS and Windows when minimized (a.k.a. iconified). On
Windows, this may lessen CPU and energy draw.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LINUX EXECUTABLE PACKAGE
The Linux executable runs only on Linux systems, but requires no
Python install and may better support the Linux user interface.
To Install:
Fetch file "PyGadgets.zip" and unzip it on your computer. Copy the
unzipped folder to your home, desktop, or other folder to make it
easy to access, and make desktop shortcuts to the executable as
desired. No other software must be installed to run the executable.
To Run:
Click on the unzipped folder's "PyGadgets" file to run.
This automatically starts PyGadgets' GUI toolbar, the same as
running the source-code package's script PyGadgets.py.
You may also run individual gadgets directly, by running their
executables located in the unzipped install folder. Use
command-line arguments to configure in this mode (e.g., the
file's "Setting = Value" becomes argument "-Setting Value").
Files:
Your PyGadgets_configs.py configurations file is located at the
top level of the same folder as the executable (the folder created
by unzipping the download).
There is no separate user guide in this program, as each gadget
GUI provides in-program help; press "?" or use widgets in the
toolbar or any gadget to access its help.
Versions:
The sole Linux executable was built on Ubuntu Linux 16.04, on a
64-bit system. It is known to work on this and other versions of
Ubuntu and is expected to work on some other distributions of Linux,
but this is to be verified. If it fails on your system, use the
source-code PyGadgets package.
Known Issues and Workarounds:
1) Startup delays: use source if needed
Startups may be briefly delayed due to PyInstaller folder extracts.
Use the source-code package if this is problematic on slower machines.
2) Minimize PyClock to reduce CPU usage on most platforms
PyClock updates its display once per second. This is normally a trivial
overhead. To reduce CPU usage over time, though, PyClock skips display
updates on Mac OS and Windows when minimized (a.k.a. iconified). Due
to a Tk bug, this optimization doesn't apply on Linux, though PyClock
reports 0% CPU usage and no memory growth when both open and minimized
on that platform.
3) PyClock does not set its app-bar icon on Linux
For reasons to be determined but likely related to the Tk 8.6 GUI
library used, PyClock does not set its app-bar icon for its windows
on Linux. All other gadgets do set their icon on Linux using the same
image file and identical code, so this is an isolated case. Moreover,
it occurs whether PyClock uses Pillow or not, and PyClock correctly
sets its window-border icons on Windows. Developers can find more
details in windowicons.py; this seems a bug in Linux Tk 8.6.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOURCE-CODE PACKAGE
The source-code version of PyGadgets runs on all flavors of Mac,
Windows, and Linux, but requires a separately installed Python.
To Install:
Fetch file "PyGadgets-source.zip" and unzip it on your computer.
Also fetch and install a usable Python 3.X if one is not already
present. On Mac and Linux, also install the tkinter/Tk toolkit
if needed, per notes at www.python.org/downloads/ and, for Mac,
https://www.python.org/download/mac/tcltk/. On all platforms,
also install the Pillow package if you will be using PyPhoto or
PyClock, as described in "Dependencies" below.
To Run:
Run the main script "PyGadgets.py" in the unzipped folder to
launch the toolbar, using any Python program-launching technique
on your platform: Windows icon clicks, IDLE, command lines, Mac
Python Launcher, etc. Running file "PyGadgets_bar.pyw" has the
same effect, but will not produce a console on Windows. You can
also run these files in PyEdit (see learning-python.com/pyedit).
You may also run individual gadgets directly, by running their
main scripts located in the unzipped install folder. See file
PyGadgets.py for the table "mytools" giving the name and folder
location of each gadget's script. Use command-line arguments
to configure in this mode (e.g., the file's "Setting = Value"
becomes argument "-Setting Value").
Mac Tip: to access a gadget on every Mac desktop, right-click its
Dock app icon, select Options, and choose the Assign To section's
All Desktops. This both displays an open gadget on every desktop,
and reopens a minimized gadget on the current desktop. More details:
http://learning-python.com/post-release-updates.html#macalldesktops.
Files:
Your PyGadgets_configs.py configurations file is located in the
same folder as the main scripts' source-code file (the folder
created by unzipping the download).
There is no separate user guide in this program, as each gadget
GUI provides in-program help; press "?" or use widgets in the
toolbar or any gadget to access its help.
Programmers note: this package's code was kept as close to its
original PP4E version as possible, but substantial changes were
made for general functionality upgrades, as well as launch,
configuration, and Mac OS port extensions (e.g., Mac menus,
reopens, and focus). Search code on "[SA]" for changes.
Versions:
Source code is platform-neutral and is not dependent on the
version of your operating system. This package runs on all
versions of Mac OS (X), Windows, and Linux in common use today.
The source-code package does, however, require and assume a
separately installed Python on your computer: download one
for your platform from www.python.org/downloads if Python is
not already installed.
PyGadgets' source code has been verified to run on all Python
3.X through 3.6. Later Python versions are expected to work
too, but 3.6 is the latest verified.
Dependencies:
Besides Python and Tk, the only third-party install requirement
is in gadget PyPhoto, which requires Pillow (PIL) available from
https://pypi.python.org/pypi/Pillow. Install a Pillow package
for your platform and Python version. App, exe, and executable
packages include Pillow automatically, along with Python and Tk.
The PyClock gadget uses Pillow if present for clockface images
to support nearly all image types. If Pillow is not installed,
PyClock supports GIF images with all Pythons, plus PNG images
with Pythons that use Tk 8.6+ (including the standard Windows
python.org install). Because app, exe, and executable PyClocks
include PIL automatically, they always support most image types.
For more on image types supported by tkinter, see this folder's
file GUI/gifs/README.txt. For recent Pillow install tips, see the
note at https://www.learning-python.com/tagpix/README-macapp.html.
Known Issues and Workarounds:
1) Mac Dock zombies: use App Exposé
On Mac OS, closed windows may leave zombie items in Dock menus due
to a flaw in the underlying Tk 8.5 toolkit. Tk 8.6 -- supported by
Homebrew Python and python.org's Mac Python 3.6.5+ today -- fixes
this Dock bug, but has other issues on Macs that cloud its adoption.
See http://learning-python.com/post-release-updates.html#homebrewdoa
and https://learning-python.com/post-release-updates.html#macpythontk86.
As a workaround: use App Exposé to access open windows (e.g., 3-finger
downswipes on a window, app, or Dock icon), per the updates note here:
http://learning-python.com/post-release-updates.html#appexpose.
2) Mac PyClock disallows PNGs: use GIF or JPEG
On Mac OS only, due to a flaw in both Tk 8.5 and 8.6, PyClock may
leak memory badly on El Capitan, and worse on Sierra, if a PNG image
is used for the clockface in the user configurations file. Use a GIF
or JPEG image instead, as described in PyGadgets_configs.py. On Macs,
PyClock uses a GIF image as its default; if a PNG is configured, it
issues a warning and falls back on its default GIF to avoid issues.
3) Minimize PyClock to reduce memory growth on Macs
Also on Mac OS, despite the PNG fix, PyClock's memory usage may still
grow modestly over time. To avoid memory growth, minimize PyClock
to the Dock when it's not in use; PyClock skips display updates on
Mac OS and Windows in this state, to minimize both memory and CPU use.
No memory growth occurs while PyClock is minimized.
You can also lessen the impact of memory growth by restarting PyClock
every few days, though neither running without an image nor digital
display mode has a significant impact on CPU or memory use on Macs.
PyClock memory growth has been seen only on Mac OS; it does not occur
on Windows or Linux, and may be less (but is still present) in Tk 8.6.
See also the Oct 5, 2017 release notes above; Mac now leaks less memory.
4) Minimize PyClock to reduce CPU usage on most platforms
PyClock updates its display once per second. This is normally a trivial
overhead. To reduce CPU usage over time, though, PyClock skips display
updates on Mac OS and Windows when it is minimized (a.k.a. iconified).
On Macs and Windows, this may lessen CPU and energy draw. On Macs,
it also avoids memory growth, per the prior note. Due to a Tk bug,
this optimization doesn't apply on Linux, though PyClock reports 0% CPU
usage and no memory growth when both open and minimized on that platform.
5) PyClock does not set its app-bar icon on Linux
For reasons to be determined but likely related to the Tk 8.6 GUI
library used, PyClock does not set its app-bar icon for its windows
on Linux. All other gadgets do set their icon on Linux using the same
image file and identical code, so this is an isolated case. Moreover,
it occurs whether PyClock uses Pillow or not, and PyClock correctly
sets its window-border icons on Windows. Developers can find more
details in windowicons.py; this seems a bug in Linux Tk 8.6.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[end]
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