145 lines
5.5 KiB
HTML
145 lines
5.5 KiB
HTML
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Macintosh Python crash course</TITLE></HEAD>
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<BODY>
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<H1><IMG SRC="html.icons/python.gif">Macintosh Python crash course</H1>
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<HR>
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This set of documents provides an introduction to various aspects of
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Python programming on the Mac. It is assumed that the reader is
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already familiar with Python and, to some extent, with MacOS Toolbox
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programming. Other readers may find something interesting here too,
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your mileage may vary. <p>
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There is a companion document <a href="using.html">Using Python on the Mac</a>
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which you should read before starting here: it explains the basics of using
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python on the Macintosh. <p>
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Another set of Macintosh-savvy examples, more aimed at beginners, is
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maintained by Joseph Strout, at <A
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HREF="http://www-acs.ucsd.edu/~jstrout/python/">
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http://www-acs.ucsd.edu/~jstrout/python/</A>.
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<P>
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The <a href="http://www.python.org/doc/lib/Top.html">Python Library
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Reference</a> contains a section on <a
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href="http://www.python.org/doc/lib/Macintosh-Specific-Services.html">Macintosh-specific
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modules</a> that you should also read. Documentation is also available
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in PostScript and other forms, see the <a
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href="http://www.python.org/doc/">documentation</a> section on the
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webserver. <p>
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Some of these documents were actually written a long time ago and have seen
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little maintainance, so use with care. <p>
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<H2>Table of contents</H2>
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<UL>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="example0.html">Using python to create Macintosh applications,
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part zero</A> whets your appetite by showing you how to ask the user
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for a filename, and how to display a message. It explains about end-of-line
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confusion while doing so.
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<LI>
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<A HREF="example1.html">Using python to create Macintosh applications,
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part one</A> explains how to create a simple modal-dialog application
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in Python. It also takes a glance at using the toolbox modules Res and
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Dlg, and EasyDialogs for simple question-dialogs.
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<LI>
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<A HREF="example2.html">Using python to create Macintosh applications,
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part two</A> turns the previous example program into a more complete
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mac application, using a modeless dialog, menus, etc. It also explains
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how to create applets, standalone applications written in Python.
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<LI>
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<A HREF="freezing.html">Freezing Python programs</A> extends on this concept,
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and shows you how to create applications that can be used on machines without
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a full Python installed. This one is probably best skipped on first contact
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with MacPython.
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<LI>
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<A HREF="textedit.html">Using FrameWork and TextEdit</A> shows you
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how to use <code>FrameWork</code> application framework and the
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<code>TextEdit</code> toolbox to build a text editor.
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<LI>
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<A HREF="waste.html">Using WASTE</A> expands on this editor by using
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WASTE, an extended TextEdit replacement.
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<LI>
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<A HREF="plugins.html">Creating a C extension module on the Macintosh</A>
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is meant for the hardcore programmer, and shows how to create an
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extension module in C. It also handles using Modulator to create the
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boilerplate for your module, and creating dynamically-loadable modules
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on PowerPC Macs.
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<LI>
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<A HREF="applescript.html">Using Open Scripting Architecture from Python</A> explains
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how to create a Python module interfacing to a scriptable application,
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and how to use that module in your python program.
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<LI>
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<A HREF="cgi.html">Using python to create CGI scripts</A> is a preliminary
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introduction to writing CGI scripts in Python and to writing scriptable applications
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in Python.
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<LI>
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<A HREF="building.html">Building Mac Python from source</A> explains
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how to build a PPC or 68K interpreter from a source distribution.
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<LI>
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<A HREF="embed.html">Embedding Python on the Mac</A> is a minimal example of
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how to embed Python in other Mac applications.
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</UL>
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The Python distribution contains a few more examples, all unexplained:
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<UL>
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<LI>
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<I>PICTbrowse</I> is an application that locates PICT
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resources and displays them, it demonstrates some quickdraw and the
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resource and list managers. In the same folder you will find the very
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similar scripts ICONbrowse and cicnbrowse. oldPICTbrowse is the same program
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but form the pre-Appearance era, it uses a dialog with a user item and
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creates and manages its own List object.
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<LI>
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<I>Imgbrowse</I> displays image files in
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many different formats (gif, tiff, pbm, etc). It shows how to use the
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img modules on the mac.
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<LI>
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<I>Quicktime</I> has the standard <code>MovieInWindow</code> and
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<code>VerySimplePlayer</code> examples, re-coded in Python.
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<LI>
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<I>Resources</I>, <I>Sound</I> and <I>Speech</I> have some examples
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on using the respective managers. In the <i>Mac:Lib</i> folder you
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will also find modules that do useful things with the Communications
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Toolbox, the Finder interface, etc.
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<LI>
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<I>Printing</I> has an example on using the Printing module to, you guessed
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it, print from Python. The code is somewhat self-documenting. Donated
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by Just van Rossum, who also donated the Printing module itself.
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</UL>
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At some point in the (possibly distant) future, I will add chapters on
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how to use bgen to create modules completely automatic and how to make
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your Python program scriptable, but that will have to wait. <p>
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<HR>
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Please let me know if you miss critical information in this
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document. I am quite sure that I will never find the time to turn it
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into a complete MacPython programmers guide (which would probably be a
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400-page book instead of 10 lousy html-files), but it should contain
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at least the information that is neither in the standard Python
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documentation nor in Inside Mac or other Mac programmers
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documentation. <p>
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<HR>
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<A HREF="http://www.cwi.nl/~jack">Jack Jansen</A>,
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<A HREF="mailto:jack@cwi.nl">jack@cwi.nl</A>, 26-Jun-98.
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</BODY></HTML>
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