View source for WxPython

{{Short description|Python wrapper for wxWidgets}}
{{lowercase title|title=wxPython}}
{{Infobox software
| name = 
| logo                   = WxPython-logo.png
| logo size              = 210px
| screenshot             = 
| caption                = wxPython
| developer              = Robin Dunn<br />Harri Pasanen
| released               = {{Start date and age|1998|df=yes}}
| latest release version = 4.2.2<ref>{{Cite web|date=2024-09-11|title=wxPython Changelog|url=https://www.wxpython.org/news/2024-09-11-wxpython-422-release/index.html|access-date=2024-11-28|website=wxPython|language=en}}</ref>
| latest release date    = {{Start date and age|2024|09|11}}
| latest preview version = 
| latest preview date    =
| programming language   = [[C++]] / [[Python (programming language)|Python]]
| operating system       = [[Cross-platform]]
| genre                  =
| license                = [[wxWidgets#License|wxWindows License]]
| website                = {{URL|http://wxpython.org/}}
}}
'''wxPython''' is a [[wrapper library|wrapper]] for the [[cross-platform]] [[graphical user interface|GUI]] [[application programming interface|API]] (often referred to as a "[[toolkit]]") [[wxWidgets]] (which is written in [[C++]]) for the [[Python (programming language)|Python programming language]]. It is one of the alternatives to [[Tkinter]]. It is implemented as a Python extension module ([[native code]]).

==History==
In 1995, Robin Dunn needed a [[graphical user interface|GUI]] application to be deployed on [[HP-UX]] systems but also run [[Windows 3.1]] within short time frame. He needed a [[Cross-platform software|cross-platform]] solution. While evaluating free and commercial solutions, he ran across [[Python (programming language)|Python]] bindings on the wxWidgets toolkit [[Web page|webpage]] (known as wxWindows at the time). This was Dunn's introduction to Python. Together with Harri Pasanen and Edward Zimmerman he [[Software Developer|developed]] those initial bindings into wxPython 0.2.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Team |first=The wxPython |date=2017-07-14 |title=wxPython History |url=https://wxpython.org/pages/history/index.html |access-date=2022-06-25 |website=wxPython |language=en}}</ref>

In August 1998, version 0.3 of wxPython was released. It was built for wxWidgets 2.0 and ran on Win32, with a wxGTK version in the works.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-03-12 |title=Yahoo! Groups : python-announce-list Messages :Message 95 of 1083 |url=https://groups.yahoo.com/group/python-announce-list/message/95 |access-date=2022-06-25 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010312234326/https://groups.yahoo.com/group/python-announce-list/message/95 |archive-date=12 March 2001 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The first versions of the wrapper were created by hand. However, the [[Source code|code]] became difficult to maintain and keep synchronized with wxWidgets releases. By 1997, versions were created with [[SWIG]], greatly decreasing the amount of work to update the wrapper.<ref name=":0" />

=== Project Phoenix ===
In 2010, the Project Phoenix began; an effort to clean up the wxPython [[implementation]] and in the process make it compatible with Python 3.<ref>{{cite web |title=Goals of Project Phoenix |url=http://wiki.wxpython.org/ProjectPhoenix/ProjectGoals |access-date=2016-03-17}}</ref> The project is a new implementation of wxPython, focused on improving speed, maintainability and extensibility. Like the previous version of wxPython, it wraps the wxWidgets [[C++]] toolkit and provides access to the [[user interface]] portions of the wxWidgets [[API]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Project Phoenix readme file on GitHub |website=[[GitHub]] |url=https://github.com/wxWidgets/Phoenix/blob/master/README.rst |access-date=2014-01-01}}</ref>

With the release of 4.0.0a1 wxPython in 2017, the Project Phoenix version became the official version.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robin |date=2017-04-16 |title=wxPython 4.0.0a1 Release |url=https://wxpython.org/news/wxpython-4.0.0a1-release/index.html |access-date=2022-06-25 |website=wxPython |language=en}}</ref> wxPython 4.x is the current version being developed as of June 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Team |first=The wxPython |date=2020-11-21 |title=wxPython 4.1.1 Released |url=https://wxpython.org/news/2020-11-21-wxpython-411-release/index.html |access-date=2022-06-25 |website=wxPython |language=en}}</ref>

== Use ==
wxPython enables Python to be used for [[Cross-platform software|cross-platform]] [[graphical user interface|GUI]] applications requiring very little, if any, platform-specific code.

=== Example ===

This is a simple "[[Hello world program|Hello world]]" module, depicting the creation of the two main [[Object (computer science)|objects]] in wxPython (the main window object and the application object), followed by passing the control to the [[Event-driven programming|event-driven]] system (by calling <code>MainLoop()</code>) which manages the user-interactive part of the program.

<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
#!/usr/bin/env python3

import wx

app = wx.App(False)  # Create a new app, don't redirect stdout/stderr to a window.
frame = wx.Frame(None, title="Hello World") # A Frame is a top-level window.
frame.Show(True)     # Show the frame.
app.MainLoop()
</syntaxhighlight>
This is another example of the wxPython Close Button with wxPython GUI display show in Windows 10 operating system.[[File:Close button with wxpython in windows 10.png|thumb|Close button with wxPython shown on Windows 10]]

<syntaxhighlight lang="python3">
import wx

class WxButton(wx.Frame):

    def __init__(self, *args, **kw):
        super(WxButton, self).__init__(*args, **kw)
        self.InitUI()

    def InitUI(self):
        pnl = wx.Panel(self)
        closeButton = wx.Button(pnl, label='Close Me', pos=(20, 20))

        closeButton.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.OnClose)

        self.SetSize((350, 250))
        self.SetTitle('Close Button')
        self.Centre()

    def OnClose(self, e):
        self.Close(True)

def main():
    app = wx.App()
    ex = WxButton(None)
    ex.Show()
    app.MainLoop()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()  
</syntaxhighlight>

==License==
Being a wrapper, wxPython uses the same [[free software license]] used by [[wxWidgets]] ([[wxWidgets#License|wxWindows License]])<ref>{{cite web |title=Copyright notice |url=http://docs.wxwidgets.org/stable/wx_copyrightnotice.html |access-date=2009-02-27 |archive-date=2009-02-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216025901/http://docs.wxwidgets.org/stable/wx_copyrightnotice.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>—which is approved by [[Free Software Foundation]] and [[Open Source Initiative]].

== Applications developed with wxPython ==
* [[Chandler (PIM)|Chandler]], a [[Personal information management|personal information]] manager
* [[Dropbox (service)|Dropbox]], [[Desktop environment|desktop]] client for the Dropbox [[Cloud computing|cloud-based]] storage<ref>{{cite web|title=6 lessons from Dropbox one million files saved every 15 minutes|date=14 March 2011 |url=http://highscalability.com/blog/2011/3/14/6-lessons-from-dropbox-one-million-files-saved-every-15-minu.html}}</ref>
* [[Editra]], a [[Cross-platform software|multi-platform]] [[text editor]]
* [[Google Drive]], desktop client for the Google cloud-based storage system<ref>{{cite web|title=Open source components and licenses|url=https://support.google.com/drive/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1716931&p=settings_licenses|publisher=Google Inc.|access-date=28 January 2013}}</ref>
* [[GRASS GIS]], a free, [[open source]] [[Geographic information system|geographical information system]]
* [[Métamorphose (renamer)|Métamorphose]], a [[Batch processing|batch]] renamer
* [[Phatch]], a photo batch processor
* [[PlayOnLinux]] and [[PlayOnMac]], [[Wine (software)|Wine]] front-ends
* [[PsychoPy]], experiment creation tool for [[neuroscience]] and [[psychology]] research
<!-- 
    Please don't spam this list with applications that aren't notable enough to have Wikipedia articles.
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== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book
| first1    = Noel
| last1     = Rappin
| first2    = Robin
| last2     = Dunn
| title     = wxPython in Action
| date      = March 1, 2006
| publisher = [[Manning Publications]]
| location = Greenwich
| page     = 552
| isbn      = 978-1-932394-62-7
}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book
| first1    = Cody
| last1     = Precord
| title     = wxPython 2.8 Application Development Cookbook
| date      = December 2010
| publisher = [[Packt Publishing]]
| location = Greenwich
| pages     = 308
| isbn      = 978-1-84951-178-0
}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|http://wxpython.org/}}
*[https://coderslegacy.com/wxpython-tutorial/ wxPython Widget Tutorial Series]
* [http://wiki.wxpython.org/ProjectPhoenix Project Phoenix main page]
* [http://wiki.wxpython.org/wxPythonPit%20Apps List of applications developed with wxPython]

{{wxWidgets}}
{{Widget toolkits}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wxpython}}
[[Category:1998 software]]
[[Category:Free computer libraries]]
[[Category:Python (programming language) libraries]]
[[Category:Widget toolkits]]
[[Category:WxWidgets]]