Wx Python from scratch
Introduction
This series of pages is intended to guide a competent Python programmer through the stages needed to buld GUI programs using the wxPython framework.
Why I am writing this
I taught myself to write GUI applications in wxPython; a sometimes painful and protracted experience. Here, I want to share with others what little wisdom I have amassed in this process. I wish I’d have had this guide by my side when I started; it would have saved many hours of trial and error.
Why choose wx python?
I assume that you are already committed to using Python to develop applications and that you now need or want to develop GUI applications. There is a “native” python GUI framework, tkinter, but on my initial investigation I felt that wxPython looked better. I freely admit that I might have been wrong about that. That said, wxPython does have all of the necessary widgets that I want and, in my opinion, looks great on linux, Windows and OSX.
Style
I have chosen to assume that the reader knows nothing about wxPython. A few web searches will find lots of examples of wxPython code snippets, but these have often been put together to demonstrate a point and they assume familiarity with the basics of wxPython. I am not claiming that my style is optimal, but it does have the advantage of providing solutions that are consistent, effective and compatable with the main PC platforms: linux, Windows and OSX.
This series of postings is not intended to cover all aspects of wxPython programming and should not be considered as a reference document. Instead, I hope you will read, follow and implement for yourself the examples I give in detail and in sequence. Each posting should take no more than 30 minutes to work through, and so, if you pace youself over a week, you will gain an mastery of wxPython in very little time. You will really understand how to use it and not just parrot recipes from examples.
I have followed the Style Guide for wxPython code and PEP8 (except on line length and docstrings) wherever possible; I apologise for any lapses.
The code for each topic can be downloaded. A link is provided at the appropriate point on each lesson.
Wherever I use the term wx on its own, it is intended to be read as wxPython.
Prerequisites
I am assuming that you have downloaded wxPython and that you have a working knowledge of Python; in particular object based programming techniques including class definition, inheritance and Python’s treatment of a function or method call as an object.
Throughout, I have assumed that you will be using Python 3.