1996-03-18 13:38:52 +00:00
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<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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1996-04-10 14:52:59 +00:00
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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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1996-03-18 13:38:52 +00:00
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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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1996-07-18 16:07:05 +00:00
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The <a href="http://www.python.org/doc/lib/Top.html">Python Library Reference</a> contains a section on
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<a href="http://www.python.org/doc/lib/Macintosh-Specific-Services.html">Macintosh-specific modules</a>
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that you should also read. Documentation is also available in PostScript and other
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forms, see the <a href="http://www.python.org/doc/">documentation</a> section
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on the webserver. <p>
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1996-04-19 15:56:08 +00:00
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Some of these documents were actually written while I was working on a "real"
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1996-03-18 13:38:52 +00:00
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project: creating a single-button application that will allow my
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girlfriend to read her mail (which actually pass thry <EM>my</EM>
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mailbox, so I get to read it too, but don't tell her:-) without her
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having to worry about internet connections, unix commands, etc. The
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application, when finished, will connect to the net using InterSLIP,
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start a (pseudo-)POP server on unix using rsh and use AppleScript to
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tell Eudora to connect to that server and retrieve messages. <p>
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1996-05-20 11:32:49 +00:00
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These examples were all built using Python 1.3.3, which can be downloaded
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from <a href="ftp://ftp.cwi.nl/pub/jack/python/mac">ftp.cwi.nl, directory
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/pub/jack/python/mac</a>, and possibly from the <a href="ftp://ftp.python/org">
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ftp.python.org</a> server and its mirrors as well. Some examples may work
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with earlier versions of Python, some will definitely not.
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1996-03-18 13:38:52 +00:00
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<H2>Table of contents</H2>
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<UL>
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1996-07-18 16:07:05 +00:00
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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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1996-03-18 13:38:52 +00:00
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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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1996-04-19 15:56:08 +00:00
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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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1996-03-18 13:38:52 +00:00
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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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1996-05-20 11:32:49 +00:00
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1996-09-09 01:48:03 +00:00
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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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1996-05-20 11:32:49 +00:00
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<LI>
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1996-08-07 13:19:16 +00:00
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<A HREF="building.html">Building Mac Python from source</A> explains
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1996-05-20 11:32:49 +00:00
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how to build a PPC or 68K interpreter from a source distribution.
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1997-01-15 16:53:37 +00:00
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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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1996-03-18 13:38:52 +00:00
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</UL>
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1996-04-19 15:56:08 +00:00
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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.
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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.
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</UL>
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1996-03-18 13:38:52 +00:00
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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 5 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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1996-09-09 01:48:03 +00:00
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<A HREF="mailto:jack@cwi.nl">jack@cwi.nl</A>, 09-September-1996.
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1996-07-18 16:07:05 +00:00
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</BODY></HTML>
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