Re: [matplotlib-devel] PyGTK vs PyGObject

[Damon M. <dam...@gm...>]

On Fri, Oct 5, 2012 at 5:51 PM, Michael Droettboom <md...@st...> wrote:
> On 10/05/2012 11:40 AM, Damon McDougall wrote:
>
> On Friday, October 5, 2012, Michael Droettboom wrote:
>>
>> On 10/05/2012 06:38 AM, todd rme wrote:
>>
>> I am trying to do some experimental packages with python 3 and the
>> latest RC, and I am trying to figure out the situation with some of
>> the backends.  Some are obvious, like wxwidgets and PyQt (Qt3
>> version).
>>
>> The issue I am running into is with the gtk backend  PyGTK is
>> deprecated.  According to the website, all development halted a year
>> and a half ago and they say to use PyGObject instead.  PyGTK, as far
>> as I can tell, does not support Python 3 or GTK 3.  PyGObject,
>> however, supports both.  So I was wondering what I should be doing
>> with this backend.  Does matplotlib support PyGObject, or should the
>> GTK backends just be disabled on Python 3 builds?
>>
>> The new Gtk3Cairo backend uses PyGObject and works under Python 3.  (This
>> refers to Gtk version 3, which is also only supported by PyGObject -- the
>> backend could perhaps have been called PyGObject, but in fact the toolkit
>> used is still Gtk, so the naming is perhaps a bit confusing).  The older
>> pygtk backend still ships with Python 3, but a warning is displayed when the
>> user attempts to use it.
>>
>> Once PyGObject/PyCairo addresses a shortcoming [1] that prevents a bitmap
>> buffer from being transferred to an on screen window, the Gtk3Agg backend
>> will also work.
>>
>> http://lists.cairographics.org/archives/cairo/2011-November/022519.html
>>
>> BTW -- this report has languished for almost a year.  Does anyone know a
>> better way to get the ear of the pycairo developers?
>>
>> Mike
>
>
> Do we use pycairo to interface with the Cairo library? Is there any reason
> we don't use the C (or C++, I can't remember what libcairo is written in)
> directly?
>
> This may get around the issue, but it'd be a lot of work...
>
> We do use pycairo.  It certainly would get around the issue, but duplicate a
> lot of effort that pycairo already handles for us.
>
> Now that I've seen that the bug has been fixed in pycairo's git (see my
> earlier message), I'm comfortable just waiting for the next pycairo release
> (assuming it's not too far off).
>
> Mike

Of course. I was merely asking to qualm my curiosity rather than
suggesting a major codebase re-haul. Thanks for looking into this.

-- 
Damon McDougall
http://www.damon-is-a-geek.com
B2.39
Mathematics Institute
University of Warwick
Coventry
West Midlands
CV4 7AL
United Kingdom