visualpython-users

[Visualpython-users] Buttons etc.

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

Attached is controls.py, a Visual-based module that lets you create 
buttons, toggle switches, sliders, and pull-down menus which you can use to 
control Visual displays.

At the end of the file is a program that is a documented example of the use 
of such controls.

Comments and improvements are welcome!

Bruce Sherwood

Re: [Visualpython-users] re: Distribution

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

--On Thursday, March 14, 2002 12:30 AM -0500 art...@rs... wrote:

> I am most defintely *not* mistaken.  If I open regular IDLE after having
> downloaded VPython on a look see basis, even *after* having uninstalled it
> I will forever more be getting the VPython top level help index when I do
> Help>Python Documentation

Ah. I had misunderstood your earlier comments. You are correct, and you can 
reasonably consider this a "sin". (I thought you were complaining that one 
could no longer get to the Python documentation due to insertion of the 
VPython documentation.) It would indeed be better (in the current context) 
for the VPython uninstall to rename Python.html to index.html. I'm not 
quite sure how to do that, and had piously hoped that the exact sequence 
you describe would not be common nor particularly onerous. Clearly this 
pious hope was not true in your case. More below on the sinning....

> And it can be avoided by changing a
> single letter.
>
> In EditorWindow.py at the line:
>
>         fn = os.path.join(fn, os.pardir, os.pardir, "Doc", "index.html")
>
> change index.html to vindex.html.

This approach was indeed considered, but this seemed a "sin" against Open 
Source manners (there are sins, and sins). What is temporarily called 
"idle_VPython" is actually an early cut of the ongoing idlefork project, 
whose goal is to become the standard Idle. It seemed proper to try as much 
as possible NOT to modify idlefork, so that those who want to track its 
progress could continually install newer versions and still have things 
work properly. As I said, "This kludge may well go away when current major 
work is completed by Stephen Gava to make IDLE configurable."

> By directing folks for example to the Numeric site, they have the
> opportunity to better appreciate and understand it as a project separate
> and distinct from VPython, in which a number a very bright folks have and
> continue to contribute efforts that benefit many of us  - most certainly
> the VPython user.
>
> Or find some other way to acknowledge with more overt appreciation the
> Numeric backbone of VPython because I *do* think it is not given an
> adequate, well-mannered nod of debt and appreciation in the distribution
> as it stands.

Numeric is prominently featured as a separate entity on the VPython 
documentation page, there is a link there to the Numeric web site (though I 
just noticed that we need to update that link, as there is now a 
redirection in place), and the full documentation for Numeric is included. 
What more could we do to acknowledge our debt in an adequate, well-mannered 
way?

> As to any other points I was in good faith and with best intentions
> trying to make - I pass it as a losing battle.

Not entirely losing: I acknowledged that we should archive older 
installers, and will try to do that in the future. And it's useful that you 
question the details of the documentation path, though I hope you see that 
what was done was an attempt to offset one "sin" against another rather 
than a sinister conspiracy.

Bruce Sherwood

[Visualpython-users] re: Distribution

[<art...@rs...>]

Bruce -

I thought I got over my problem with authority figures about thirty years
ago.

God Bless you, Bruce.

You make me feel twenty again.

You write:

>>You are mistaken

I am most defintely *not* mistaken.  If I open regular IDLE after having
downloaded VPython on a look see basis, even *after* having uninstalled it
I will forever more be getting the VPython top level help index when I do
Help>Python Documentation

That is ill mannered and wrong - absolutely, no doubt about it.

Earth-shattering, no.

Ill mannered and wrong, no question.

And it can be avoided by changing a
single letter.

In EditorWindow.py at the line:

        fn = os.path.join(fn, os.pardir, os.pardir, "Doc", "index.html")

change index.html to vindex.html.

Distribute the VPython top-level index.html as vindex.html - issue gone.

Why are you blind to this?

As to the general issue of the distribution - I truly commend you for
organizing successully the big foot distributions.  I am not trying to
minimize the importance of the availability of
that kind of distribution - nor the work that went into creating it.  I
*was* impressed by how smoothly the RedHat install went.

But 'slightly longer down-load time' I think is not quite saying it right when (lets
say) 95% of that download is not VPython, but other modules upon which it happens to
depend.

By directing folks for example to the Numeric site, they have the opportunity to
better appreciate and understand it as a project separate and distinct
from VPython, in which a number a very bright folks have and continue to contribute
efforts that benefit many of us  - most certainly the VPython user.

Or find some other way to acknowledge with more overt appreciation the
Numeric backbone of VPython because I *do* think it is not given an
adequate, well-mannered nod of debt and appreciation in the distribution as
it stands.

But I guess that's just one crank's opinion.

As to any other points I was in good faith and with best intentions trying to
make - I pass it as a losing battle.

Art

Re: [Visualpython-users] Linux; VPython distribution

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

--On Wednesday, March 13, 2002 8:28 PM -0500 art...@rs... wrote:
> But the performance on Linux (KDE
> desktop) seems quite weak versus Windows.  I suspect this has *nothing* to
> do with VPython itself - and am guessing it has something to do
> configuring Mesa and hardware acceleration.

Your diagnosis is probably correct. I have Red Hat Linux 7.2 (with Gnome 
desktop) dual booting on a laptop with Windows, and I find that VPython 
programs run twice as fast under Linux as they do under Windows!

> Firstly, it is normal in the distribution of Python modules to
> maintain the availability of  binary distros for versions of Python at
> least one or two versions back from  the current. Many people who might
> want to experiment with VPython but have no other compelling reason to
> move from, let's say, a happy Python2.1.1 install will simply choose to
> pass it by.

You are right that we should archive older versions for this and other good 
reasons; we will try to do that in the future. I have no interest in going 
backwards at this time to create packages for earlier versions of Python, 
but if someone wishes to create such packages I'd be happy to put them on 
the VPython web site.

> One of the beauties of VPython is its small footprint - a small *.dll and
> a few scripts and some docs are all that is necessary at the margin for
> anyone who already has/uses Numeric and who does not plan to use
> VPython_Idle.
> I understand that there are provisions for the separate download of
> VPython components - but I do not think it is clear to anyone coming in
> that there are good alternatives to the big footed standard distribution.

I don't see how this is a major problem. The "big footed" standard 
distribution may install Numeric again if you already have it, but so what? 
And it installs idle_VPython, but you don't have to use it. Since you 
mention "dll" you must be speaking of the Windows installer, which is not 
enormously larger as a result of including Numeric and idle_VPython (and 
remember that Numeric is needed by Visual). Where exactly is the harm? A 
slightly longer download time? However, see additional comments below.

> Though VPython no longer overwrites the standard Idle, it does, if I am
> not mistaken, overwrite the standard Python top level help index.

You are mistaken. The VPython installer (at least for Windows) copies the 
Python index.html to Python.html, then installs our index.html with a link 
to Python.html. So nothing is lost, and you have no evidence that we are 
sinning against Open Source manners. This kludge may well go away when 
current major work is completed by Stephen Gava to make IDLE configurable.

-----------------
Now for some background and philosophy. We found experimentally that even 
Carnegie Mellon computer science students had difficulties installing 
VPython with the early installation procedures, so we put major priority on 
all-in-one "big footprint" nearly foolproof installers, succeeding 
eventually on Windows in this respect. The Windows installer is basically 
nonproblematic now (except for archiving versions for earlier versions of 
Python).

We also went this route with the Mac, and there also this seems to have 
been absolutely essential because it is otherwise very difficult for a 
typical Mac user to assemble all the pieces. (And we're currently trying to 
tame the X11-on-Mac situation for VPython, which is a bear.)

It is really the Unix/Linux situation where the "big footprint" scheme 
isn't always appropriate, with the partial exception of Red Hat. What makes 
the Red Hat environment somewhat special is that relatively unskilled 
people come to Red Hat when they decide to try Linux, because to the 
general public it is the best known of the Linuxes. These relatively novice 
users are not well served by being given a shopping list of rpm's which 
they should find somewhere.

I should comment that work on better Unix/Linux installation procedures is 
relatively recent, and we are studying the advisability of using the Python 
distutils mechanism rather than our own script. But it is gratifying that 
you found that "I did a Python install on Redhat7.2 from the current distro 
and all went quite smoothly." Twas not always thus, and it is not an 
accident that it just happened to go smoothly for you.

That leaves a community not optimally well served: the knowledgeable 
Unix/Linux Python user who is perfectly capable of ferreting out all the 
necessary pieces and putting it together and simply incrementing an 
existing Python installation. We realize that we could do a better job of 
providing information to this group (without losing sight of serving the 
more novice community well, too).

> I understand that there are provisions for the separate download of
> VPython components - but I do not think it is clear to anyone coming in
> that there are good alternatives to the big footed standard distribution.

So it is mainly just a matter of improving/reorganizing the site 
documentation to make it clear that this is possible. The pieces are there.

Bruce Sherwood

[Visualpython-users] VPython Distribution

[<Do...@ao...>]

Speaking for me (and my shadow), I like the distribution of VPython.  It does 
what I want out of the box.  I use VPython for a lot of data analysis and 
quick modeling work.  For me, at least:
(1) Small footprint is not all that important.
(2) I am a dumb-ol-country boy physicist who likes not
    havin to install stuff. (I'm making fun of ME there
    by the way).  The only thing I have to add on for
    what I do is Dislin.
(3) I like IDLE.  Its....I don't know, friendly.

This is my data point, based on the path I came to
Python on and what I do with it. I am by no means
trying to persuade anyone how valid it is.

Wayne Keen

By the way, I did write an acknowlegement in a paper
I am presenting at SPIE next month to the VPython
group.

[Visualpython-users] Linux; VPython distribution

[<art...@rs...>]

Two totally unrelated issues:

1)  I did a Python install on Redhat7.2 from the current
distro and all went quite smoothly.  But the performance on Linux (KDE
desktop) seems quite weak versus Windows.  I suspect this has *nothing* to
do with VPython itself - and am guessing it has something to do configuring
Mesa and hardware acceleration. Been a while since I have
been on Linux.  Anybody have any clues?

2) I remain frustrated with aspects of the VPython distribution.

a) Firstly, it is normal in the distribution of Python modules to
maintain the availability of  binary distros for versions of Python at least
one or two versions back from  the current. Many people who might want to
experiment with VPython but have no other compelling reason to move from,
let's say, a happy Python2.1.1 install will simply choose to pass it by.

b) One of the beauties of VPython is its small footprint - a small *.dll and
a few scripts and some docs are all that is necessary at the margin for
anyone who already has/uses Numeric and who does not plan to use
VPython_Idle.

I think that describes many people already using Python for scientific work.

I understand that there are provisions for the separate download of VPython
components - but I do not think it is clear to anyone coming in that there
are good alternatives to the big footed standard distribution.

c) Though VPython no longer overwrites the standard Idle, it does, if I am
not mistaken, overwrite the standard Python top level help index. An unusual
decision for a Python module. Probably unique among the hundreds of modules
available for Python.

Without trying to get into a big todo, I will say that IMO the VPython
distribution approach implicitly violates good Open Source manners and
methodologies.

I understand that vpython.org is servicing first a specific audience in the
educational community.

There is no reason I see that with some effort that community cannot be
fully served while better conforming to certain standards/expectations
fairly well-established in the larger community.

Certainly all indications are that the larger Python/Numeric community is
more than supportive of Python/Numeric as educational tools - and I
personally believe that VPython is an important extension for educational
purposes, which is unnecessarily limiting its exposure to a wider audience
by its quirky distribution approach.

If there are no plans to change policy  regarding the distribution of VPython at
vpython.org, I would consider making some alternative small footed distros
(against at least 2.1 and 2.2 of Python) available at some other site -
with instructions for getting components (Numeric, Idle_Fork, etc.) at their
source for those who might need them.

Does anyone have an opinion or objection.

Art

Re: [Visualpython-users] Help with installation

[Andy D. <dou...@la...>]

On Sat, 9 Mar 2002, [iso-8859-15] =C1lvaro Tejero Cantero wrote:

> Hello,
>=20
> I am trying to install vpython on debian testing.
> I have installed all the rpm packages from its .deb=20
> counterparts, plus Numeric. I am using python2.2.
>=20
> I don't seem to be able to compile cvisual. Is there=20
> something I'm missing? what is the 'normal' installation=20
> procedure for debian?=20

Where, precisely, is it failing?  I have installed vpython both on debian
"testing" and on debian "stable" distributions.  You can find my notes
on this in the archives for this list or posted at=20
http://www.vpython.org/morelinux.html .

Debian currently includes python 2.1, so you have to install python 2.2
for yourself, and you ought to install it somewhere where it won't
conflict with Debian's future upgrade to 2.2.  Putting it in /usr/local
should be safe.  If you put it elsewhere, you'll have to adjust all sorts
of paths in the Vpython installation and scripts to point to the right
place.  I can supply you with patches if that's the problem, but steps
towards using a setup.py-type installation are already underway, so this
should just be a temporary issue for Vpython.

--=20
    Andy Dougherty		dou...@la...
    Dept. of Physics
    Lafayette College, Easton PA 18042

Re: [Visualpython-users] Help with installation

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

--On Saturday, March 09, 2002 2:09 PM +0100 =C1lvaro Tejero Cantero 
<al...@an...> wrote:

> I am trying to install vpython on debian testing.
> I have installed all the rpm packages from its .deb
> counterparts, plus Numeric. I am using python2.2.
>
> I don't seem to be able to compile cvisual. Is there
> something I'm missing? what is the 'normal' installation
> procedure for debian?
>
> is it usable the unofficial python-visual package?
> It depends still on python-base, so it won't install on my
> system.

At what point does the compilation fail?

I'm not sure what is meant by "unofficial" package, nor what is meant by 
"python-base".

Here is the situation as I understand it for Linux. What is currently 
available at http://vpython.org is a package that is known to install 
easily on various flavors of standard Red Hat Linux, at least as long as 
the Red Hat Linux was not customized to exclude various graphics components =

needed by Visual (in particular, OpenGL, gtk, and gtkglarea). This package 
works by compiling Visual from source.

I don't know what modifications need to be made to the Visual compilation 
procedures to compile on Debian, though I would expect that it is just a 
matter of making sure the libraries mentioned previously are present, 
though perhaps the Makefile would need some adjustments for library 
location.

Note that there are two mechanisms currently available for installing 
Visual. One is the package with script available at http://vpython.org, and =

the other is to download from the CVS repository at http://sourceforge.net.

David Andersen is working on a third mechanism using the Python distutil 
scheme (the scheme used for installing Numeric). But it too depends on 
previous installation of appropriate libraries. He has pointed out that the =

most serious gap at the moment may be that we don't offer a clear 
specification of the library dependencies.

Bruce Sherwood

[Visualpython-users] Help with installation

[<al...@an...>]

Hello,

I am trying to install vpython on debian testing.
I have installed all the rpm packages from its .deb 
counterparts, plus Numeric. I am using python2.2.

I don't seem to be able to compile cvisual. Is there 
something I'm missing? what is the 'normal' installation 
procedure for debian? 

is it usable the unofficial python-visual package?
It depends still on python-base, so it won't install on my 
system. 

Please help!.

-- 
álvaro.tejero.cantero
alqua.com, la red en estudio

[Visualpython-users] Distutils install

[David A. <dm...@an...>]

I've checked in to CVS a "setup.py" to compile and install VPython via the 
Python Distutils on Linux and Unix.

This script requires that the *.py files in "visual" in the CVS tree be in 
a subdirectory "visual" of whereever the source files reside.

Re: [Visualpython-users] Linux clarification

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

Thanks for this additional information. The only tests I know of for the 
Linux installer have been on Red Hat (various versions), which definitely 
has all the other pieces already installed. It is helpful to know that 
these pieces are not necessarily present in the Debian context.

Bruce Sherwood

--On Monday, March 04, 2002 8:24 AM -0500 Andy Dougherty 
<dou...@la...> wrote:

> On Sun, 3 Mar 2002, Joe Heafner wrote:
>
>> I need some clarification on the Linux version of VPython. Am I to
>> assume from the online information at vpython.org that the suppled
>> Python 2.2 and VPython packages contain *everything* needed to install
>> under Linux? All the supplementary libraries? I'm running RH7 (soon to
>> be upgraded I hope to 7.2).
>
> Short answer:  Maybe.  Other packages you may need are commonly, but not
> universally, installed on many Linux systems.  (I don't know RH7 well
> enough to say anything definitive about it.)  I can tell you that on my
> Debian system, I also needed to add glib, gtk+, and some sort of OpenGL
> library.  You may need to check that you have the development versions of
> the libraries.[1]
>
> VPython includes gtkglarea, but if you can't use the supplied i386 rpm[2]
> you may also need to install gtkglarea from source. If so, I'd recommend
> using the slightly-newer gtkglarea-1.2.3 -- it worked marginally better
> for me.
>
> Where you get OpenGL may depend, in part, on which X server you're using.
>  I'm currently trying Mesa as an OpenGL replacement, but with mixed
> success. The Visual window only seems to be updated occasionally; with the
> same program under Windows, the updating is nearly continuous.
>
> Hope this helps,
>
>     Andy Dougherty		dou...@la...
>     Dept. of Physics
>     Lafayette College, Easton PA 18042
>
> [1] For some libraries, some Linux distributions sometimes ship both
> runtime and development versions.  You need the development version if you
> want to compile.
>
> [2] e.g. if you don't have an rpm command, or if if you're running on a
> different architecture, such as an Alpha or SPARC.
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Visualpython-users mailing list
> Vis...@li...
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/visualpython-users

Re: [Visualpython-users] Linux clarification

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

Yes, as is described on the Linux download page, everything is included. 
There have been a few reports already from people who have successfully 
used this installation procedure. Please report any installation failures.

Bruce Sherwood

--On Sunday, March 03, 2002 11:04 PM -0500 Joe Heafner <hea...@vn...> 
wrote:

> Hello.
> I need some clarification on the Linux version of VPython. Am I to assume
> from the online information at vpython.org that the suppled Python 2.2
> and VPython packages contain *everything* needed to install under Linux?
> All the supplementary libraries? I'm running RH7 (soon to be upgraded I
> hope to 7.2).
>
> Thanks,
> Joe

Re: [Visualpython-users] Linux clarification

[Andy D. <dou...@la...>]

On Sun, 3 Mar 2002, Joe Heafner wrote:

> I need some clarification on the Linux version of VPython. Am I to
> assume from the online information at vpython.org that the suppled
> Python 2.2 and VPython packages contain *everything* needed to install
> under Linux? All the supplementary libraries? I'm running RH7 (soon to
> be upgraded I hope to 7.2).

Short answer:  Maybe.  Other packages you may need are commonly, but not
universally, installed on many Linux systems.  (I don't know RH7 well
enough to say anything definitive about it.)  I can tell you that on my
Debian system, I also needed to add glib, gtk+, and some sort of OpenGL
library.  You may need to check that you have the development versions of
the libraries.[1] 

VPython includes gtkglarea, but if you can't use the supplied i386 rpm[2]
you may also need to install gtkglarea from source. If so, I'd recommend
using the slightly-newer gtkglarea-1.2.3 -- it worked marginally better
for me.

Where you get OpenGL may depend, in part, on which X server you're using.  
I'm currently trying Mesa as an OpenGL replacement, but with mixed
success. The Visual window only seems to be updated occasionally; with the
same program under Windows, the updating is nearly continuous.

Hope this helps,

    Andy Dougherty		dou...@la...
    Dept. of Physics
    Lafayette College, Easton PA 18042

[1] For some libraries, some Linux distributions sometimes ship both
runtime and development versions.  You need the development version if you
want to compile.

[2] e.g. if you don't have an rpm command, or if if you're running on a
different architecture, such as an Alpha or SPARC.

[Visualpython-users] Linux clarification

[Joe H. <hea...@vn...>]

Hello.
I need some clarification on the Linux version of VPython. Am I to assume from the online information at vpython.org that the suppled Python 2.2 and VPython packages contain *everything* needed to install under Linux? All the supplementary libraries? I'm running RH7 (soon to be upgraded I hope to 7.2).

Thanks,
Joe

[Visualpython-users] Linux download

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

The mechanisms for installing VPython on Linux have been further revised to 
simplify things as much as possible. We think we see a way using the Python 
"distutils" machinery to make them even simpler and more foolproof, but 
hopefully the new stuff will help for now. Please let us know about 
problems or success. Thanks.

Bruce Sherwood

[Visualpython-users] VPython for Mac Python 2.2

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

At vpython.org you can now get VPython for Mac Python 2.2. This brings to 
the Mac the new mouse-handling features. To zoom you hold down the CONTROL 
key. The demo programs have been updated to be the same as on Windows.

The new keyboard interaction features of VPython are not yet available on 
the Mac version.

David Andersen and I got this working.

Now only the Linux version is behind, but it too is nearly ready.

Bruce Sherwood

[Visualpython-users] Re: interpolating colors on a convex rather than a curve

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

Thanks for reporting a bug in convex. Quick answer to the question: I would 
guess that the faces object is a better bet than convex.

Bruce Sherwood

--On Monday, February 04, 2002 10:07 PM -0500 Jon Schull 
<sc...@so...> wrote:

> Is there a way to produce color gradients over a surface?

[Visualpython-users] interpolating colors on a convex rather than a curve

[Jon S. <sc...@so...>]

This works...

>>> c =curve( pos=[(0,0,0), (1,0,0)], color=(1,0,0) )  #red points
>>> c.append( pos=(0,1,0), color=(0,0,1))               # add blue point
(color interpolates smoothly from red to blue

But change "curve" to "convex" ...
>>> c =convex( pos=[(0,0,0), (1,0,0)], color=(1,0,0) )  #red points
>>> c.append( pos=(0,1,0), color=(0,0,1))               # add blue point

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<pyshell#4>", line 1, in ?
    c.append( pos=(0,1,0), color=(0,0,1))               # add blue point
TypeError: CXX: type error.

...and we crash.

Is there a way to produce color gradients over a surface?

(thanks)

Jonathan Schull
Sc...@di...
  

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[Visualpython-users] VPython traffic

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

In case anyone is interested, I just looked at the statistics for the 
vpython.org web site and found that during January the average number of 
hits (pages viewed, I assume) was 837 per day, and on average 69 megabytes 
of data were transferred each day.

The web site is hosted by pair.com, a highly recommended web hoster with 
low costs and excellent services.

Bruce Sherwood

[Visualpython-users] frame fixes

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

Thanks to Dave Scherer for explaining to me how to fix two problems with 
frames. Recall that you can put objects in frames and then move or rotate 
the frame, with all of the frame's objects moving or rotating together. You 
can even put multiobject frames inside other frames.

In some cases frames within frames didn't display correctly. And in no case 
could you "pick" an object in a rotated frame -- you had to point the mouse 
where the object would have been if the frame hadn't been rotated.

At http://vpython.org there is a new version for Windows with these 
problems fixed. If you have previously installed VPython for Python 2.2 on 
Windows, you only need to download the DLL and unzip it into the Python 2.2 
directory (it will end up in Python22\DLLs).

Bruce Sherwood

RE: [Visualpython-users] Repeating VPython simulation multiple times

[David S. <dsc...@vi...>]

You can simply check scene.visible in your main loop.  When it becomes
0, the window has been closed.  Then you have a choice of either
removing each object as Bruce suggested, or just creating a new display
window (with display()) and drawing new objects in that one.

Dave

> -----Original Message-----
> From: vis...@li... 
> [mailto:vis...@li...] On 
> Behalf Of Bruce Sherwood
> Sent: Friday, January 25, 2002 9:26 AM
> To: vis...@li...
> Subject: Re: [Visualpython-users] Repeating VPython 
> simulation multiple times
> 
> 
> I gather from a later note that the issue isn't how to delete all the 
> objects in a window (which would be to make them invisible, 
> looping through 
> scene.objects, not set them to None; see the section in the online 
> documentation on deleting objects), but rather how to detect 
> when the user 
> has clicked the close box, for which I don't know a mechanism.
> 
> Bruce Sherwood
> 
> --On Friday, January 18, 2002 11:10 -0600 Young-Jin Lee 
> <yl...@ui...> 
> wrote:
> 
> > When I manually set "scene.visible" to "1" for later 
> simulation, the 
> > VPython simulation window appeared. But VPython objects 
> created in the 
> > previous simulation were still there. I tried to set all 
> the spheres 
> > created in the previous simulation by setting them to None, 
> it didn't 
> > work. Is there any way to clear all the objects in the 
> scene when it 
> > is closed?
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Visualpython-users mailing list 
> Vis...@li...
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/visualpython-users
> 

Re: [Visualpython-users] Repeating VPython simulation multiple times

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

I gather from a later note that the issue isn't how to delete all the 
objects in a window (which would be to make them invisible, looping through 
scene.objects, not set them to None; see the section in the online 
documentation on deleting objects), but rather how to detect when the user 
has clicked the close box, for which I don't know a mechanism.

Bruce Sherwood

--On Friday, January 18, 2002 11:10 -0600 Young-Jin Lee <yl...@ui...> 
wrote:

> When I manually set "scene.visible" to "1" for later simulation, the
> VPython simulation window appeared. But VPython objects created in the
> previous simulation were still there.
> I tried to set all the spheres created in the previous simulation by
> setting them to None, it didn't work.
> Is there any way to clear all the objects in the scene when it is closed?

Re: [Visualpython-users] (fwd) New problem with -Qnew and IDLE?

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

Thanks for bringing this up; I'd seen this go by in a lot of other stuff 
and not really paid attention to it. But I'll make this change for future 
VPython versions.

I had played around with the -Qnew option but not enough to notice this 
indenting problem. In any case, we aren't setting the -Qnew option in 
VPython or for our students. Rather we tell them about the possibility of 
putting "from __future__ import division" in their own programs.

Bruce Sherwood

--On Wednesday, January 23, 2002 1:32 PM -0500 art...@rs... wrote:

> Below is from the EDU-SIG list.  With obvious relevance to
> VPython.
>
> Tim's fix is in the
>
> def classifyws:
>
>
> Art

[Visualpython-users] (fwd) New problem with -Qnew and IDLE?

[<art...@rs...>]

Below is from the EDU-SIG list.  With obvious relevance to
VPython.

Tim's fix is in the

def classifyws:


Art

[Gregor Lingl]
> Has anybody an explanation vor this:

Better, I checked in a fix <wink>, so it should work in 2.2.1 (when it's
released).

> I started IDLE with the -Qnew switch.
> (I have a copy of the IDLE-Icon with this switch on my desktop)
> Then I did the following in IDLE's Python-Shell-Window:
>
> >>> def ggt(a,b):
>       while b:  ##### WHEN NOW I HIT ENTER,
>                 ##### THE RESULT WAS:
>
> >>> Exception in Tkinter callback
> ...
>  File "C:\Python22\Tools\idle\AutoIndent.py", line 442, in _make_blanks
>    return '\t' * ntabs + ' ' * nspaces
> TypeError: unsupported operand type(s) for *: 'str' and 'float'
> def ggt(a,b):
>     while b:

IDLE is trying to figure out how to auto-indent the next line.  At one point
it does

            effective = (effective / tabwidth + 1) * tabwidth

That doesn't work as intended under -Qnew, so I changed it to

            effective = (int(effective / tabwidth) + 1) * tabwidth

(you can change that line similarly in your copy of AutoIndent.py, of
course).

> ...
> I feel more and more, that there is some strange instability in IDLE
> connected with the -Qnew switch .

Not really strange.  We had 2.2 alpha and beta releases for half a year, and
AFAICT nobody even *tried* -Qnew until after 2.2 final was released (did
you?).  The only thing I personally tried under the combo of IDLE and -Qnew
was a one-liner to make sure 3/2 returned 1.5; I'm afraid that's all I had
time for.

> P.S.: I'm interested in these problems, because in my opinion it is
> an important, if not crucial point to have a not only simple but also
> stable and reliable programming environment, when working with
> highschool students, who are just beginning to learn to program.

You should read the PEP for its warnings about using -Qnew.  At this stage
it's for pioneers; if you can't tolerate some early glitches, I advise that
you simply leave it alone.  Else you can be very helpful by using it and
reporting what goes wrong.  That you're the first person to report this bug
means you're the first person to try typing a "def" into an IDLE shell
under -Qnew!  We need *somebody* brave enough to try that <wink>.