[Distutils] ANN: py2app 0.1.7

[Bob Ippolito]

This announcement is available in HTML at: 
http://bob.pythonmac.org/archives/2004/12/30/ann-py2app-017/

`py2app`_ is the bundlebuilder replacement we've all been waiting for.  
It is implemented as a distutils command, similar to `py2exe`_, that 
builds Mac OS X applications from Python scripts, extensions, and 
related data files.  It tries very hard to include all dependencies it 
can find so that your application can be distributed standalone, as Mac 
OS X applications should be.

`py2app`_ 0.1.7 is included in the installer for `PyObjC`_ 1.2.  If you 
have
installed `PyObjC`_ 1.2, then you already have `py2app`_ 0.1.7 
installed.

Download and related links are here: http://undefined.org/python/#py2app

`py2app`_ 0.1.7 is a bug fix release:

*   The ``bdist_mpkg`` script will now set up sys.path properly, for 
setup scripts
     that require local imports.
*   ``bdist_mpkg`` will now correctly accept ``ReadMe``, ``License``, 
``Welcome``,
     and ``background`` files by parameter.
*   ``bdist_mpkg`` can now display a custom background again (0.1.6 
broke this).
*   ``bdist_mpkg`` now accepts a ``build-base=`` argument, to put build 
files in
     an alternate location.
*   ``py2app`` will now accept main scripts with a ``.pyw`` extension.
*   ``py2app``'s not_stdlib_filter will now ignore a ``site-python`` 
directory as
     well as ``site-packages``.
*   ``py2app``'s plugin bundle template no longer displays GUI dialogs 
by default,
     but still links to ``AppKit``.
*   ``py2app`` now ensures that the directory of the main script is now 
added to
     ``sys.path`` when scanning modules.
*   The ``py2app`` build command has been refactored such that it would 
be easier
     to change its behavior by subclassing.
*   ``py2app`` alias bundles can now cope with editors that do atomic 
saves
     (write new file, swap names with existing file).
*   ``macholib`` now has minimal support for fat binaries.  It still 
assumes big
     endian and will not make any changes to a little endian header.
*   Add a warning message when using the ``install`` command rather 
than installing
     from a package.
*   New ``simple/structured`` example that shows how you could package 
an
     application that is organized into several folders.
*   New ``PyObjC/pbplugin`` Xcode Plug-In example.

Since I have been slacking and the last announcement was for 0.1.4, 
here are the
changes for the soft-launched releases 0.1.5 and 0.1.6:

`py2app`_ 0.1.6 was a major feature enhancements release:

*   ``py2applet`` and ``bdist_mpkg`` scripts have been moved to Python 
modules
     so that the functionality can be shared with the tools.
*   Generic graph-related functionality from ``py2app`` was moved to
     ``altgraph.ObjectGraph`` and ``altgraph.GraphUtil``.
*   ``bdist_mpkg`` now outputs more specific plist requirements
     (for future compatibility).
*   ``py2app`` can now create plugin bundles (MH_BUNDLE) as well as 
executables.
*   New recipe for supporting extensions built with `sip`_, such as 
`PyQt`_.  Note that
     due to the way that `sip`_ works, when one sip-based extension is 
used, *all*
     sip-based extensions are included in your application.  In 
practice, this means
     anything provided by `Riverbank`_, I don't think anyone else uses 
`sip`_ (publicly).
*   New recipe for `PyOpenGL`_.  This is very naive and simply includes 
the whole
     thing, rather than trying to monkeypatch their brain-dead
     version acquisition routine in ``__init__``.
*   Bootstrap now sets ``ARGVZERO`` and ``EXECUTABLEPATH`` environment 
variables,
     corresponding to the ``argv[0]`` and the 
``_NSGetExecutablePath(...)`` that the
     bundle saw.  This is only really useful if you need to relaunch 
your own
     application.
*   More correct ``dyld`` search behavior.
*   Refactored ``macholib`` to use ``altgraph``, can now generate 
`GraphViz`_ graphs
     and more complex analysis of dependencies can be done.
*   ``macholib`` was refactored to be easier to maintain, and the 
structure handling
     has been optimized a bit.
*   The few tests that there are were refactored in `py.test`_ style.
*   New `PyQt`_ example.
*   New `PyOpenGL`_ example.


`py2app`_ 0.1.5 was a major feature enhancements release:

*   Added a ``bdist_mpkg`` distutils extension, for creating Installer
     an metapackage from any distutils script.

     - Includes PackageInstaller tool
     - bdist_mpkg script
     - setup.py enhancements to support bdist_mpkg functionality

*   Added a ``PackageInstaller`` tool, a droplet that performs the same 
function
     as the ``bdist_mpkg`` script.
*   Create a custom ``bdist_mpkg`` subclass for `py2app`_'s setup 
script.
*   Source package now includes `PJE`_'s `setuptools`_ extension to 
distutils.
*   Added lots of metadata to the setup script.
*   ``py2app.modulegraph`` is now a top-level package, ``modulegraph``.
*   ``py2app.find_modules`` is now ``modulegraph.find_modules``.
*   Should now correctly handle paths (and application names) with 
unicode characters
     in them.
*   New ``--strip`` option for ``py2app`` build command, strips all 
Mach-O files
     in output application bundle.
*   New ``--bdist-base=`` option for ``py2app`` build command, allows 
an alternate
     build directory to be specified.
*   New `docutils`_ recipe.
*   Support for non-framework Python, such as the one provided by 
`DarwinPorts`_.

.. _`py.test`: http://codespeak.net/py/current/doc/test.html
.. _`GraphViz`: http://www.pixelglow.com/graphviz/
.. _`PyOpenGL`: http://pyopengl.sf.net/
.. _`Riverbank`: http://www.riverbankcomputing.co.uk/
.. _`sip`: http://www.riverbankcomputing.co.uk/sip/index.php
.. _`PyQt`: http://www.riverbankcomputing.co.uk/pyqt/index.php
.. _`DarwinPorts`: http://darwinports.opendarwin.org/
.. _`docutils`: http://docutils.sf.net/
.. _`setuptools`: http://cvs.eby-sarna.com/PEAK/setuptools/
.. _`PJE`: http://dirtSimple.org/
.. _`py2app`: http://undefined.org/python/#py2app
.. _`py2exe`: http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/py2exe/
.. _`PyObjC`: http://pyobjc.sf.net/