ANN: wxPython 2.8.7.1

[Robin Dunn]

Announcing
----------

The 2.8.7.1 release of wxPython is now available for download at
http://wxpython.org/download.php.  This release has had some bugs
fixed, some minor patches applied, and also incorporates the Google
Summer of Code 2007 version of XRCed, and adds the Editra source code
editor.

Source code is available, as well as binaries for Python 2.3, 2.4 and
2.5, for Windows and Mac, as well some packages for various Linux
distributions.  A summary of changes is listed below and also at
http://wxpython.org/recentchanges.php.

NOTE: On Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) the Python 2.5 binaries of wxPython
expect to be used with the user-installed version of MacPython, not
the Apple installed version.  A fix for this issue is being worked on
for the next release.  In the meantime you can either install
MacPython 2.5.1 and adjust your paths so that that Python is used, or
you can stick with Apple's Python and the wxPython 2.8.4.0 that comes
with Leopard.



What is wxPython?
-----------------

wxPython is a GUI toolkit for the Python programming language. It
allows Python programmers to create programs with a robust, highly
functional graphical user interface, simply and easily. It is
implemented as a Python extension module that wraps the GUI components
of the popular wxWidgets cross platform library, which is written in
C++.

wxPython is a cross-platform toolkit. This means that the same program
will usually run on multiple platforms without modifications.
Currently supported platforms are 32-bit Microsoft Windows, most Linux
or other Unix-like systems using GTK2, and Mac OS X 10.3+, in most
cases the native widgets are used on each platform to provide a 100%
native look and feel for the application.


Changes in 2.8.7.1
------------------

Applied Patch [ 1783958 ] to use the native renderer for drawing the
checkboxes in CheckListCtrlMixin.

Incorporated the new version of XRCed.  This is the result of a Google
Summer of Code 2007 project by Roman Rolinsky, and includes a number
of UI enhancements, as well as a mechanism for adding support for new
components without needing changes to XRCed itself.  These new
components can be those supported at the C++ layer of XRC, as well as
custom XRC handlers written in Python.  See
http://wiki.wxpython.org/XRCed_Refactoring_Project

wxMac: Fixed wx.BusyInfo so it doesn't steal the activated status
from the parent window.  (This actually applies to all frames with the
wx.FRAME_TOOL_WINDOW style and no decorations.)

wxMac: Fixed the lack of painting the area between scrollbars on
Leopard.

wxMac: Fixed assertion errors dealing with toolbars on Leopard.

wxMac: Multiline textcontrols now support attributes for margins and
alignement; only a single tab distance can be set though.

Added the wx.Image.AdjustChannels method.  This function muliplies all
4 channels (red, green, blue, alpha) with a factor (around
1.0). Useful for gamma correction, colour correction and to add a
certain amount of transparency to a image.

Added Editra to the distribution, to give us a simple yet powerful
programmer's code editor to replace the never finished PyAlaMode
editor and related tools.  Many thanks to Cody Precord for the work he
has done on this tool and for allowing us to make it part of wxPython.
Editra has syntax highlighting and other support for over 40
programming languages, excellent OS X integration, is extendable via
plugins, and for those that are on the VI side of the fence there is a
VI emulation mode.  For more information see the Editra website at
http://editra.org/

wxGTK: wx.Frame.ShowFullScreen now preserves the menubar's
accelerators.

wxGTK: wx.GetClientDisplayRect fixed.

Applied patch [1838043], which adds a demo of the wx.RendererNative
class functionality.

Applied patch [1837449], which uses wx.RenderNative for drawing the
combo button in the PopupControl.

Added GetDirItemData to wx.GenericDirCtrl, which returns a reference
to the data object associated with an item in the control.  (Patch
#1836326)


-- 
Robin Dunn
Software Craftsman
http://wxPython.org  Java give you jitters?  Relax with wxPython!