== PyxBoil ==

The ''wxrc'' utility can create a C++ header with code that provides easy access to the controls defined in the XRC file.

There was no such utility for wxPython that I could find, so I wrote one myself. It is in a very preliminary state, so don't expect too much. It works though. I've even patched XRCed a bit to automatically generate the relevant Python code each time you save the XRC.

=== pyxboil.py ===

This is the source of the tool (which can also be used somewhere else as a module):

{{{
#!python
# pyxboil.py
#
# This script generates boilerplate classes out of an XRC resource file.
# For each top-level windows (Panel, Frame or Dialog) a class is generated
# and all the controls become attributes of the class.

import sys
import re
import os
from xml.dom import minidom

# --------------------------- Template definitions --------------------------
fileHeaderTemplate = """\
# This file has been automatically generated by PyXBoil.
# Please do not edit it manually.

import wx
from wx.xrc import *
"""

classDeclarationTemplate = """\
class %(windowName)sBase(wx.%(windowClass)s):
    def OnInit(self):
        \"\"\" This function is called during the class's initialization.
        
        Override it for custom setup (setting additional styles, etc.)\"\"\"
        pass

    def __init__(self, parent, res):
        \"\"\" Pass an initialized wx.xrc.XmlResource into res \"\"\"
        
        # Two stage creation (see http://wiki.wxpython.org/index.cgi/TwoStageCreation)
        pre = wx.Pre%(windowClass)s()
        res.LoadOnPanel(pre, parent, "%(windowName)s")
        self.OnInit()
        self.PostCreate(pre)

        # Define variables for the controls"""

controlDeclationTemplate = """\
        self.%(controlName)s = XRCCTRL(self, \"%(controlName)s\")"""

# ------------------------- GeneratePythonForXRC ----------------------------
def GeneratePython(xrcFile, outFile):
    xmldoc = minidom.parse(xrcFile)
    resource = xmldoc.childNodes[0]
    topWindows = [e for e in resource.childNodes
                  if e.nodeType == e.ELEMENT_NODE and e.tagName == "object"]
    print >> outFile, fileHeaderTemplate
    
    # Generate a class for each top-window object (Frame, Panel, Dialog, etc.)
    for topWindow in topWindows:
        eventFunctions = [] # a list to store the code for the event functions
        windowClass = topWindow.getAttribute("class")
        windowClass = re.sub("^wx", "", windowClass)
        windowName = topWindow.getAttribute("name")
        print >> outFile, classDeclarationTemplate % locals()
        
        # Generate a variable for each control, and standard event handlers
        # for standard controls.
        for control in topWindow.getElementsByTagName("object"):
            controlClass = control.getAttribute("class")
            controlClass = re.sub("^wx", "", controlClass)
            controlName = control.getAttribute("name")
            if controlName != "" and controlClass != "":
                print >> outFile, controlDeclationTemplate% locals()
        
        print >> outFile
        print >> outFile, "\n".join(eventFunctions)
                    
# --------------------- Main ----------------

def Usage():
    print """
xrcpy -- Python boilerplate code generator for XRC resources.

Usage : python pyxrc.py <resource.xrc>

The Python code is printed to the standard output.
"""

def main():
    if len(sys.argv) != 2:
        Usage()
    else:
        inFilename = sys.argv[1]
        outFilename = os.path.splitext(inFilename)[0] + "_xrc.py"
        
        try:
            inStream = file(inFilename)
            try:
                outStream = file(outFilename, "w")
            except IOError:
                print >> sys.stderr, "Can't open '%s'!" % outFilename
            else:
                GeneratePython(inStream, outStream)
                print "Result stored in %s." % outFilename
        except IOError:
            print >> sys.stderr, "Can't open '%s'!" % inFilename
        
        
if __name__  == "__main__":
    main()
}}}

=== xrced_pyxboil.patch ===

This is a patch file for XRCed 0.1.7-1 so that when an resource.xrc is saved, a resource_xrc.py file is created.

{{{
383a384
>                 self.GeneratePython(path)
1155a1157,1170
> 
>     def GeneratePython(self, xrcPath):
>         import pyxboil
>         import os.path
>         try:
>             pyPath = os.path.splitext(xrcPath)[0] + "_xrc.py"
>             infile = file(xrcPath)
>             outfile = file(pyPath, "w")
>             pyxboil.GeneratePython(infile, outfile)
>         except:
>             inf = sys.exc_info()
>             wxLogError(traceback.format_exception(inf[0], inf[1], None)[-1])
>             wxLogError('Error writing file: %s' % pyPath)
>             raise
}}}

=== Demo ===

This is simple application that uses pyxboil. You'll need to run ''python pyxboil.py pyxboil_demo.xrc'' to generate the boilerplate code in ''pyxboil_demo_xrc.py'' before you run ''pyxboil_demo.py''.

==== pyxboil_demo.py ====
{{{
#!python
import sys
import wx
from wx.xrc import *
from pyxboil_demo_xrc import *

XML_RESOURCE_FILE = "pyxboil_demo.xrc"

class MyFrame(wx.Frame):
    def __init__(self, parent=None):
        wx.Frame.__init__(self, parent)

class MyPanel(MyPanelBase):
    def __init__(self, parent, res):
        MyPanelBase.__init__(self, parent, res)
        self.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.OnOk, self.OkButton)
    
    def OnOk(self, e):
        message = "You are " + self.firstName.GetValue() + " " + self.lastName.GetValue() + "!"
        dlg = wx.MessageDialog(self, message, "Hmm...", wx.OK | wx.ICON_INFORMATION) 
        dlg.ShowModal() 
        dlg.Destroy()

class MyApp(wx.App):
    def OnInit(self):
        self.res = XmlResource(XML_RESOURCE_FILE)
        self.frame = MyFrame(None)
        self.panel = MyPanel(self.frame, self.res)
        self.frame.Center()
        self.frame.Show(1)
        return True

if __name__ == '__main__':
    app = MyApp()
    app.MainLoop()
}}}

==== pyxboil_demo.xrc ====
{{{
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="cp1255"?>
<resource>
  <object class="wxPanel" name="MyPanel">
    <object class="wxBoxSizer">
      <orient>wxVERTICAL</orient>
      <object class="sizeritem">
        <object class="wxStaticText">
          <label>So, who are you?</label>
          <font>
            <size>12</size>
            <family>default</family>
            <style>normal</style>
            <weight>normal</weight>
            <underlined>0</underlined>
          </font>
        </object>
        <flag>wxALL</flag>
        <border>5</border>
      </object>
      <object class="spacer">
        <size>0,15</size>
      </object>
      <object class="sizeritem">
        <object class="wxBoxSizer">
          <orient>wxHORIZONTAL</orient>
          <object class="sizeritem">
            <object class="wxStaticText">
              <label>First Name:</label>
              <size>80,20</size>
            </object>
          </object>
          <object class="spacer">
            <size>5,0</size>
          </object>
          <object class="sizeritem">
            <object class="wxTextCtrl" name="firstName"/>
            <option>1</option>
            <flag>wxEXPAND</flag>
          </object>
        </object>
        <flag>wxALL|wxEXPAND</flag>
        <border>5</border>
      </object>
      <object class="sizeritem">
        <object class="wxBoxSizer">
          <orient>wxHORIZONTAL</orient>
          <object class="sizeritem">
            <object class="wxStaticText">
              <label>Last Name:</label>
              <size>80,20</size>
            </object>
          </object>
          <object class="spacer">
            <size>5,0</size>
          </object>
          <object class="sizeritem">
            <object class="wxTextCtrl" name="lastName"/>
            <option>1</option>
            <flag>wxEXPAND</flag>
          </object>
        </object>
        <flag>wxALL|wxEXPAND</flag>
        <border>5</border>
      </object>
      <object class="spacer">
        <option>1</option>
      </object>
      <object class="sizeritem">
        <object class="wxBoxSizer">
          <orient>wxHORIZONTAL</orient>
          <object class="spacer">
            <size>0,0</size>
            <option>1</option>
          </object>
          <object class="sizeritem">
            <object class="wxButton" name="OkButton">
              <label>OK</label>
              <style>wxSUNKEN_BORDER</style>
            </object>
          </object>
          <object class="spacer">
            <size>5,0</size>
          </object>
        </object>
        <flag>wxEXPAND</flag>
      </object>
      <object class="spacer">
        <size>0,10</size>
      </object>
    </object>
    <size>350,100</size>
  </object>
</resource>
}}}

==== pyxboil_demo_xrc.py ====

This is the file that is generated automatically by pyxboil for the pyxboil_demo.xrc XRC file.

{{{
#!python
# This file has been automatically generated by PyXBoil.
# Please do not edit it manually.

import wx
from wx.xrc import *

class MyPanelBase(wx.Panel):
    def OnInit(self):
        """ This function is called during the class's initialization.
        
        Override it for custom setup (setting additional styles, etc.)"""
        pass

    def __init__(self, parent, res):
        """ Pass an initialized wx.xrc.XmlResource into res """
        
        # Two stage creation (see http://wiki.wxpython.org/index.cgi/TwoStageCreation)
        pre = wx.PrePanel()
        res.LoadOnPanel(pre, parent, "MyPanel")
        self.OnInit()
        self.PostCreate(pre)

        # Define variables for the controls
        self.firstName = XRCCTRL(self, "firstName")
        self.lastName = XRCCTRL(self, "lastName")
        self.OkButton = XRCCTRL(self, "OkButton")
}}}