ANN: PyObjC 1.3b1

Version 1.3 (2005-03-??)

• The bridge now maintains object identity across the bridge in both directions. Previous versions of the bridge only did this when bridging from Objective-C to Python.

  Exceptions: NSString and NSNumber do not have unique proxies. NSString never will have. Python numbers and strings are converted, not proxied and therefore also don't get unique proxies.

  And finally, any python object that is proxied using the __pyobjc_object__ interface will only get a unique proxy if the __pyobjc_object__ method implements that feature.

• New objc.protocolsForClass function that returns a list of protocols that the class directly claims to conform to.

• PyObjC classes can now declare that they implement formal protocols, for example:

  class MyLockingClass(NSObject, objc.protocolNamed('NSLocking')):
      # implementation
      pass
  

  It is also possible to define new protocols:

  MyProtocol = objc.formal_protocol("MyProtocol", None, [
     selector(None, selector='mymethod', signature='v@:'),
  ])
  

  All formal protocols are instances of objc.formal_protocol.

• PyObjCTools.KeyValueCoding has a new kvc class that allows Pythonic Key-Value Coding.

  • __getitem__ is mapped to valueForKeyPath:
  • __setitem__ is mapped to setValue:forKeyPath:
  • __getattr__ is mapped to valueForKey:
  • __setattr__ is mapped to setValue:forKey:

  The kvc class uses __pyobjc_object__, so it may cross the bridge as the wrapped object.

• NSNumber instances are bridged to a float, long, or int subclass that uses __pyobjc_object__. NSDecimal is converted to NSDecimalNumber when used as an object, NSDecimalNumber is not bridged to NSDecimal because the latter is a mutable type.

• The Python to Objective-C bridge now looks for a __pyobjc_object__ attribute to get a PyObjC object from a Python object.

• New IDNSnitch example in Inject that demonstrates how to write an monitor for the launch of another application, use objc.inject to load code into a target process, and override the implementation of an existing method but still call back into the original implementation (method swizzling).

• objc.IMP should do the right thing now. This type is returned by +[NSObject methodForSelector:] and +[NSObject instanceMethodForSelector:]

• New ToDos example in CocoaBindings that demonstrates how to use two array controllers for the same data, and how to use value transformers to alter the color of text. Originally from "Cocoa Bindings Examples and Hints", converted to PyObjC by u.fiedler.

• New Bookmarks example in CocoaBindings that demonstrates how to subclass NSArrayController to implement the NSTableView delegate drag and drop protocol, including copying of objects between documents and accepting URL drops from other applications. Also demonstrates re-ordering of the content array. Originally from "Cocoa Bindings Examples and Hints", converted to PyObjC by u.fiedler.

• New FilteringController example in CocoaBindings that demonstrates how to subclass NSArrayController to implement filtering of a NSTableView. Also demonstrates the use of indexed accessors. Originally from "Cocoa Bindings Examples and Hints", converted to PyObjC by u.fiedler.

• New ControlledPreferences example in CocoaBindings that demonstrates how to use Cocoa Bindings to simplify storing and retrieving user preferences. Originally from "Cocoa Bindings Examples and Hints", converted to PyObjC by u.fiedler.

• New TemperatureTransformer example in CocoaBindings that demonstrates how to use NSValueTransfomers with PyObjC. Based on Apple's "Cocoa: Value Transformers" documentation, converted to PyObjC by u.fiedler.

• New CurrencyConvBindings example in CocoaBindings that demonstrates a Cocoa Bindings enabled version of the CurrencyConverter example. Converted to PyObjC by u.fiedler from the example in Apple's "Introduction to Developing Cocoa Applications Using Bindings".

• New ManualBindings example in CocoaBindings that demonstrates how to develop programmatic bindings from a PyObjC application. Converted to PyObjC by u.fiedler from the "Cocoa Bindings and Hints" example of the same name.

• New HotKeyPython example in AppKit that demonstrates how to use Carbon global hot keys from a PyObjC application. Also demonstrates how to use a NSApplication subclass.

• Key-Value Observing support is now automatic in Python classes that descend from NSObject, unless they implement a custom willChangeValueForKey:, didChangeValueForKey:, or __useKVO__ is not True. This allows self.foo = 1 to automatically trigger notifications. This works in all cases, whether foo is a property, ivar, or just in the __dict__.

• New Inject folder in Examples, with an InjectInterpreter example that will inject a GUI Python interpreter into any process.

• New objc.inject() function for Mac OS X 10.3 and later, allows an arbitrary bundle to be loaded into another process using mach_inject.

• objc.classAddMethods now recognizes and supports classmethods.

• GC is now correctly implemented for struct wrappers.

• The NSNumber bridge has been removed, now you will get NSNumber instances across the bridge instead of a Python representation.

• PyObjCTools.AppHelper.runEventLoop() will now bring your application to the front at startup when using pdb mode for convenience.

• objc.loadBundle() no longer filters the class list. This solves a few potential issues and shaves off about 1/3rd of the overhead of python -c "import AppKit".

• PyObjCTools.AppHelper.runEventLoop() no longer breaks on pure Objective-C exceptions. Most exceptions of this variety are more like warnings, and there is nothing that can be done them anyway.

• PyObjCTools.AppHelper.runEventLoop() now installs the interrupt handler and verbose exception logging when using pdb, either explicitly or by the USE_PDB environment variable.

• There is now a fast path for the NSString/unicode bridge when Py_UNICODE_SIZE is 2. This is the default setting for Python.

• The default selector signature will have a void return value unless a "return" statement with an argument is used in the bytecode. In that case, it will default to an object return value.

• __bundle_hack__ is no longer necessary, py2app now sets a different environment variable to the current plugin during execution, and a hack is installed to NSBundle so that classes may respond to requests for their bundle with the +bundleForClass method. The class builder adds a default implementation of this to Python classes if this environment variable is set.

• Added objc.currentBundle(), which is equivalent to NSBundle.mainBundle() except after loading a plug-in. Makes it easier to load nib files.

• PyObjCTools.NibClassBuilder.extractClasses() now uses objc.currentBundle() instead of NSBundle.mainBundle(). This makes plugins less of a hassle to develop and allows identical code to be used for application or plugin development.

• objc.registerPlugin() and objc.pluginBundle() are now deprecated as they are no longer useful.

• It is now possible to subclass a class that implements copyWithZone: without setting __slots__ to ().