[chimera-dev] creating an extension

[Dougherty, Matthew T]

Hi,

I am trying to create a simple extension that has a column of buttons (qty 10-20) having a corresponding column of user defined text blocks. 
When I push a button, the corresponding text string will be read and processed as a command string (eg, "reset default", "rock X 3", "move Z 2000")

I started with VolumePlanes and whittled it down to the nub to figure out what it was doing relative to what I want; below.
I am realizing the buttons defined by this example extension uses some specific chimera GUI strategies.
My going with a row of buttons would work as in this volumeplanes example, but is second preference on layout.  More visually intuitive to have it side by side.
Not sure this is possible with another dozen lines of code, or if I would need to go about it another route using different CGLTk api's and scrap using this volumeplane extension as a boiler plate.


So I am realizing that this is putting me into the intricacies of CGLtk.  An alternate would be to go with std python gui code.  I also know you are reinventing chimera, one reason being the tk libraries, which opens up a third approach.  So I am at a crossroad as to how to proceed.  Because the code is relatively small, a rewrite for chimera2 does not seem an issue.  Also there are some issues with parenting I am unfamiliar with (eg, t.withdraw(), columnconfigure).

I am thinking this might be a good example of an extension for a beginner, so writing it as such might be useful for others.  Particularly for new developers trying to sort out the boundaries between python, chimera, tk, and the extension linkages.

Need some direction as to which way to go for the least amount of work of coding.

thanks,

Matthew Dougherty
National Center for Macromolecular Imaging
Baylor College of Medicine


===========

# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
import chimera
from chimera.baseDialog import ModelessDialog
import ButtonCommands

# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
class Button_Commands_Dialog(ModelessDialog):
  title = 'Button Commands'
  name = 'button commands'
  buttons = ('C1', 'C2', 'C3','Close',)
  
  # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  def fillInUI(self, parent):
    t = parent.winfo_toplevel()
    self.toplevel_widget = t
    t.withdraw()
    
    parent.columnconfigure(2, weight = 2)

    from CGLtk import Hybrid

    ps = Hybrid.Scale(parent, 'Cmd1', 0, 10, 1, 0)
    ps.frame.grid(row = 2, column = 0, sticky = 'ew')
    
    ps.callback(self.change_plane_cb)
    ps.entry.bind('<KeyPress-Return>', self.change_plane_cb)
    self.plane = ps
  
  def change_plane_cb(self, full_size = False):
      return
  
  # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  def C1(self):
      c_1='echo c1'
      chimera.runCommand(c_1)

  def C2(self):
      c_2='echo c2'
      chimera.runCommand(c_2)

  def C3(self):
      c_3='echo c3'
      chimera.runCommand(c_3)
    
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
def Button_Commands_dialog(create = False):
  from chimera import dialogs
  return dialogs.find(Button_Commands_Dialog.name, create=create)
  
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
def show_button_commands_dialog():
  from chimera import dialogs
  return dialogs.display(Button_Commands_Dialog.name)

# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from chimera import dialogs
dialogs.register(Button_Commands_Dialog.name, Button_Commands_Dialog, replace = True)