[wxPython-users] Pallavi 0.5: Text editor utilizing wxPython

[Dusty Phillips]

> OK, I have to ask -- Why yet another wxPython-based Text editor?
>
> There is PyPE, SPE, UliPad, Peppy, DrPython, .....
>
> It would really be nice to unify these efforts more. In particular,
> Peppy seems to be very similar in intent, as does UliPad (plug-in
> based). So what does Pallavi have that the others don't, except that it
> happens to be one person's pet project (nothing wrong with a pet project
> -- I'm just curious)

I've been waiting for the question, but still haven't prepared an
answer. The shortest answer is that It started out as a pet project.
Then it became useful. I probably would never have announced it at all
except one of the DrPython devs stumbled across it and suggested I do
so, here: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1735559&group_id=167671&atid=843883

I hadn't heard of Peppy or Ulipad when I started Pallavi; the other
projects (Dr Python, SPE, Pype) all seemed to have flaws to me -- same
old story. For the most part, they didn't seem "unintegrated" enough
for me. I came across Peppy about a month ago when I started adding
wx.aui. I considered joining development at the time, but it seems a
bit "overengineered" for my taste). This is the first I've heard of
Ulipad, so I'll check it out.

In general, Pallavi has a much smaller core than most editors. Even
I/O is a plugin; my idea there was to make it possible to create new
or additional I/O plugins that used the same interface for things like
FTP, SVN, etc. Other editors all have toolbars and menubars. In
Pallavi, these are optional plugins. My design was partially inspired
by the Litestep desktop shell, with its tight core and "everything is
a module" philosophy.

> That being said, from your web page, I like its design philosophy. In
> particular the goal of being general purpose, not just for Python coding
> -- I'm still waiting for ONE editor that I can use for everything, run
> on Windows, Linux and OS-X, and customize a bit , ideally without
> (re)learning LISP.

I use it for HTML, Javascript, CSS, and Python editing, although there
aren't many plugins to support most features of those yet.

> I'll give Pallavi a try on OS-X when I get a chance.

That would be great. I anticipate errors since no testing has been
done on that platform yet and wxPython itself is not quite as mature
on it.


> One question -- can you open files in different Frames -- that's key for
> me, I have no idea how people can be productive without being able to
> see files side-by-side!

Peter answered this -- you can split the view using the wx.AUI widget.
For multiple frames, the only option right now is to have two
instances running, with no communication between them. Setting up
something like jEdit's view server is on my list of "todo someday",
but hasn't been high priority yet.

Thanks for your interest. :-)

Dusty