Test invitation: activate figure windows for non-interactive macosx backend

Development matplotlib-devel
#1

If you are a macosx backend user, you are welcomed to test the following branch: https://github.com/gellule/matplotlib. With the branch, when issuing a pylab.show() in non-interactive mode, the plot windows should appear in the foreground with focus, instead of appearing in the background. It should make things a little easier for you.

I am also curious to know what people think of making pylab.show() also yield the focus to the plot windows in -interactive- mode? All the other commands update the plot windows automatically, keeping the focus in the python interpreter. So pylab.show() would only do that: yield the focus to the plot windows. That is not in the branch (yet).

Cheers,

-Gellule/Julien

#2

If you are a macosx backend user, you are welcomed to test the following

branch: https://github.com/gellule/matplotlib. With the branch, when

issuing a pylab.show() in non-interactive mode, the plot windows should

appear in the foreground with focus, instead of appearing in the

background. It should make things a little easier for you.

This works as advertised on my system (plot window grabs focus when running scripts in MacVim, Terminal, and IPython when in non-interactive mode). Unfortunately, I tend to use the QT4Agg backend, which also leaves plot windows in the background. Maybe I’d switch to the macosx backend with this addition.

I am also curious to know what people think of making pylab.show() also

yield the focus to the plot windows in -interactive- mode? All the other

commands update the plot windows automatically, keeping the focus in the

python interpreter. So pylab.show() would only do that: yield the focus

to the plot windows. That is not in the branch (yet).

I’d lean toward no: the plot window shouldn’t grab focus in interactive mode. I have some scripts that take command-line input in-between plot calls. If the plot window grabbed focus, then I’d have to switch focus back to enter input. This probably isn’t a common use case, though.

-Tony

···

On Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 1:37 PM, Gellule Xg <gellule.xg@…272…207…> wrote:

Cheers,

-Gellule/Julien

#3

    If you are a macosx backend user, you are welcomed to test the following
    branch: https://github.com/gellule/matplotlib. With the branch, when
    issuing a pylab.show() in non-interactive mode, the plot windows should
    appear in the foreground with focus, instead of appearing in the
    background. It should make things a little easier for you.

This works as advertised on my system (plot window grabs focus when
running scripts in MacVim, Terminal, and IPython when in non-interactive
mode). Unfortunately, I tend to use the QT4Agg backend, which also
leaves plot windows in the background. Maybe I'd switch to the macosx
backend with this addition.

Thanks!

    I am also curious to know what people think of making pylab.show() also
    yield the focus to the plot windows in -interactive- mode? All the other
    commands update the plot windows automatically, keeping the focus in the
    python interpreter. So pylab.show() would only do that: yield the focus
    to the plot windows. That is not in the branch (yet).

I'd lean toward no: the plot window shouldn't grab focus in interactive
mode. I have some scripts that take command-line input in-between plot
calls. If the plot window grabbed focus, then I'd have to switch focus
back to enter input. This probably isn't a common use case, though.

But you don't use show() in interactive mode, do you? The focus grab would not happen until you call show().

I other words, show() would always send the focus to the plot windows. But depending on how interactive is set, it would block or not. If you are in interactive mode and don't want to send the focus to the plot windows, you would have to not call show().

-Julien

···

On 1/13/12 12:53 , Tony Yu wrote:

On Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 1:37 PM, Gellule Xg <gellule.xg@…207… > <mailto:gellule.xg@…207…>> wrote:

#4

Good point: my scripts call draw(), instead of show(). Ignore what I said earlier. :slight_smile:

-Tony

···

On Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 6:32 PM, Gellule Xg <gellule.xg@…207…> wrote:

On 1/13/12 12:53 , Tony Yu wrote:

On Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 1:37 PM, Gellule Xg <gellule.xg@…207… > > > > mailto:gellule.xg@...207...> wrote:

If you are a macosx backend user, you are welcomed to test the following

branch: [https://github.com/gellule/matplotlib](https://github.com/gellule/matplotlib). With the branch, when

issuing a pylab.show() in non-interactive mode, the plot windows should

appear in the foreground with focus, instead of appearing in the

background. It should make things a little easier for you.

This works as advertised on my system (plot window grabs focus when

running scripts in MacVim, Terminal, and IPython when in non-interactive

mode). Unfortunately, I tend to use the QT4Agg backend, which also

leaves plot windows in the background. Maybe I’d switch to the macosx

backend with this addition.

Thanks!

I am also curious to know what people think of making pylab.show() also

yield the focus to the plot windows in -interactive- mode? All the other

commands update the plot windows automatically, keeping the focus in the

python interpreter. So pylab.show() would only do that: yield the focus

to the plot windows. That is not in the branch (yet).

I’d lean toward no: the plot window shouldn’t grab focus in interactive

mode. I have some scripts that take command-line input in-between plot

calls. If the plot window grabbed focus, then I’d have to switch focus

back to enter input. This probably isn’t a common use case, though.

But you don’t use show() in interactive mode, do you? The focus grab would not happen until you call show().

I other words, show() would always send the focus to the plot windows. But depending on how interactive is set, it would block or not. If you are in interactive mode and don’t want to send the focus to the plot windows, you would have to not call show().

-Julien