Haiku-PyAPI: Python bindings for the Haiku API

[Zardshard]

@coolcoder613

Maybe have a list of essential widgets?

We have text boxes, buttons, text, and windows to put them in. I suppose those are all of the essential widgets.

@coolcoder613

The app kit is already ‘done’

Then I suppose now is the time for 0.1.

[Zardshard]

The 0.1 release is done! You can now install haiku_pyapi_python39 and haiku_pyapi_python310 from HaikuDepot.

[BiPolar]

@Zardshard

Not looking too promising right now since pybind’s docs only mention linking to the current version of python, but I’ll want to look further into it.

I’ve tried targeting abi3 (by adding -DPy_LIMITED_API=0x030900 to SubDirC++Flags on the Jamfile, but sadly, that’s a no go, as pybind11 seems to use/need plenty of stuff outside of what’s available when Py_LIMITED_API is defined. Oh well… was worth a try .

BTW, when trying that define, the build seemed to enter a loop, and was kinda hard to kill all the jam related processes.

On the plus side… got PyAPI working on 32 bits (haiku_pyapi_x86_python310). Created a PR for the needed changes on Haiku-PyAPI’s side (the recipe changes will have to wait for a 0.2 release ).

[Zardshard]

@PixelLoop

Looking at that self.events thing in the original code example, maybe it might be possible for the bindings to support responding to BMessages using a Python function decorator, so roughly like this:

@BMessageHandlerFunction(self.START_MSG)
def start(self, msg):
       ...

@coolcoder613

Having decorators isn’t really possible

This actually seems like it’s possible, see an example of how to register plugins using decorators for an idea of how this would be done.

[PixelLoop]

The main issue I could see would be the lifespan, ownership and construction time of the BMessage object.

[donn]

Yes. For some functions, I think you want to copy into a new BMessage. Constructors for subclasses of Invoker, at least. Probably others.

[Zardshard]

I talked with @coolcoder613 over IRC about this. The trouble is that the function decorators don’t have access to the class’s members. This is because the decorators don’t take a parameter for self.

If you would like to know more, you can visit Python decorators in classes.

[Zardshard]

A Haiku about a Python API:

App, Support, Storage,
And all the rest, for Python
Now available!

I think it’s about time I start working on releasing v0.2, since the app kit is pretty much done.

[Zardshard]

We’re encountering some errors when compiling for R1/B4 and not when compiling on a nightly. One commit that is causing these discrepancies is https://git.haiku-os.org/haiku/commit/?id=3cb845283eb430c9b905dc0b17d83e5ff8f0c0de. It names some previously unnamed enums. Thanks @trungnt2910, it makes our code cleaner . But now the question is whether we should support R1/B4, and make our code a little messier, or just make sure it runs on R1/B4. It must be about time to release R1/B5 .

[trungnt2910]

Thanks @trungnt2910, it makes our code cleaner .

Not a Python enthusiast myself, but great to hear that my code has made positive impact beyond my own projects

whether we should support R1/B4

Beta releases are probably called “Beta” for a reason. Things are bound to change, even among Haiku apps themselves. Therefore, in my opinion, it is not really worth it.

[donn]

Depends on who’s going to be using it. If you see someone picking this up in the first week of the Haiku experience, then it has to support the official release (even if it’s named “beta”, it’s what we have.) If it’s more a die-hard fringe, maybe not as important.

(I don’t know anything you don’t know, but quite a while can elapse between releases. I wouldn’t hold my breath.)

[coolcoder613]

The question is, when is R1/Beta5 coming out?
If it is coming in late 2024 or something, then we should try to support beta4.
But if beta5 is coming soon, we’ll just wait until then to support the latest beta.

[Zardshard]

Yes, it certainly would be useful to know when the next beta will be released.

@donn

If you see someone picking this up in the first week of the Haiku experience, then it has to support the official release

Yes, it should run on R1/B4, though I haven’t tested it. The question is just whether to make the code a little messier to support compiling on it.

[RogFanther]

The more “official” version is Beta4. A new beta may take a long to be released, so it would be better if the software is tested to run in the Beta4. The nightlies, as explained, are test releases and can break things any time.

[coolcoder613]

Do the buildmasters run on beta4 or the nightlies?

[BiPolar]

The buildmasters run Beta4. To be more precise: haiku-r1~beta4_hrev56578_87-1 at the moment.

[Zardshard]

Ok, in that case we’ll probably have to support compiling on R1/B4

[nephele]

@trungnt2910

Beta releases are probably called “Beta” for a reason.

Yes, the entire OS is in beta, which means mostly feature complete but with bugs.
The beta releases themselves get updates but only minor bugfixes, no big compatibility breaking changes.

The nightlies on the other have have no compatibility promises.

[Zardshard]

Haiku-PyAPI 0.2 has been released . In 0.1, pretty much the app kit and a little bit of the interface kit were available. Now, a good many other kits are available.

Here are some apps that you can run with it:

• FeedGator, a feed aggregator
• BeMatched, a memory game

Special thanks to @TmTFx and @coolcoder613 for their work!