gecko-dev/extensions/python/xpcom
2001-12-05 03:43:29 +00:00
..
client Fix a bug in interface flattening when an attribute was set before one 2001-08-18 14:27:46 +00:00
doc Add interface flattening to Python XPCOM bindings. 2001-05-27 02:51:18 +00:00
server Bugzilla Bug 107823 change nsIFile 2001-11-26 08:05:05 +00:00
src remove cppsrcs defines from makefile.win files, bug 102459, sr=cls r=dbaron 2001-12-05 03:43:29 +00:00
test Rename 'install' build phase to 'libs'. 2001-11-21 09:49:41 +00:00
tools
__init__.py
.cvsignore
components.py Update to Python XPCOM for recent breaking changes: 2001-11-07 04:32:37 +00:00
file.py nsIFile objects are "remove"d, not "delete"d. Add tests to cover this case. 2001-08-08 02:25:18 +00:00
makefile.stupid.linux Update to Python XPCOM for recent breaking changes: 2001-11-07 04:32:37 +00:00
makefile.win Rename 'install' build phase to 'libs'. 2001-11-21 09:49:41 +00:00
nsError.py
readme.html Add interface flattening to Python XPCOM bindings. 2001-05-27 02:51:18 +00:00
register.py
xpcom_consts.py
xpt.py Add interface flattening to Python XPCOM bindings. 2001-05-27 02:51:18 +00:00

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<h1>Python XPCOM Package</h1>

<p>Mozilla CVS Version - Last updated May 2001</p>
<p>This is the readme for the Python interface to <b>XPCOM</b>.</p>
<p><b>XPCOM </b>is an acronym for &quot;Cross Platform COM&quot;.&nbsp; It has
come out of the <a href="http://www.mozilla.org">Mozilla</a>  project, which
maintains the <a href="http://www.mozilla.org/projects/xpcom/">main XPCOM
project pages.</a>&nbsp; The Python XPCOM package is a set of Python bindings to
XPCOM, allowing a Python programmer to both use and implement XPCOM
interfaces.&nbsp; If you don't know what <a href="http://www.python.org">Python</a>
is, then none of this probably interests you at all!</p>
<p>This readme has links to the following information:</p>
<ul>
  <li><a href="doc/configure.html">Building, Configuring and
   Testing the Python
    XPCOM Package</a></li>
  <li><a href="doc/tutorial.html">A tutorial for the Python XPCOM package</a></li>
  <li>Some <a href="doc/advanced.html">advanced
    topics and other miscellaneous information</a></li>
  <li><a href="doc/architecture.html">Information on the architecture</a></li>
  <li>A list of the <a href="#KnownBugs">known issues and bugs</a>, the <a href="#ReleaseHistory">release
    history</a> and the <a href="doc/credits.html">PyXPCOM acknowledgements</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Note: <b>This package requires Python 1.6 or later</b>; we recommend using
the latest
official Python version (currently 2.1).&nbsp; This package works
very well with the latest <a href="http://www.ActiveState.com/Products/ActivePython">ActivePython</a>,
and does not require any external modules or packages beyond what is provided in
the core Python release for each platform.</p>
<h2>About the Python XPCOM Package</h2>
<p>The Python XPCOM Package was developed by <a href="http://www.ActiveState.com">ActiveState
Tool Corporation</a>, and came out of their <a href="http://www.ActiveState.com/Products/Komodo">Komodo
project</a>.&nbsp; The Python XPCOM package is released under the <a href="http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/">Mozilla
Public License (MPL)</a></p>
<p>Please see the <a href="doc/credits.html">credits file</a> for a list of
contributors. </p>
<h2><a name="KnownBugs">Known Bugs</a>/Issues</h2>
<ul>
  <li>No attempt is made to recurse sub-directories of the main
&quot;components&quot; directory.&nbsp; This is because we may decide on some
smart scheme for recursion (similar to Python packages), and don't want people
to rely on simple recursive searches.</li>
  <li>No management of the PythonPath is done by the package.&nbsp; You must
arrange for the Python <i>xpcom</i> package to be on your PythonPath.&nbsp;
Significantly, the XPCOM <i> components</i> directory is not on the PythonPath and
generally cannot be, as Python will often find other DLLs in this directory and
attempt to use them as Python modules.&nbsp; This means that Python module
files will not be found in the <i> components</i> directory, even when referenced by
another component - thus, a component can&nbsp; not import another component
source file as a regular module!&nbsp; It is thought that when we know what to
do with sub-directories of the <i> components</i> directory (as described above), some
automated PythonPath support will be provided, so Python components and regular
Python modules the component depends on can exist in the same directory
structure.</li>
  <li>No unregistration support at all.&nbsp;The main Python Component Loader supports
    unregistration, but the actual Python objects themselves do not support unregistration.&nbsp;It is unclear if the Component Loader
    unregistration process needs to manually remove each component it is responsible
for.</li>
  <li>All Python-implemented components unconditionally support
weak-references.&nbsp; There is no way to disable this feature for any or all
components.&nbsp; It is unclear if there is a need to prevent this, but it is
documented here just in case!</li>
</ul>
<h2><a name="ReleaseHistory">Release History</a></h2>
<h3>Version 0.90 - January 2001</h3>
<ul>
  <li>First public release.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Version 0.91 - January 2001</h3>
<ul>
  <li>Fix a seg fault on Linux when PYTHONPATH is not set.</li>
  <li>Changes to allow building with stand-alone XPCOM.</li>
</ul>

<h3>Version 0.92 - May 2001</h3>
<p>Implement interface flattening.&nbsp; You should (almost) never need to use <i>QueryInterface()</i>!&nbsp;
We are still 100% backwards compatible, so usage of QI still works - just is
generally not necessary.</p>

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