[pygtk] Pygtk app and hangs.

[John Stowers]

>
> Q. Anything I missed, or any suggestions. Is there a
> comprehensive list/scheme on how to write a MT pygtk
> app?
>

After writing a few threaded pygtk programs [1][2] I have settled on
one approach which I consistently use, I try not to mix the
threads_enter and threads_leave with idle_add, I use the latter
exclusively.

I basically override gobject.emit() and always emit on the idle
handler. Any limitations where you want to touch the GUI from other
threads and feel you cannot use signals are usually representative of
design omissions and I find they can usually be rectified by
restructuring things into a more OO form and deriving from the code
shown below [3].

Anyway, good luck,

John

[1] http://www.conduit-project.org/
[2] http://www.johnstowers.co.nz/blog/index.php/2007/03/12/threading-and-pygtk/
[3]

class IdleObject(gobject.GObject):
    __gsignals__ = {
        "foo" : (
            gobject.SIGNAL_RUN_LAST, gobject.TYPE_NONE, [])
        }
    def __init__(self, emitOnIdle=False):
        gobject.GObject.__init__(self)
        self.emitOnIdle = emitOnIdle

    def emit(self, *args):
        """
        Override the gobject signal emission so that signals
        can be emitted from the main loop on an idle handler
        """
        if self.emitOnIdle == True:
            gobject.idle_add(gobject.GObject.emit,self,*args)
        else:
            gobject.GObject.emit(self,*args)