### Navigation

- index
- modules |
- next |
- previous |
- Python »
- Python v2.7.4 documentation »
- The Python Standard Library »
- 36. Mac OS X specific services »

# 36.5. `EasyDialogs` — Basic Macintosh dialogs

Platforms: Mac

The `EasyDialogs` module contains some simple dialogs for the Macintosh. The dialogs get launched in a separate application which appears in the dock and must be clicked on for the dialogs be displayed. All routines take an optional resource ID parameter id with which one can override the `DLOG` resource used for the dialog, provided that the dialog items correspond (both type and item number) to those in the default `DLOG` resource. See source code for details.

Note

This module has been removed in Python 3.x.

The `EasyDialogs` module defines the following functions:

`EasyDialogs.``Message`(str[, id[, ok]])

  Displays a modal dialog with the message text str, which should be at most 255 characters long. The button text defaults to “OK”, but is set to the string argument ok if the latter is supplied. Control is returned when the user clicks the “OK” button.

`EasyDialogs.``AskString`(prompt[, default[, id[, ok[, cancel]]]])

  Asks the user to input a string value via a modal dialog. prompt is the prompt message, and the optional default supplies the initial value for the string (otherwise `""` is used). The text of the “OK” and “Cancel” buttons can be changed with the ok and cancel arguments. All strings can be at most 255 bytes long. `AskString()` returns the string entered or `None` in case the user cancelled.

`EasyDialogs.``AskPassword`(prompt[, default[, id[, ok[, cancel]]]])

  Asks the user to input a string value via a modal dialog. Like `AskString()`, but with the text shown as bullets. The arguments have the same meaning as for `AskString()`.

`EasyDialogs.``AskYesNoCancel`(question[, default[, yes[, no[, cancel[, id]]]]])

  Presents a dialog with prompt question and three buttons labelled “Yes”, “No”, and “Cancel”. Returns `1` for “Yes”, `0` for “No” and `-1` for “Cancel”. The value of default (or `0` if default is not supplied) is returned when the `RETURN` key is pressed. The text of the buttons can be changed with the yes, no, and cancel arguments; to prevent a button from appearing, supply `""` for the corresponding argument.

`EasyDialogs.``ProgressBar`([title[, maxval[, label[, id]]]])

  Displays a modeless progress-bar dialog. This is the constructor for the `ProgressBar` class described below. title is the text string displayed (default “Working...”), maxval is the value at which progress is complete (default `0`, indicating that an indeterminate amount of work remains to be done), and label is the text that is displayed above the progress bar itself.

`EasyDialogs.``GetArgv`([optionlist[ commandlist[, addoldfile[, addnewfile[, addfolder[, id]]]]]])

  Displays a dialog which aids the user in constructing a command-line argument list. Returns the list in `sys.argv` format, suitable for passing as an argument to `getopt.getopt()`. addoldfile, addnewfile, and addfolder are boolean arguments. When nonzero, they enable the user to insert into the command line paths to an existing file, a (possibly) not-yet-existent file, and a folder, respectively. (Note: Option arguments must appear in the command line before file and folder arguments in order to be recognized by `getopt.getopt()`.) Arguments containing spaces can be specified by enclosing them within single or double quotes. A `SystemExit` exception is raised if the user presses the “Cancel” button.

  optionlist is a list that determines a popup menu from which the allowed options are selected. Its items can take one of two forms: optstr or `(optstr, descr)`. When present, descr is a short descriptive string that is displayed in the dialog while this option is selected in the popup menu. The correspondence between optstrs and command-line arguments is:

  optstr format | Command-line format
  --- | ---
  `x` | -x (short option)
  `x:` or `x=` | -x (short option with value)
  `xyz` | --xyz (long option)
  `xyz:` or `xyz=` | --xyz (long option with value)

  commandlist is a list of items of the form cmdstr or `(cmdstr, descr)`, where descr is as above. The cmdstrs will appear in a popup menu. When chosen, the text of cmdstr will be appended to the command line as is, except that a trailing `':'` or `'='` (if present) will be trimmed off.

  New in version 2.0.

`EasyDialogs.``AskFileForOpen`( [message] [, typeList] [, defaultLocation] [, defaultOptionFlags] [, location] [, clientName] [, windowTitle] [, actionButtonLabel] [, cancelButtonLabel] [, preferenceKey] [, popupExtension] [, eventProc] [, previewProc] [, filterProc] [, wanted] )

  Post a dialog asking the user for a file to open, and return the file selected or `None` if the user cancelled. message is a text message to display, typeList is a list of 4-char filetypes allowable, defaultLocation is the pathname, `FSSpec` or `FSRef` of the folder to show initially, location is the `(x, y)` position on the screen where the dialog is shown, actionButtonLabel is a string to show instead of “Open” in the OK button, cancelButtonLabel is a string to show instead of “Cancel” in the cancel button, wanted is the type of value wanted as a return: `str`, `unicode`, `FSSpec`, `FSRef` and subtypes thereof are acceptable.

  For a description of the other arguments please see the Apple Navigation Services documentation and the `EasyDialogs` source code.

`EasyDialogs.``AskFileForSave`( [message] [, savedFileName] [, defaultLocation] [, defaultOptionFlags] [, location] [, clientName] [, windowTitle] [, actionButtonLabel] [, cancelButtonLabel] [, preferenceKey] [, popupExtension] [, fileType] [, fileCreator] [, eventProc] [, wanted] )

  Post a dialog asking the user for a file to save to, and return the file selected or `None` if the user cancelled. savedFileName is the default for the file name to save to (the return value). See `AskFileForOpen()` for a description of the other arguments.

`EasyDialogs.``AskFolder`( [message] [, defaultLocation] [, defaultOptionFlags] [, location] [, clientName] [, windowTitle] [, actionButtonLabel] [, cancelButtonLabel] [, preferenceKey] [, popupExtension] [, eventProc] [, filterProc] [, wanted] )

  Post a dialog asking the user to select a folder, and return the folder selected or `None` if the user cancelled. See `AskFileForOpen()` for a description of the arguments.

See also

Navigation Services Reference
  Programmer’s reference documentation for the Navigation Services, a part of the Carbon framework.

## 36.5.1. ProgressBar Objects

`ProgressBar` objects provide support for modeless progress-bar dialogs. Both determinate (thermometer style) and indeterminate (barber-pole style) progress bars are supported. The bar will be determinate if its maximum value is greater than zero; otherwise it will be indeterminate.

Changed in version 2.2: Support for indeterminate-style progress bars was added.

The dialog is displayed immediately after creation. If the dialog’s “Cancel” button is pressed, or if `Cmd-.` or `ESC` is typed, the dialog window is hidden and `KeyboardInterrupt` is raised (but note that this response does not occur until the progress bar is next updated, typically via a call to `inc()` or `set()`). Otherwise, the bar remains visible until the `ProgressBar` object is discarded.

`ProgressBar` objects possess the following attributes and methods:

`ProgressBar.``curval`

  The current value (of type integer or long integer) of the progress bar. The normal access methods coerce `curval` between `0` and `maxval`. This attribute should not be altered directly.

`ProgressBar.``maxval`

  The maximum value (of type integer or long integer) of the progress bar; the progress bar (thermometer style) is full when `curval` equals `maxval`. If `maxval` is `0`, the bar will be indeterminate (barber-pole). This attribute should not be altered directly.

`ProgressBar.``title`([newstr])

  Sets the text in the title bar of the progress dialog to newstr.

`ProgressBar.``label`([newstr])

  Sets the text in the progress box of the progress dialog to newstr.

`ProgressBar.``set`(value[, max])

  Sets the progress bar’s `curval` to value, and also `maxval` to max if the latter is provided. value is first coerced between 0 and `maxval`. The thermometer bar is updated to reflect the changes, including a change from indeterminate to determinate or vice versa.

`ProgressBar.``inc`([n])

  Increments the progress bar’s `curval` by n, or by `1` if n is not provided. (Note that n may be negative, in which case the effect is a decrement.) The progress bar is updated to reflect the change. If the bar is indeterminate, this causes one “spin” of the barber pole. The resulting `curval` is coerced between 0 and `maxval` if incrementing causes it to fall outside this range.

### Navigation

- index
- modules |
- next |
- previous |
- Python »
- Python v2.7.4 documentation »
- The Python Standard Library »
- 36. Mac OS X specific services »