[Pythonmac-SIG] MacPython and Tk

[Jack Jansen]

Hmm. As various people have noted recently the quality-control on Tkinter with 
MacPython leaves quite a lot to be desired:
- The installer doesn't install _tkinter in the right place
- Tkinter programs do not work from the IDE
- Simple Tk programs from "Learning Python" hang your system.

Of all these only the second one (Tk and IDE don't like each other) is a known 
problem, and I think it is documented (but Just isn't around, or he'd know).

The general problem is that Just and me are the main people responsible for 
MacPython, and neither of us uses Tkinter anymore (at least, not on the mac). 
Combine this with the fact that we're both really so busy that even getting 
out Python distributions in the first place is a problem and it becomes clear 
why the Tk part of the distribution doesn't have the quality it should. This 
is especially bad because Tk is used in early examples, and so it'll be 
something that is exposed to people new to MacPython in a rather early stage 
(thereby making MacPython as a whole look bad).

What I'd really like is if someone stepped in and volunteered to maintain the 
mac version of the whole Tk stuff, ideally someone who uses Tkinter a lot 
anyway, so bugs are bound to show up quickly. And, of course, you'd need 
CodeWarrior to build the stuff, etc.

Is anyone willing to take up Tkinter maintainance?
--
Jack Jansen             | ++++ stop the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal ++++
Jack.Jansen@oratrix.com | ++++ if you agree copy these lines to your sig ++++
www.oratrix.nl/~jack    | see http://www.xs4all.nl/~tank/spg-l/sigaction.htm