[Pythonmac-SIG] Getting control over the Apple menu

[Ned Deily]

In article <509308E1-ED1E-4CCB-8EFE-F672E2B97702 at mac.com>, wrw at mac.com 
wrote:
> On Nov 1, 2012, at 10:43 AM, Kevin Walzer <kw at codebykevin.com> wrote: 
> > On 11/1/12 9:37 AM, wrw at mac.com wrote:
> >> When running the script directly in the interpreter, that is, when I 
> >> invoke is as $ ./CM_GUI_2.py in a terminal window (or as $ python 
> >> CM_GUI_2.py) the first menu to the right of the Apple icon (the one I'd 
> >> call the Application menu) remains named "Python" - although the menu 
> >> under it now includes the items I've created.
> > 
> > That's expected behavior. The application name in the app menu corresponds 
> > to the actual executable that is running the app. When you run the app in 
> > Terminal, the executable is Python. When it's wrapped with py2app, the 
> > executable is the actual app name (actually, the stub executable created by 
> > py2app, but which is renamed to match your app). You shouldn't expect to 
> > see anything but what you are seeing.
> Good - that's pretty much what I deduced after thinking about your answer 
> last night.  Then Ned's post made me scratch my head.

Sorry for the confusion.  I interpreted your previous post to mean that 
using the 'apple' menu didn't behave the same in both cases, i.e. extra 
menu cascade.  To expand on the app name a bit, the application name 
displayed in the menu comes from the Info.plist of the app bundle under 
which your Python script is running.  With a standard framework build of 
Python, there is a Python.app bundle included in the Python framework so 
that OS X treats the execution as from a full-blown app and certain gui 
features work.  That Python.app bundle has the name "Python" in the 
plist.  py2app, of course, creates a custom app bundle including an 
Info.plist with the app name you specify.

-- 
 Ned Deily,
 nad at acm.org