emacs-application-framework/HACKING.md

Why choose Qt?

Qt's QGraphicsView and QGraphicsScene is awesome, it's easier to implement window composite than other GUI library (such as GTK+).

If use Gtk+ or other GUI library, I need write many Widget/XComposite code to implement widget like QGraphicsView/QGraphicsScene.

Why choose Python?

C/C++ need compile long time for every change, this will interrupt my attention and enthusiasm of development.

Python is a perfect language to develop Qt program and it can call pretty much in every library you need.

Let me run hello word

M-x eaf-open

Then type "eaf rocks!" as input, will pop hello world window in emacs like below:

It's a big hello button, try to click it, haha.

Develop new plugin

It's very easy if you know how to write PyQt5 code.

Here have awesome tutorial help you study PyQt5: http://zetcode.com/gui/pyqt5/

Trust me, PyQt5 is pretty easy to study.

After you know how to write PyQt5 code, developing new plugin just needs 3 steps:

1. Open file buffer.py:

from PyQt5.QtGui import QColor
from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QPushButton
from buffer import Buffer

class DemoBuffer(Buffer):
    def __init__(self, buffer_id, url):
        Buffer.__init__(self, buffer_id, url, True, QColor(0, 0, 0, 255))

        self.add_widget(QPushButton("Hello, EAF hacker, it's work!!!"))
        self.buffer_widget.setStyleSheet("font-size: 100px")

Replace QPushButton with your PyQt5 widget.

• buffer_id and url are need by framework, you just need pass those paramaters to Buffer class

• third paramater True mean application content will fit size with emacs window size change, such as image viewer.

• third paramater False mean applicaton content won't fit size with emacs window size change, such as browser.

• fourth paramater is background color to fill application background.

2. Open file eaf.py:

@dbus.service.method(EAF_DBUS_NAME, in_signature="ss", out_signature="s")
def new_buffer(self, buffer_id, url):
    if url == "eaf rocks!":
        self.create_buffer(buffer_id, DemoBuffer(buffer_id, url))

Replace "eaf rocks!" to "i am rocks!"

3. Test

    Execute command `eaf-stop-process' to kill old python process.

    Execute command `eaf-open' and type "i am rocks!".

See? It's so easy!

Above are all you need, happy hacking!

Todolist

Some works you can hacking ;)