Phoenix/packaging/ANNOUNCE.txt

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Announcing wxPython 4.0.0b2
===========================

PyPI:   https://pypi.python.org/pypi/wxPython/4.0.0b2
Extras: https://extras.wxPython.org/wxPython4/extras/
Pip:    ``pip install wxPython==4.0.0b2``

Changes in this release include the following:

* Added a deprecated compatibility helper for wx.CustomDataFormat.

* Transfer ownership of the wx.EvtHandler object when pushing/popping
  them, and also for Set/RemoveEventHandler. (#443)

* Add missing wx.VScrolledWindow methods listed in the docs as
  deprecated but still present. (#441)

* Fixed copy/paste error in wx.BusyInfo.__exit__ (#449)

* Added new tool wxget, (a minimal wx implementation of wget)

* Added new tools wxdocs and wxdemos to launch the respective items,
  fetching and unpacking as required. (#437)

* Fixes to ensure that the locale message catalogs are included in the
  release files. (#464)

* Fix wx.ListCtrl.SetItemData to check that the data value is not out
  of the range of a C long. (#467)

* Changed the default port on *nix builds to be GTK3. The new
  ``--gtk2`` flag for build.py can be used to force a build for GTK2
  instead, and the ``--gtk3`` flag still exists, but defaults to True
  unless ``--gtk2`` is specified. Please note that there is currently
  no auto-detection of whether GTK3 is available or not, so if you
  know you need to build for GTK2 then you need to use the build flag,
  and there is currently no way to specify that flag for builds
  performed by pip. (#431)

* Fix parameter names in Toolbar.AddTool methods to be
  consistent. (#475)

* Remove inconsistent GetVirtualSize method in ScrolledWindow and let
  it be inherited from wx.Window instead. (#474)

* Fix crashing bug caused by importing a module that reinitializes the
  wxModule system after having imported wxpyTag. (#468)

* Fix missing methods in various DataObject classes. (They were
  actually accidentally marked "private" when they should have been
  public.) (#480)

* Add missing ListCtrl.DeleteAllColumns. (#486)

* Various fixes in the demo.

* Fixed improper initial scale factor in wx.lib.agw.speedmeter

* Fix for calls to wx.Notebook.HitTest calling the wrong instance
  (base class version) of the method. (#499)

* Add wx.Simplebook class.

* Fix exception in wx.lib.agw.customtreectrl when calling
  SortChildren. (#463, #500)

* Fix missing imports needed for drawing the legend in
  wx.lib.plot. (#503)

* Fix other instances of list.sort using old cmp-style ordering
  functions.  (#508)

* Update SizedControls to do a sanity check on the parent's sizer, as
  GetSizer can return None for SizedParent under certain
  circumstances, such as when AUI reparents the control during pane
  movement. (#523, #537)

* Added Vagrant configs for Fedora 23 and Fedora 26, and dropped
  Fedora 24.  Wheels built on F23 can also be used on F24 and F25, and
  F26 adds Python 3.6 support.

* Fix bitwise OR bug in wx.lib.agw.aui.framemanager. (#493)

* Fix bugs in wx.lib.plot when saving file. (#526)

* Fix integer division bug in ultimatelistctrl. (#528)

* Fix bug in wx.SearchCtrl.SetCancelBitmap (#532)

* Fixed property grid SetPropertyValue method to not truncate floating
  point values to integers, and a couple other possible incorrect
  conversions.  (#536)




What is wxPython?
-----------------

wxPython is a cross-platform GUI toolkit for the Python programming
language.  It allows Python programmers to create programs with a
robust, highly functional graphical user interface, simply and
easily. It is implemented as a set of Python extension modules that
wrap the GUI components of the popular wxWidgets cross platform
library, which is written in C++. Supported platforms are Microsoft
Windows, Mac OS X and macOS, and Linux or other unix-like systems with
GTK2 or GTK3 libraries. In most cases the native widgets are used on
each platform to provide a 100% native look and feel for the
application.


What is wxPython Phoenix?
-------------------------

wxPython's Project Phoenix is a new from-the-ground-up implementation
of wxPython, created with the intent of making wxPython “better,
stronger, faster than he was before.” In other words, this new
implementation is focused on improving speed, maintainability and
extensibility of wxPython, as well as removing most of the cruft that
had accumulated over the long life of Classic wxPython.

The project has been in development off and on, mostly behind the
scenes, for many years. For the past few years automated snapshot
builds have been available for those adventurous enough to try it, and
many people eventually started using the snapshots in their projects,
even for production releases.  While there are still some things on
the periphery that need to be completed, the core of the new wxPython
extension modules which wrap the wxWidgets code has been stable for a
long time now.

Due to some things being cleaned up, reorganized, simplified and
dehackified wxPython Phoenix is not completely backwards compatible
with wxPython Classic.  This is intended. In general, however, the API
differences tend to be minor and some applications can use Phoenix
with slight, or even no modifications.  In some other cases the
correct way to do things was also available in Classic and it's only
the wrong way that has been removed from Phoenix.  For more
information there is a Migration Guide document available at:
https://docs.wxpython.org/MigrationGuide.html

The new wxPython API reference documentation, including all
Python-specific additions and customizations, and docs for the wx.lib
package, is located at: https://docs.wxpython.org/