Re #11508 Exported accessors and mutators to python

and it works.

Code/Mantid/Framework/Geometry/inc/MantidGeometry/Instrument/Component.h

@@ -222,18 +222,18 @@ class MANTID_GEOMETRY_DLL Component : public virtual IComponent {
     else
       return std::string("");
   }
-  /** Get a parameter's description   */
+  /** Get this component parameter's description -- no recursive search within children*/
+  std::string getDescription() const;
+
+  /** Get description of a parameter attached to this component  */
   std::string getParDescription(const std::string &pname,
                                bool recursive = true) const;
 
-  /** Get this parameter's description -- no recursive search within children*/
-  std::string getParDescription() const;
-
   /** Get a parameter's tooltip (short description) */
   std::string getParTooltip(const std::string &pname,
                                bool recursive = true) const;
   /** Get a parameter's tooltip (short description) -- no recursive search within children*/
-  std::string getParTooltip() const;
+  std::string getTooltip() const;
   /**Set components description. Works for parameterized components only */
   void setDescription(const std::string &descr);
   /**

Code/Mantid/Framework/Geometry/src/Instrument/Component.cpp

@@ -567,6 +567,9 @@ namespace Mantid {
 
     std::string Component::getParDescription(const std::string &pname,
       bool recursive) const {
+        if (!m_map){ // no description for non-parameterized components
+          return std::string("");
+        }
         Parameter_sptr param = Parameter_sptr(); // Null shared pointer
         if (recursive) {
           param = m_map->getRecursive(this, pname);
@@ -579,7 +582,7 @@ namespace Mantid {
           return std::string("");
     }
     /** Get this parameter's description -- no recursive search within children*/
-    std::string Component::getParDescription() const{
+    std::string Component::getDescription() const{
       auto name = this->getName();
       return this->getParDescription(name,false);
 
@@ -597,6 +600,9 @@ namespace Mantid {
     */
     std::string Component::getParTooltip(const std::string &pname,
       bool recursive) const {
+        if (!m_map){ // no tooltips for non-parameterized components
+          return std::string("");
+        }
         Parameter_sptr param = Parameter_sptr(); // Null shared pointer
         if (recursive) {
           param = m_map->getRecursive(this, pname);
@@ -610,7 +616,7 @@ namespace Mantid {
     }
 
     /** Get a parameter's tooltip (short description) -- no recursive search within children*/
-    std::string Component::getParTooltip() const{
+    std::string Component::getTooltip() const{
       auto name = this->getName();
       return this->getParTooltip(name,false);
     }
@@ -625,8 +631,9 @@ namespace Mantid {
         if (param){
           param->setDescription(descr);
         }else{
-          throw Kernel::Exception::NotFoundError("Component",
-            "Can not found component named: "+name);
+          //I see no reason why component's parameter map should be constant.
+          //But as I do not understand why it is constant, let's HACK!
+          (const_cast<ParameterMap *>(m_map))->addString(this,name,"",&descr);
         }
       } else
         throw Kernel::Exception::NotImplementedError(

Code/Mantid/Framework/Geometry/test/ComponentTest.h

@@ -169,6 +169,35 @@ class ComponentTest : public CxxTest::TestSuite
     TS_ASSERT(ancs[0]->isParametrized());
 
   }
+  void testDescription()
+  {
+    Component parent("Parent",V3D(1,1,1));
+    //name and parent
+    Component q("Child",V3D(5,6,7),Quat(1,1,1,1),&parent);
+
+    TS_ASSERT_THROWS(parent.setDescription("descr"),Mantid::Kernel::Exception::NotImplementedError);
+
+    ParameterMap_sptr pmap( new ParameterMap() );
+    pmap->addString(&q,"ChildMessage","Message from a child");
+    Component pq(&q,pmap.get());
+
+    TS_ASSERT_EQUALS(pq.getName(),"Child");
+    TS_ASSERT(pq.isParametrized() );
+    //check the parent
+    TS_ASSERT(pq.getParent());
+    TS_ASSERT(pq.getParent()->isParametrized() );
+
+    TS_ASSERT_THROWS_NOTHING(pq.setDescription("This is child description. This is long child description."));
+
+    TS_ASSERT_EQUALS(parent.getTooltip(),"");
+    TS_ASSERT_EQUALS(pq.getTooltip(),"This is child description.");
+    TS_ASSERT_EQUALS(pq.getParTooltip("Child"),"This is child description.");
+
+
+    TS_ASSERT_EQUALS(pq.getDescription(),"This is child description. This is long child description.");
+
+  }
+
 
   void testGetFullName()
   {

Code/Mantid/Framework/PythonInterface/mantid/geometry/src/Exports/Component.cpp

@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ namespace
   BOOST_PYTHON_MEMBER_FUNCTION_OVERLOADS(Component_getStringParameter,Component::getStringParameter,1,2)
   BOOST_PYTHON_MEMBER_FUNCTION_OVERLOADS(Component_getIntParameter,Component::getIntParameter,1,2)
   BOOST_PYTHON_MEMBER_FUNCTION_OVERLOADS(Component_getParameterType,Component::getParameterType,1,2)
+  BOOST_PYTHON_MEMBER_FUNCTION_OVERLOADS(Component_getParTooltip,Component::getParTooltip,1,2)
+  BOOST_PYTHON_MEMBER_FUNCTION_OVERLOADS(Component_getParDescription,Component::getParDescription,1,2)
 
 
 }
@@ -33,7 +35,14 @@ void export_Component()
     .def("getRotationParameter", &Component::getRotationParameter, Component_getRotationParameter())
     .def("getStringParameter", &Component::getStringParameter, Component_getStringParameter())
     .def("getIntParameter", &Component::getIntParameter, Component_getIntParameter())
-    // HACK -- python should return parameters regardless of type. this is untill rows below do not work
+    //
+    .def("getParTooltip", &Component::getParTooltip, Component_getParTooltip())
+    .def("getParDescription", &Component::getParDescription, Component_getParDescription())
+    .def("getTooltip", &Component::getTooltip,"Return the tooltip of current parameterized component")
+    .def("getDescription", &Component::getDescription,"Return the description of current parameterized component")
+    .def("setDescription", &Component::setDescription, "Set component's description, if the component is parameterized component")
+
+    // HACK -- python should return parameters regardless of type. this is until rows below do not work
     .def("getParameterType", &Component::getParameterType, Component_getParameterType())
     //// this does not work for some obvious or not obvious reasons 
     //.def("getParameter", &Component::getNumberParameter, Component_getNumberParameter())