Raises the Figures windows when issuing a blocking show() on the macosx backend.

[gellule]

Currently when issuing a blocking show() on the macosx backend, the figures appear in the background, and the shell (or application) that holds the python interpreter stays active. The user has to make the figures active by clicking on them, interact with them, and then close them to keep going. Why not directly make the figure active, since the only way to keep going is to close the windows?

[WeatherGod]

This has been a known issue, and I think the only reason why it hasn't been done is that none of us knew how to do it properly.

[gellule]

I will let other confirm this is not too unproper. :)
So far I was working around it by using pyobjc:

from AppKit import NSApplication

and issuing just before show():

NSApplication.sharedApplication().activateIgnoringOtherApps_(True)
pylab.show()

It worked, but the pull request should achieve the same thing within the macosx backend show() method.

[jiffyclub]

I just tried a checkout from @gellule's master fork to see if it fixed #665. There was no change in the behavior I see in #665, but also the plot window was not raised to the foreground.

[gellule]

@jiffyclub: If I read #665 correctly, you are in interactive mode. My pull request only raises the plot window if in non-interactive mode. Are you expecting from the show() command that it also yields the focus to the plot window in interactive mode?

[jiffyclub]

@gellule, I am not in interactive mode. I'm using plt.show() and I don't see any difference using your pull request and using the matplotlib main code.

[gellule]

@jiffyclub Thanks for the answer. #665 does not seem related to the current pull request. But because of #665 (comment), and because you are the only person (that I know of) who tried my branch, could you please check that you are using the version of matplotlib you pulled from my branch? Maybe with a:

import pylab
print(pylab.__file__)

Thanks.

[jiffyclub]

@gellule the command I used to install was pip install git+git://github.com/gellule/matplotlib.git.

Out of curiosity, are you using Lion? I suspect the problems I'm having with #665 are Lion related and not seeing the expected behavior here is probably also a Lion effect. But if you're using Lion it's back to the drawing board on that idea.

[gellule]

@jiffyclub I just wanted to make sure that either you had one copy of matplotlib installed, or were using the correct one.

I am also on Lion. However, I'm getting python and others (including matplotlib) from macports. Except for my matplotlib checkout that I use locally.

[gellule]

Looks like this pull request could be... pulled? :)
At least one person tested the change successfully, as reported on the matplotlib-devel mailing list.

[WeatherGod]

I guess we could pull it and see what others think. I guess a partial solution is better than none at all? Any objections Mike?

[gellule]

Thank you!
This pull request is now replaced by #741: closing.