MultilineTextInput is very basic

[misha-franz]

Hi,

I was looking into using toga for an ssh app (like putty). I have a similar app already implemented in Tcl/Tk, which uses the Tk text widget for a terminal window.

It seems the best existing toga widget for the task is MultilineTextInput, but if I understand correctly it only supports one on_change() callback and a value property.

In order implement terminal I do not need too much, but a minimum I need the following:

• ability to add text to the end
• get access to the current line when Enter is pressed

Both things are kind of possible, but having only on_change() and value makes the implementation quite ugly and very inefficient.

It seems toga uses quite sophisticated text widgets for every platform, but still limited to a very basic functionality.

Am I right in my conclusions?

Maybe it is better for my task to stick with Tkinter, where the text widget is very feature rich...

Thanks,
Michael

[mhsmith]

You're correct that the MultilineTextInput doesn't currently have any APIs for changing only part of the text, controlling or detecting the cursor position, or detecting the user's edits in the form "inserted X at position Y".

Based on those limitations, I think the best way to use it in a terminal emulator would be to make the MultilineTextInput read-only, have a separate editable TextInput below it with an on_confirm handler, and send the user's input to the terminal one line at a time.

If you have an Android phone, the Python console in the Chaquopy demo app is the kind of thing I'm talking about. Unfortunately its source code probably isn't useful to you because it doesn't use Toga, and isn't even written in Python.

[misha-franz]

Thanks for your quick reply!

The idea of a separate command widget sounds good especially for mobile (always right above the keyboard). BTW I tried installing your app only to find out I already had it - excellent app!

Should I be concerned about updating the value property often (every time an ssh session emits something) - over time it can be a few thousands lines?

The other question is about colors (to highlight commands, errors, search results, etc)...

Are you aware about short term plans to add a bit more advanced functionality?

Any plans to support some kind of markup language like Markdown?

[freakboy3742]

Should I be concerned about updating the value property often (every time an ssh session emits something) - over time it can be a few thousands lines?

Anything involving drawing operations will always be a potential performance concern; so batching would likely be advisable. Ultimately the real-world performance you observe in practice will be the best guide here.

The other question is about colors (to highlight commands, errors, search results, etc)...

Are you aware about short term plans to add a bit more advanced functionality?

Any plans to support some kind of markup language like Markdown?

Are there specific short term plans? No. We publish a quarterly roadmap of our plans; this is our most recent version. At present, our focus is on lower-level issues in iOS and Android support. However, BeeWare is an open source project, and we actively encourage contributions - so if this is an area where you'd like to see improvements, the most likely way to see those improvements is to roll up your sleeves and get involved.

[misha-franz]

Thanks for your quick reply!

As for the contributions, I do not think I am the right person for writing code - I have not written any serious code for over 25 years. However I can try to contribute with reporting issues, spreading good words (, and requesting features :)).

Honestly I see BeeWare as my attempt to get into the Python world.  My current job is not related to programming, but from time to time I do write some code to help me better serve customers (and so far since I am familiar with Tcl/Tk that was easier for me and prevented from learning new things).

So far my experience with BeeWare is quite positive.  I watched a few videos and listened to a podcast and found not only interesting (and simple to start) technology but also the right energy.

I faced and resolved a few issues during the installation.  How can I share the experience and the fixes?

For example when installing on a corporate Windows 11 machine, I initially tried Python 3.14, but some components were missing so I switched to 3.13.  Then noticed other issues and was able to resolve by disabling VPN (temporarily - corp policy would re-enable it in 30 min).  Your doc only mentioned disabling Antivirus, which I could not do.  Maybe it makes sense to mention VPN as well.

Another example was Chromebook.  Google offers a quite outdated Debian and Toga failed to install due to missing packages.  I modified the distribution sources.list file to point to the latest version and had no problem installing both Toga and Briefcase.  Is it useful info?

[freakboy3742]

So far my experience with BeeWare is quite positive.  I watched a few videos and listened to a podcast and found not only interesting (and simple to start) technology but also the right energy.

Thanks for the kind words!

I faced and resolved a few issues during the installation.  How can I share the experience and the fixes?

Depends on the exact nature of the feedback you've got. If it's something where there's a clear bug or well scoped feature request, then an issue on the relevant repository is the place to report it. If you're not certain what or where to report, then you can provide details here and we can provide guidance.

For example when installing on a corporate Windows 11 machine, I initially tried Python 3.14, but some components were missing so I switched to 3.13.  Then noticed other issues and was able to resolve by disabling VPN (temporarily - corp policy would re-enable it in 30 min).  Your doc only mentioned disabling Antivirus, which I could not do.  Maybe it makes sense to mention VPN as well.

The BeeWare tutorial already flags that Python 3.14 is a problem on Windows; the package metadata for Winforms also flags that 3.14 isn't supported (although that's not a presentation that most users will see). We could/should probably add a note to Toga's windows platform documentation (https://toga.readthedocs.io/en/latest/reference/platforms/windows/#prerequisites) that highlights the same problem as the tutorial. I've added a note to this effect in #3839.

Another example was Chromebook.  Google offers a quite outdated Debian and Toga failed to install due to missing packages.  I modified the distribution sources.list file to point to the latest version and had no problem installing both Toga and Briefcase.  Is it useful info?

I'm not familiar with the default Linux distribution on Chromebook, so I can't comment on the fix you've worked out. However, we have a Linux pre-requisite guide, so if there's additional information needed to support Chromebook, then any details you can provide (either here, or in a new ticket) would be helpful.