r19991 - gnucash/trunk/src/doc - Bug #637346: A second step towards doxygen python-bindings docs; add file missing in r19981

[Christian Stimming]

Author: cstim
Date: 2010-12-29 15:54:22 -0500 (Wed, 29 Dec 2010)
New Revision: 19991
Trac: http://svn.gnucash.org/trac/changeset/19991

Added:
   gnucash/trunk/src/doc/python-bindings-doxygen.py
Log:
Bug #637346: A second step towards doxygen python-bindings docs; add file missing in r19981

Added: gnucash/trunk/src/doc/python-bindings-doxygen.py
===================================================================
--- gnucash/trunk/src/doc/python-bindings-doxygen.py	                        (rev 0)
+++ gnucash/trunk/src/doc/python-bindings-doxygen.py	2010-12-29 20:54:22 UTC (rev 19991)
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+## @file 
+# @brief Documentation file for GnuCashs python bindings, input file for doxygen.
+#
+# This file holds the more explanatory parts of the doxygen-source-documentation.
+# You will find the contents at @ref python_bindings_page.
+#
+# @par To-Do:
+# @li Work out the relation of scheme/guile and python-bindings
+# @li maybe join python_bindings_page and group
+# @li work on the structure of the documentation to make it more clear
+# @li try to make SWIG include the documentation of the c-source
+# @li make funtion-links in SWIG-generated files work.
+# @li some words to the tests
+#
+# @author Christoph Holtermann
+# @date December 2010
+# @ingroup python_bindings
+
+
+## @defgroup python_bindings
+#  Also have a look at the page @ref python_bindings_page.
+
+## @defgroup python_bindings_examples
+#  @ingroup python_bindings
+#  The python-bindings come with quite a lot of example scripts.
+
+##  @page python_bindings_page Python bindings
+#   Also have a look at group @ref python_bindings.
+#
+#   For the moment the python-bindings are only available via svn. They may be included
+#   in GnuCash 2.4.
+#
+#   They can be found in src/optional/python-bindings.
+#
+#   To enable them in the compilation process you have to add --enable-python-bindings
+#   to the call of ./configure.
+#
+#   As a starting point have a look at the \link python_bindings_examples example-scripts\endlink.
+#
+#   @section possibilities What are the Python bindings good for ?
+#
+#   The python bindings supply the ability to access a wide range of the core funtions of GnuCash. You
+#   can read and write Transactions, Commodities, Lots, access the business stuff... You gain the ability
+#   to manipulate your financial data with a flexible scripting language.
+#
+#   Not everything GnuCash can is possible to access though. The bindings focus on basic accounting functions.
+#   Have a look at the examples to get an impression.
+#
+#   @section python_bindings_section Principles
+#   The python-bindings are generated using SWIG from parts of the source-files of GnuCash.
+#
+#   @note Python-scripts should not be executed while GnuCash runs. GnuCash is designed as
+#   a single user application with only one program accessing the data at one time. You can force your 
+#   access but that may corrupt data. Maybe one day that may change but for the moment there is no active development on that.
+#
+#   @subsection swigworks What SWIG does
+#
+#   SWIG extracts informations from the c-sources and provides access to the structures
+#   to python. It's work is controlled by interface files :
+# 
+#   @li gnucash_core.i
+#   @li timespec.i
+#   @li glib.i 
+#   @li @link base-typemaps.i src/base-typemaps.i @endlink This file is shared with Guile.
+#
+#   it outputs:
+#
+#   @li gnucash_core.c
+#   @li gnucash_core_c.py
+#
+#   If you have generated your own local doxygen documentation (by "make doc") after having compiled the python-bindings, doxygen
+#   will include SWIGs output-files. The official version at http://svn.gnucash.org/docs/HEAD/ does not include
+#   these files. It's actually quite interesting to have a look at them through doxygen, because they contain all that you can
+#   access from python.
+#
+#   This c-style-api is the bottom layer. It is a quite raw extract and close to the original source. Some more details are described further down.
+#
+#   For some parts there is a second layer of a nice pythonic interface. It is declared
+#   in 
+#   @li gnucash_core.py and 
+#   @li gnucash_business.py.
+#   @li function_class.py contains helper functions for that.
+#
+#   @section howto How to use the Python bindings
+#   @subsection highlevel High level python wrapper classes
+#   If you
+# 
+#   @code >> import gnucash @endcode
+#
+#   You can access the structures of the high level api. For Example you get a Session object by
+#
+#   @code >> session=gnucash.Session() @endcode
+#
+#   Here you will find easy to use things. But sometimes - and at the current level rather sooner than
+#   later - you may be forced to search for solutions at the :
+#
+#   @subsection c_style_api C-style-api
+#
+#   If you
+#
+#   @code >> import gnucash @endcode
+#
+#   The c-style-api can be accessed via gnucash.gnucash_core_c. You can have a look at all the possibilities
+#   at gnucash_core_c.py.
+#
+#   You will find a lot of pointers here which you can just ignore if input and output of the function have the
+#   same type.
+#
+#   For example you could start a session by gnucash.gnucash_core_c.qof_session_begin(). But if you just try
+#
+#   @code session=gnucash.gnucash_core_c.qof_session_begin() @endcode
+#
+#   you will get an error message and realize the lack of convenience for you have to add the correct function parameters.
+#
+#   Not all of the available structures will work. SWIG just takes everything from the sources that it is fed with and translates it. Not everything
+#   is a working translation, because not everything has been worked through. At this point you are getting closer to the developers who you can 
+#   contact at the mailing-list gnucash-devel at gnucash.org. There may be a workaround. Maybe the problem can only be fixed by changing SWIGs input 
+#   files to correctly translate the c-source. Feel free to post a question at the developers list. It may awaken the interest of someone who creates
+#   some more beautiful python-interfaces.
+#
+#   @section Thisorthat When to use which api ?
+#
+#   The start would surely be the high-level api for you can be quite sure to have something working and you will maybe find
+#   explanations in the example-scripts. If you search for something that is not yet implemented in that way you will have to
+#   take your way to the c-style-api.
+#
+#   @section pydoc (Further) documentation
+#
+#   The documentation you just read uses doxygen. It collects documentation in GnuCash's sources. Besides that there is
+#   the classic python-documentation using help() and docstrings. Have a look at both.
+#   You may also have a look into the archives of gnucash-devel at gnucash.org. On Bugzilla there is also some interesting
+#   talk regarding the development process. Then you can use the abilitys of svn to see the history of the code by 
+#   "svn log" done in the directory of the python-bindings.
+#
+