---
author: ''
category: ''
date: 2008/08/06 17:12
description: ''
link: ''
priority: ''
slug: BB728
tags: programming, python, urssus
title: 'uRSSus: now with configuration dialog goodness!'
type: text
updated: 2008/08/06 17:12
url_type: ''
---
I felt that a "user-friendly" configuration dialog for uRSSus was not a good way to spend effort, because I expect options to change often for a while, and I didn't want an outdated dialog, either. The solution? Autogenerate a mediocre configuration dialog! 

First, define what options uRSSus supports (Update: suggestion by Alejandro Cura, using tuples works much better!):

.. code-block:: python

  options = (
    ('ui', 
      (
        ('alwaysShowFeed',  ('bool', False, "Always show a link to the post's feed when diplaying a post")), 
        ('hideOnTrayClick', ('bool', True, "Hide the main window when clicking on the tray icon")), 
      )
    ), 
    ('options', 
      (
        ('defaultRefresh'      ,  ('int', 1800, "How often feeds should be refreshed by default (in seconds).", 300, None )), 
        ('maxPostsDisplayed'   ,  ('int', 1000, "Limit the display to this many posts. If set too high, opening 'All Feeds' may take forever", 0, None)), 
        ('defaultExpiration'   ,  ('int',    7, "How long should articles be kept by default. (In days)", 0, 9999)), 
      )
    ), 
    ('twitter',
      (
        ('username',  ('string', None, 'Your Twitter user name.' )), 
        ('password',  ('password', None, 'Your Twitter password.' )), 
      )
    )
  )

Then a little magic, and this comes out:

.. raw:: html

   <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ralsina/2714720774/" title="urssus13 by ralsina_2000, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3004/2714720774_76c8b81fd5_o.png" width="808" height="631" alt="urssus13"></a>

How magic? This magic:

.. code-block:: python

  class ConfigDialog(QtGui.QDialog):
    def __init__(self, parent):
      QtGui.QDialog.__init__(self, parent)
      # Set up the UI from designer
      self.ui=UI_ConfigDialog()
      self.ui.setupUi(self)
      pages=[]
      sections=[]
      self.values={}
  
      for sectionName, options in config.options:
        # Create a page widget/layout for this section:
        page=QtGui.QScrollArea()
        layout=QtGui.QGridLayout()
        row=-2
        for optionName, definition in options:
          row+=2
          if definition[0]=='bool':
            cb=QtGui.QCheckBox(optionName)
            cb.setChecked(config.getValue(sectionName, optionName, definition[1]))
            layout.addWidget(cb, row, 0, 1, 2)
            self.values[sectionName+'/'+optionName]=[cb, lambda(cb): cb.isChecked()]
  
            
          elif definition[0]=='int':
            label=QtGui.QLabel(optionName+":")
            label.setAlignment(QtCore.Qt.AlignRight|QtCore.Qt.AlignVCenter)
            spin=QtGui.QSpinBox()
            if definition[3] is not None:
              spin.setMinimum(definition[3])
            else:
              spin.setMinimum(-99999)
            if definition[4] is not None:
              spin.setMaximum(definition[4])
            else:
              spin.setMaximum(99999)
            spin.setValue(config.getValue(sectionName, optionName, definition[1]))
            layout.addWidget(label, row, 0, 1, 1)
            layout.addWidget(spin, row, 1, 1, 1)
            self.values[sectionName+'/'+optionName]=[spin, lambda(spin): spin.value()]
            
          elif definition[0]=='string':
            label=QtGui.QLabel(optionName+":")
            label.setAlignment(QtCore.Qt.AlignRight|QtCore.Qt.AlignVCenter)
            text=QtGui.QLineEdit()
            text.setText(config.getValue(sectionName, optionName, definition[1]))          
            layout.addWidget(label, row, 0, 1, 1)
            layout.addWidget(text, row, 1, 1, 1)
            self.values[sectionName+'/'+optionName]=[text, lambda(text): unicode(text.text())]
  
          elif definition[0]=='password':
            label=QtGui.QLabel(optionName+":")
            label.setAlignment(QtCore.Qt.AlignRight|QtCore.Qt.AlignVCenter)
            text=QtGui.QLineEdit()
            text.setEchoMode(QtGui.QLineEdit.Password)
            text.setText(config.getValue(sectionName, optionName, definition[1]))          
            layout.addWidget(label, row, 0, 1, 1)
            layout.addWidget(text, row, 1, 1, 1)
            self.values[sectionName+'/'+optionName]=[text, lambda(text): unicode(text.text())]
  
          help=QtGui.QLabel(definition[2])
          help.setWordWrap(True)
          layout.addWidget(help, row, 2, 1, 1)
          separator=QtGui.QFrame()
          separator.setFrameStyle(QtGui.QFrame.HLine|QtGui.QFrame.Plain)
          layout.addWidget(separator, row+1, 0, 1, 3)
        page.setLayout(layout)      
        pages.append(page)
        sections.append(sectionName)
  
      for page, name in zip(pages,sections) :
        # Make a tab out of it
        self.ui.tabs.addTab(page, name)
      self.ui.tabs.setCurrentIndex(1)
      self.ui.tabs.removeTab(0)


My first ever thing that I just don't see how it would work without a lambda ;-)