from __future__ import * 24.9.2004

py2app builds its first .app

I started hacking on py2app again, and it's to the point where it can build applications now. What it does:

• Uses a bootstrap executable (like the PyObjC Xcode template, unlike bundlebuilder). It does not require a compiler to do this, it's precompiled with source included.

• Finds Python dependencies and stuffs them into a zip in the application bundle (some.app/Contents/Resources/Python/site-packages.zip). This is basically "semi-standalone" in bundlebuilder terms.

What it doesn't do, yet:

• Non-zip distribution mode

• dylib dependency hunting and rewriting (bundlebuilder2 / macholib)

• Standalone

• Plugins (preference panes, etc.)

• Haven't tried or tested including non-code resources or full packages

• Haven't yet tried doing anything non-trivial

• No way to avoid the modulefinder step (should have a way to manually specify dependencies)

• Take a template plist or additional plist arguments