Linux Format forums

[chriswadams]

Hi all --

I've been working on Paul Hudson's "PyGTK / Google Translate" tutorial over at tuxradar.com, and I wanted to turn the translator application into a script. (Paul only uses the command line in the tutorial.) After I ran the program, and worked out a couple of glitches, I got -- nothing! No window, no error message, nothing. Since the translator app worked fine from the command line, I know it's not a dependency issue. Is there something I need to add to the script to get it working, or am I missing something here?

Here is the code:

[larcky]

Hi Chris
Did you solve this?
I've only programmed GTK with gtkmm (the C++ wrapper), but AFAIK you set things off in Python with a call to

[chriswadams]

Hi larcky --

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried it, but it didn't work. I'm pretty much at a loss to explain it.

Chris A.

[larcky]

Hi Chris
What didn't work? I've just copied and pasted your code into gedit, added gtk.main() to the end, saved it and run it and a GUI popped up
Here's a screenshot:

You did put that extra line right at the very end? That's how you enter the GTK event loop.
See you, larcky

[towy71]

larcky
could you please crop the picture and reduce it, that will enable people with smaller screens appreciate it more
_________________
still looking for that door into summer

[larcky]

Sorry: fixed!

[chriswadams]

Unbelievable. I had put the "gtk.main()" command in various places, not thinking to put it at the very end. Of course, it worked once I put it in the right place. Man, I feel stupid. javascript:emoticon('')

Thanks for your help larcky!
Chris Adams.

[larcky]

"The way to succeed is to double your failure rate." - Thomas J. Watson, founder of IBM.
By that rule I should now be CEO of Sony Corporation
Welcome to the maddening world of programming, Chris!

[chriswadams]

Hey all --

After fussing with the code some more, I finally got Mega Translate working as a PyGTK project, and I thought everyone would be interested in seeing the finished code:


[code]
#!/usr/bin/env python
# Mega Translate - Google translation engine
# based on a video by Paul Hudson at www.tuxradar.com

import pygtk
pygtk.require('2.0')
import urllib
import simplejson
import gtk

def translate_clicked(btn):
# get two language codes & text, then send them to Google Translate
url = "http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/services/language/translate?v=1.0"
source = combofrom.get_active_text()
if source == "??"
source = "auto"
target = comboto.get_active_text()

params = {}
params['q'] = textfrom.get_text()
params['langpair'] = source + "|" + target

# if you want an API key, register with Google, then plug it in to the
# following line, and uncomment
# params['key'] = "YOUR-KEY-HERE"

data = urllib.urlencode(params)
response = urllib.urlopen(url, data)
json = simplejson.load(response)
textto.set_text(json['responseData']['translatedText'])

# create window
window = gtk.Window()
vbox = gtk.VBox()
window.add(vbox)

# create two comboboxes & two text entry boxes
hboxtop = gtk.HBox()
combofrom = gtk.combo_box_new_text()
hboxtop.pack_start(combofrom)
textfrom = gtk.Entry()
hboxtop.pack_start(textfrom)
vbox.pack_start(hboxtop)

hboxbottom = gtk.HBox()
comboto = gtk.combo_box_new_text()
hboxbottom.pack_start(comboto)
textto = gtk.Entry()
textto.set_editable(False)
hboxbottom.pack_start(textto)
vbox.pack_start(hboxbottom)

# create a 'Translate' button
translate = gtk.Button("Translate")
vbox.pack_start(translate)

# add language codes to comboboxes
combofrom.append_text("??")
combofrom.append_text("en")
combofrom.append_text("fr")
combofrom.append_text("es")
combofrom.append_text("de")
comboto.append_text("en")
comboto.append_text("fr")
comboto.append_text("es")
comboto.append_text("de")

# connect 'Translate' button to 'translate_clicked' function
translate.connect('clicked', translate_clicked)

# display window
window.set_title("Mega Translate")
window.show_all()
gtk.main()[/code]

Note that this version of the program differs a little from the previous version I posted. I tweaked the setup of the input boxes, and I had to change the "translate_clicked" function slightly, but it works. Also, Paul Hudson's version of Mega Translate didn't need an API key, but Google encourages you to use one, so I left space to plug it in.

larcky wrote:
[quote]Welcome to the maddening world of programming, Chris![/quote]
Thanks! Glad to be here! javascript:emoticon('')
And thanks again for your help, larcky.
Chris Adams.