"Unblocking" py5.run_sketch() on MacOS

[villares]

I'm on Linux, and I'm enjoying running sketches with the py5.run_sketch(block=False) argument, that is unavailable on MacOS [for the standard Python interpreter, like in the Thonny IDE].

It allows me to inspect and fiddle with stuff in the REPL as the sketch is running. I'm pretty sure @ramalho would be delighted to use this, and I'd really like to be able to use this with students universally, that is, on every OS.

https://twitter.com/py5coding/status/1567195642790805505?s=20&t=y3UBCXhXuVcDUWA8Re9ZZQ

The link mentioned in the tweet: https://github.com/py5coding/py5generator/blob/main/py5_resources/py5_module/py5/sketch.py#L194

I have opened this thread so that @osantana and @hx2A can track any progress on this, and maybe other people can join them without the formality of an "issue".

[hx2A]

It allows me to inspect and fiddle with stuff in the REPL as the sketch is running. I'm pretty sure @ramalho would be delighted to use this, and I'd really like to be able to use this with students universally, that is, on every OS.

I'm a big fan of being able to continue to execute Python commands in the same environment as a running Sketch. This is wonderful if you are using Jupyter Notebook Widgets to control variables.

You do have the ability to inspect and fiddle with a running Sketch on OSX if you use Jupyter. Most commonly people use jupyter notebook to create the environment. There are other choices though, such as jupyter console. Most people don't know about that one, but it works in the terminal. There's also the ipython REPL, which is very similar to but not the same as jupyter console. Of course py5 has the blocking issue if you use the generic Python interpreter python. I recall that both ipython and jupyter console have some anomalies related to the use of print() or py5.println()? Nevertheless, there is a path forward here with Jupyter.

[villares]

I don't remember if we have another discussion thread for this but the example I have of a sketch with multiple windows depends on Class Mode and non-blocking py5.run_sketch().

So... would we have another multiple windows solution for MacOS sketches-not-on-jupyter-notebooks? Perhaps we could summon @ericof who is on MacOS to work on this...

[villares]

well I found it, here it is: #158

[hx2A]

I remember that discussion!

I just tried this on my mac and I was able to run two Sketches simultaneously through Jupyter. This currently won't work with the Python terminal though. I had trouble exiting the second Sketch in Jupyter but they both ran correctly.

Multiple concurrent Sketches always requires class mode because you will have multiple instances of py5.Sketch.

Right now I want to get the next release out the door (the importing imported mode code feature) but once that is done I am willing to take another stab at this. Each time I work on it I make it better than it was before. Right now the run_sketch() code is intertwined with other stuff and might be harder for someone else to understand, but I have an idea for how to isolate the main issue which will make it easier for @ericof and others to understand and contribute to.