Mini Python Interpreter

One useful tool (and demo!) is the Mini Python Interpreter. Drop the file into your Resource/plugins/PythonPlugins folder. (Or download the latest using the Download Samples menu item & move the file up into the PythonPlugins folder.)

Note

You can’t set breakpoints, but you can create and execute most python code, including multi-line functions.

MiniPython will create a menu item which toggles the display of the interpreter. When displayed it looks like

Type a command or expression in the bottom field and press <Return> or click the “Do” button and your code will be executed, with the results being displayed in the scrolling window. Pressing “Help” will open a browser window to documentation.

We’ll store your locals, so you can type:

>>> a = 15
>>> a + 6
21

Since my keyboard is always typing the wrong thing, this TextField widget has some extra features: Typing UpArrow or Ctrl-P will display the previous command you’ve typed. Repeating that key will traverse history. DownArrow or Ctrl-N will display the next command in your history.

Other editing keystrokes are available, and listed in the popup window.

The window itself, can be popped-out (Press the Pop ↗︎ button in the lower right corner) and moved to a different monitor and resized.

Some useful things to do:

• Explore the SDK: Not sure how something works? Type it into the interpreter (“xp” module is already imported). Note that we’ve also added help() for SDK apis.:

  >>> xp.getSystemPath()
  '/Volumes/Disk1/X-Plane/'
  >>> help(xp.createMenu)
  Help on built-in function createMenu in module XPLMMenus:
  |
  createMenu(name=None, parentMenuID=None, parentItem=0, handler=None, refCon=None)
  |    Creates menu, returning menuID or None on error.
  |
  |    parentMenuId=None adds menu to PluginsMenu.
  

  We’ve added hundreds of directly executable examples in this XPPython3 documentation: You can copy from your web browser and paste (paste using Ctrl-V) into the debugger.

• Search SDK: Don’t remember the exact function name? The debugger window supports searching: Type a slash followed by a word and we’ll search the xp module and return a list of matching functions and constants.

  >>> /font
  Font_Basic
  Font_Proportional
  Property_Font
  getFontDimensions
  >>> help(xp.getFontDimensions)
  Help on built-in function getFontDimensions in module XPLMGraphics:
  |
  getFontDimensions(fontID)
  |     Get information about font
  |
  |     Returns (width, height, digitsOnly). Proportional fonts
  |     return hopefully average width.
  

• Search DataRefs: Search through currently registered datarefs using a question mark. Your input will be interpreted as a case-insensitive regular expression.

  >>> ?G1000
  sim/cockpit/g1000/gcu478
  sim/graphics/misc/kill_g1000_ah
  sim/cockpit2/autopilot/vnav_armed
  

  Want to know more about the dataref, use xp.findDataRef() and xp.getDataRefInfo().

• Search Commands: Search through currently registered commands using a colon. Your input will be interpreted as a case-insensitive regular expression.

  >>> :weather.*map
  [searching commands]
  sim/operation/toggle_weather_map   Toggle display of the weather map
  [completed]
  

  This takes a few seconds as we need to spawn a separate process to access the built-in webserver for details.

• Execute X-Plane Commands:

  >>> pause_cmd = xp.findCommand('sim/operation/pause_toggle')
  >>> pause_cmd
  <capsule object "XPLMCommandRef" at 0x7566f330ad>
  >>> xp.commandOnce(pause_cmd)
  

• Manipulate X-Plane DataRefs:

  >>> time = xp.findDataRef('sim/time/zulu_time_sec')
  >>> time
  <capsule object "XPLMDataRef" at 0x7fc44329920>
  >>> xp.getDataf(time)
  44768.0
  >>> xp.getDataf(time)
  44771.2
  >>> xp.setDataf(time, 100)
  >>> xp.getDataf(time)
  102.1
  

• Create Callback:

  >>> def MyCallback(menuID, refCon):
  ...    xp.log("in callback")
  ...
  >>> xp.createMenu('New Menu', handler=MyCallback)
  <capsule object "XPLMMenuIDRef" at 0x75334211d>
  

• Debug your Plugin: Note that you’ll need access to your plugin from the interpreter.

  • xp.getPluginInstance(signature) returns the PythonInterface object for the plugin with the named signature.

  >>> instance = xp.getPluginInstance('test.myplugin')
  >>> instance
  <PythonPlugins.PI_MyPlugin.PythonInterface object at 0x7fd692ae73a0>
  

  From there, you’ll be able to access your full plugin instance, updating instance attributes, calling instance methods.

  (Hint: self = xp.getPluginInstance('test.myplugin') makes working with your instance even easier because you can probably just cut & paste source code directly.)