Python control of desktop properties

[Mediocre Person]

Hello, all.

I'm teaching Python for the first time to some high school students, and
it's going well--Tomorrow's lesson: I'm going to show them how to use a
list comprehension to simplify a task.

One of my students is interested in using Python to control his
(Windows) desktop, and wants to write a program to change the desktop
background or wallpaper. I told him I'd look into this, but I've had to
admit defeat.

Can someone point me in the right direction, possibly post the simplest
Python program that can accomplish this. I understand this won't be
portable. At school, we use Win98SE; the student in question is using
XPHome at home, and I typically use Gentoo Linux/KDE 3.3. If there were
a single solution that would address all three environments, I'd be...
well, shocked.

Merci beaucoup,

Nick.

[Mike C. Fletcher]

Re: Python control of desktop properties

You want to call the function:
user32.SystemPa rametersInfo(
SPI_SETDESKWALL PAPER,
0,
imageLocation,
|SPIF_UPDATEINI FILE | SPIF_SENDWININI CHANGE
)

You can likely do that fairly readily with ctypes. Sorry, don't have
time to do more than point you at it tonight.

Good luck,
Mike
|

_______________ _______________ _______________ ___
Mike C. Fletcher
Designer, VR Plumber, Coder

http://www.vrplumber.com

http://blog.vrplumber.com

[Simon Brunning]

Re: Python control of desktop properties

On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 20:28:45 -0500, Mediocre Person
<mediocre_perso n@hotmail.com> wrote:[color=blue]
> One of my students is interested in using Python to control his
> (Windows) desktop, and wants to write a program to change the desktop
> background or wallpaper. I told him I'd look into this, but I've had to
> admit defeat.[/color]

I've been having a play in that area on and off. This isn't well
documented, but might get you started...

<http://www.rafb.net/paste/results/2Wglzu95.html>
[color=blue]
> Can someone point me in the right direction, possibly post the simplest
> Python program that can accomplish this. I understand this won't be
> portable. At school, we use Win98SE; the student in question is using
> XPHome at home, and I typically use Gentoo Linux/KDE 3.3. If there were
> a single solution that would address all three environments, I'd be...
> well, shocked.[/color]

Me too. ;-)

--
Cheers,
Simon B,
simon.brunning@ gmail.com,

http://www.brunningonline.net/simon/blog/

[agarbutt@gmail.com]

Re: Python control of desktop properties

To do this on windows you need to import ctypes (which you may need to
download, http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/ctypes/) and win32con
(which you should have already but if not you can get it from
https://sourceforge.net/projects/pywin32/). to change th wall paper
use:

from ctypes import *
import win32con

windll.user32.S ystemParameters InfoA(SPI_SETDE SKWALLPAPER, 0, r'<path to
your bitmap>', SPIF_SENDWININI CHANGE)

for further reference on SystemParameter sInfoA goto:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...metersinfo.asp

Hope this helps

Andy
Mediocre Person wrote:[color=blue]
> Hello, all.
>
> I'm teaching Python for the first time to some high school students,[/color]
and[color=blue]
> it's going well--Tomorrow's lesson: I'm going to show them how to use[/color]
a[color=blue]
> list comprehension to simplify a task.
>
> One of my students is interested in using Python to control his
> (Windows) desktop, and wants to write a program to change the desktop[/color]
[color=blue]
> background or wallpaper. I told him I'd look into this, but I've had[/color]
to[color=blue]
> admit defeat.
>
> Can someone point me in the right direction, possibly post the[/color]
simplest[color=blue]
> Python program that can accomplish this. I understand this won't be
> portable. At school, we use Win98SE; the student in question is using[/color]
[color=blue]
> XPHome at home, and I typically use Gentoo Linux/KDE 3.3. If there[/color]
were[color=blue]
> a single solution that would address all three environments, I'd[/color]
be...[color=blue]
> well, shocked.
>
> Merci beaucoup,
>
> Nick.[/color]

[Mediocre Person]

Re: Python control of desktop properties

Mediocre Person wrote:
[color=blue]
>
> One of my students is interested in using Python to control his
> (Windows) desktop, and wants to write a program to change the desktop
> background or wallpaper. I told him I'd look into this, but I've had to
> admit defeat.
>[/color]

Thank to all for the replies--got the code working now.

Nick.