API elements

API elements#

Spyder works like a set of loosely coupled components. Here you will find a description of the main elements that compose Spyder’s API.

Plugins#

A plugin adds a core functionality to the application.

  • A plugin can require other plugins for operation.

  • A plugin is activated when it is needed by other plugins, or when explicitly activated.

  • Plugins require and provide Token objects, which are used to provide a typed value to the plugin’s activate() method.

  • The module providing plugin(s) must meet the JupyterLab.IPluginModule interface, by exporting a plugin object or array of plugin objects as the default export.

There two types of plugins in Spyder’s API:

  1. Spyder Dockable Plugins (SpyderDockablePlugin), which create a new Pane (Based on a QDockWidget) and (optionally) any other elements such as toolbars, menus, status bar widgets, curstom dialogs and a custom preferences page.

  2. Spyder Plugins (SpyderPluginV2), which do not create a new Pane but provide other elements such as toolbars, menus, status bar widgets, curstom dialogs and a custom preferences page.

Plugins can provide the following widgets:

  • Pane (PluginMainWidget): A plugin can create a new Pane.

  • Containers (PluginMainContainers): Plugins that do not create new panes but provide other graphical elements can use a container to parent widgets and connect them to the plugin.

  • Actions (SpyderAction): A plugin can create many new actions, which can be added to menus, toolbars, and can also be exposed so they can be used to create shortcuts that trigger these actions.

  • Preferences Page (PluginConfigPage): A page for plugin preferences. A plugin can only have 1 page.

  • Application menus (SpyderApplicationMenu): A plugin can extend or create new application menus

  • Application toolbars (SpyderApplicationToolBar): A plugin can extend or create new application toolbars

  • StatusBar widgets (SpyderStatusWidget): A plugin can extend or create new application status bar widgets.

Spyder’s Plugins#

The default plugins in the Spyder application include:

  • Core: Creates application menus and status bar widgets.

  • Appearance: Sets the theme of the interface and editors.

  • Completions: Provides code completion to editor widgets using the Language Server Protocol.

  • Shortcuts: Provides the handling of shortcuts.

  • Editor: Provides a splitable multilingual Editor with introspection capabilities.

  • Outline Explorer:

  • Projects:

  • IPython Console:

  • Variable Explorer:

  • Help:

  • Plots:

  • History:

  • Find:

  • Profiler:

  • Code analysis:

Configuration#

Default configuration settings

Global API#

General elements in Spyder’s API. (Creation of classes)

Global Widgets#

Auxiliary graphical elements used throughout several plugins.

Global utilities#

Global APP#

Related to Qt Application and Main Window.

Graphical elements#

Images + Fonts

CLASS NAMES#

SpyderAction

SpyderApplicationToolBar

SpyderToolBar

Status bar#

SpyderStatusWidget

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