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https://github.com/newville/pyshortcuts

create desktop shortcuts to python scripts on Windows, Mac, or Linux
https://github.com/newville/pyshortcuts

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create desktop shortcuts to python scripts on Windows, Mac, or Linux

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# Table of contents



1. [Pyshortcuts Overview](#about)

1. [Installation](#installation)

2. [Usage from Python](#frompytho)

3. [`pyshortcut` command-line program](#cli)

4. [Making a shortcut for single python command](#pycmd)

5. [Note for running wxPython GUIs on macOS with Anaconda Python](#wxapps_macos)

6. [`pyshortcut` graphical user interface](#wxgui)



## Pyshortcuts Overview 



Pyshortcuts helps Python developers and users create shortcuts that will run

python scripts and other applications.  The shortcuts created can go onto the

users desktop or into the Start Menu (for systems with Start Menus) or both.

Pyshortcuts gives a consistent interface for building shortcuts that run on

Windows, macOS, and Linux in the way that is most natural for each OS.



On Windows, a Shortcut Link is created and placed on the users Desktop and in

the Start Menu. On macOS, a minimal but complete Application is created and

placed on the users Desktop.  On Linux a ".desktop" file is created and placed

on the users Desktop (if that exists) and in $HOME/.local/share/applications

(if that exists), which will often get presented in a Start Menu for windowing

desktop themes that use a one.  On all platforms, the shortcuts created on the

Deskop or Start Menu can be put either directly onto the Desktop / Start Menu

or in a sub-folder of the Desktop / Start Menu.  Shortcuts can have a custom

icon (`.ico` files on Windows or Linux, or `.icns` files on macOS) specified,

defaulting to a Python icon included with pyshortcuts.



By writing only to the users Desktop or application folder that gets read by

the Start Menu, there is no need for elevated permission and no writing to

system-level files (registry entries, /Applications, /usr/bin, etc).  After the

shortcut has been created, the end user has complete control to rename, move,

or delete it.



Pyshortcuts is pure python, small, readily installed, and easy to use from a

the command-line or from Python scripts.  This means that Pyshortcuts can be

made part of an installation (or post-installation process) process for larger

packages.



Special attention is given to Anaconda Python on Windows.  For that

environment, the shortcut created will be sure to run in an Anaconda

environment, explicitly selecting the "base" environment even if that has not

been explicitly set by the user.



## installation 



To install `pyshortcuts`, use



```

pip install pyshortcuts

```



On Windows, pyshortcuts requires the pywin32 package and will be installed

if needed. There are no depenendencies on macOS or Linux.



In order to use the pyshortcut GUI, the wxPython package is required.



## Usage from Python 



Shortcuts can be created from a Python script with



```python



from pyshortcuts import make_shortcut



make_shortcut('/home/user/bin/myapp.py', name='MyApp', icon='/home/user/icons/myicon.ico')

```



The arguments to the `make_shortcut` function are:



  * `script`      (str) scipt or command to be run. This can include command-line arguments

  * `name`        (str or None) name to use for shortcut [defaults to script name]

  * `description` (str or None) longer description of script [defaults to `name`]

  * `icon`        (str or None) path to icon file [defaults to python icon]

  * `folder`      (str or None) folder on Desktop to put shortcut [defaults to Desktop]

  * `terminal`    (bool) whether to run in a Terminal [True]

  * `desktop`  ((bool) whether to add shortcut to Desktop [True]

  * `startmenu`   (bool) whether to add shortcut to Start Menu [True]

  * `executable`  (str or None) name of executable to use [this Python]



Note that the Start Menu does not exist for macOSX.



The `executable` defaults to the version of Python executable used to make shortcut.



##  `pyshortcut` command-line program 



Pyshortcuts installs a `pyshortcut` command-line program for creating a shortcut.

From a shell or Command window with PATH set to include python programs and scripts,

a command to create a shortcut might look like:



```

~> pyshortcut -n MyApp -i /home/user/icons/myicon.icns  /home/user/bin/myapp.py

```



To include command-line options for the script, put them in double quotes



```

~> pyshortcut -n MyApp -i /home/user/icons/myicon.icns "/home/user/bin/myapp.py  -t 10"

```



The `pyshortcut` command line program has a form of



```

pyshortcut [-h] [-v] [-n NAME] [-i ICON] [-f FOLDER] [-e EXE] [-t] [-g] [-d] [-s] [-w] [scriptname]

```



where `scriptname` is the name of the script.  To include arguments to that

script, enclose the script name and arguments in quotes (double quotes on

Windows).



There are several optional arguments:



  * `-h`, `--help`      show help message and exit

  * `-v`, `--version`   show program's version number and exit

  * `-n NAME`, `--name=NAME` name for shortcut

  * `-i ICON`, `--icon=ICON` name of icon file

  * `-f FOLDER`, `--folder=Folder` subfolder on desktop to put icon

  * `-e EXE`, `--executable EXE`     name of executable to use (python)



  * `-t`, `--terminal` run script in a Terminal Window [True]

  * `-g`, `--gui`      run script as a GUI, with no Terminal Window [False]

  * `-d`,` --desktop`         create desktop shortcut [True]

  * `-s`, `--startmenu`       create Start Menu shortcut [True]

  * `-w`, `--wxgui`    run GUI version of pyshortcut

  * `-b`, `--bootstrap`   create a desktop shortcut to run GUI version of pyshortcut



Note that running in the Terminal is True by default, which means that each

time the shortcut is used to launch the application, a new Terminal or Command

window will be created for it.  For many command-line applications, this is

appropriate.  The extra Terminal or Command window may be unwanted for some GUI

applications, and can be disabled with the `-g` or `--gui` option.



## Making a shortcut for single python command 



A common request and simple use-case for `pyshortcuts` is to wrap a single

python command.  An example of this might look like this:



```

import sys

from pyshortcuts import make_shortcut



pycmd = "_ -m pip install --upgrade pyshortcuts"



make_shortcut(pycmd, name='Update Pyshortcuts')

```



Note that using `_` or `{}` as the command name will indicate that the

current Python executable should be be used. An example that includes

an icon is given in the examples folder.



The above could be done from the command line with



```

~> pyshortcut -n "Update Pyshortcuts" "_ -m pip install pyshortcuts"

```



## Note for running wxPython GUIs on macOS with Anaconda Python 



If your application uses wxPython and you are running with Anaconda Python on

macOS, you may experience problems that your application does not start.  If

you try to run your script from the command line, you may see the following

error message:



```

~> python my_wxpython_app.py

This program needs access to the screen. Please run with a

Framework build of python, and only when you are logged in

on the main display of your Mac.

```



If you do see that, it can be fixed and your script run properly by adding



```

import wx

wx.PyApp.IsDisplayAvailable = lambda _: True

```



in your script before runnig your starting the `wxPython` `mainloop` event handler.



## `pyshortcut` GUI 



In addition to the `pyshortcut` command-line program, there is a small GUI

application that provides a simple form to help the user browse for script

and icons, and set options before creating a shortcut or generating an

example Python script to create the shortcut.



![PyShortcut Screenshot](doc/pyshortcutgui_screenshot.png)



This requires the `wxPython` package which can be installed using `pip` or

`conda` but is not automatically installed when installing `pyshortcuts`.

This application can be launched from the command line with



```

~> pyshortcut --wxgui

```



Of course, that command might be the sort of command you might want to be able

to launch by clicking on a desktop shortcut.  We have just the tool for that!  Doing



```

~> pyshortcut --bootstrap

```



will create a desktop shortcut with an icon of a ladder that will launch

the pyshortcut GUI.  This essentially runs



```python

#!/usr/bin/env python

import os

import sys

from pyshortcuts import make_shortcut, platform



bindir = 'Scripts' if platform.startswith('win') else 'bin'

pyshortcut = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(sys.prefix, bindir, 'pyshortcut'))

scut = make_shortcut(f"{pyshortcut:s} --wxgui", name='PyShortcut', terminal=False)

```



The ladder icon was made by Left Martinez, and downloaded from

(https://www.iconfinder.com/iconsets/free-construction-tools)