using py2exe with wxPython and Matplotlib

Question

I\'m trying to generate an .exe file from a python script that uses wxPython and Matplotlib and it looks like to be impossible.

The imports I\'m doing (related with Matp

Answer 1

For a simply test, you could simply copy 'mpl-data' folder in 'site-packages\matplotlib' to your app folder. As far as I know, 'mpl-data' cannot be bundled into the single executable so this has to be included in your binary distribution as a folder.

I used py2exe via GUI2Exe and could freeze my app that uses matplotlib + numpy/scipy + wx (so obviously wxagg backend). I didn't need to include _tkagg (which is explicitly excluded in GUI2Exe default setting which worked for me).

Answer 2

Try using PyInstaller rather than py2exe. It has full support for wxPython and matplotlib. And it's in active development, unlike py2exe.

Answer 3

There are a number of problems with matplotlib.get_py2exe_datafiles(), as convenient as it would be if it worked. It's also a good idea to specify which backend to use. Here's a working matplotlib import I recently used:

from distutils.core import setup
import py2exe
from glob import glob

import matplotlib       #Import then use get_py2exe_datafiles() to collect numpy datafiles.
matplotlib.use('wxagg') #Specify matplotlib backend. tkagg must still be included else error is thrown.

data_files = [
            ("Stuff", glob(r'C:\ProjectFolder\Stuff\*.*')) 
            ,("dlls", glob(r'C:\ProjectFolder\dlls\*.dll'))  
            ,("pyds", glob(r'C:\ProjectFolder\pyds\*.pyd')) # py2exe specified pyd's 
            ]
# Extend the tuple list because matplotlib returns a tuple list.      
data_files.extend(matplotlib.get_py2exe_datafiles())  #Matplotlib - pulls it's own files

options =   {'py2exe':{#'bundle_files': 1,                                 # Bundle files to exe
                        'includes': ["matplotlib.backends.backend_tkagg"]  # Specifically include missing modules
                        ,'excludes': ['_gtkagg', 'tkagg']                  # Exclude dependencies. Reduce size.
                      }
            }   

setup(
name='ProjectName'
,options = options  
,data_files=data_files
,console=['projectname.py']
)

Answer 4

Py2exe documentation explains the source of the problem and give solutions. It worked for me. (matplotlib version 1.1.0, Python 2.7)

http://www.py2exe.org/index.cgi/MatPlotLib

Since I have no privilege to comment or evaluate other answers, I have to write my own one. Kirk's answer was the most valuable help for me. PyInstaller might be a workaround (have not tested it) but is definitely not the technical solution to the problem !

from distutils.core import setup
import py2exe
from distutils.filelist import findall
import os
import matplotlib
matplotlibdatadir = matplotlib.get_data_path()
matplotlibdata = findall(matplotlibdatadir)
matplotlibdata_files = []
for f in matplotlibdata:
    dirname = os.path.join('matplotlibdata', f[len(matplotlibdatadir)+1:])
    matplotlibdata_files.append((os.path.split(dirname)[0], [f]))


setup(
    console=['test.py'],
    options={
             'py2exe': {
                        'includes': ["sip", "PyQt4.QtGui"],
                        'packages' : ['matplotlib', 'pytz'],
                        'excludes': ['_gtkagg', '_tkagg']
                       }
            },
    data_files=matplotlibdata_files
)