What is PyKDE?

PyKDE3 and PyKDE4 are Python bindings for the KDE desktop environment. Both sets of bindings are implemented as a set of Python modules: kdecore, kdeui, kio, kutils, kparts, khtml are common to both versions. PyKDE3 has additional modules (dcop, kdefx, kfile, kspell, kdeprint and kmdi) which no longer exist in PyKDE4. The modules correspond to libraries in the kdelibs package. PyKDE supports nearly all classes and methods in these libraries - over 600 classes and more than 10,000 methods.

PyKDE4 is now developed and shipped as part of KDE's bindings module. Information and documentation about PyKDE4 is available at KDE's techbase.kde.org.

PyKDE3 supports any KDE versions from 3.0.0 and any Qt3 versions (as supported by PyQt). PyKDE4 supports KDE versions from 4.0.0 and Qt 4.3 or higher. PyKDE3/4 are only available for UNIX/Linux platforms. KDE 2 is no longer supported. PyKDE3/4 requires the installation of PyQt3/4. SIP 4.7.4 or later is also required.

PyKDE is primarily a GUI toolkit. It has a comprehensive set of widgets modelled as C++ classes including an editor widget and an html widget. PyKDE also includes many other useful classes implementing, for example, importing of KParts.

PyKDE supports all of the enhancements to the Qt widget set developed by the KDE team as well as the 'standard' KDE dialog boxes (for example file selection, color selection, font selection), and features that greatly simplify the construction of menu/toolbar based GUIs (KAction, KXMLGUIClient, etc). PyKDE allows you to develop fully-integrated KDE programs using Python.

You can also mix PyKDE widgets and other classes with PyQt widgets and classes, just as you would in C++.

PyKDE combines all the advantages of KDE, Qt and Python. A programmer has all the power of KDE and Qt, but is able to exploit it with the simplicity of Python.