/*
 * Project: MoleCuilder
 * Description: creates and alters molecular systems
 * Copyright (C)  2010 University of Bonn. All rights reserved.
 * Please see the LICENSE file or "Copyright notice" in builder.cpp for details.
 */

/**
 * \file python.dox
 *
 * Created on: Nov 01, 2011
 *    Author: heber
 */

/**
 * \page userinterfaces-python Python module
 *
 *  Via boost::python all of Molecuilder Action's are exported into a python
 *  module such that all functionality can also be directly used in a python
 *  script.
 *
 *  This is done in \bsrc/Actions/pyMoleCuilder.cpp.
 *
 *  There again some preprocessor magic is happening. One the one hand we
 *  need GlobalListOfActions.hpp to have a list of all actions available.
 *  Second, in AllActionPython.hpp we define export functions for every
 *  Action (in essence we use the COMMAND function, see Action_impl_pre.hpp,
 *  which makes an Action usable internally as a normal function).
 *
 *  Then, at the beginning of the BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE declaration we initialize
 *  the ActionHistory (same as in main() in builder.cpp), and on exit we
 *  perform cleanUp() via the atexit() hook to make sure that everything
 *  is not only removed but more importantly in the correct orders. This is
 *  required because we use many static elements which have to be deinitialized
 *  in the correct sequence as they depend on one another.
 *
 *  \section userinterfaces-python-first-test A first test script
 *
 *  A small python test script would then look like this:
 *  \code
 *  import pyMoleCuilder as mol
 *  mol.WorldInput("test.xyz")
 *  mol.SelectAtomById(0)
 *  mol.AtomRemove()
 *  \endcode
 *  which loads a file \b test.xyz into the (internal) World, selects the first
 *  atom and removes it.
 *
 *  \section userinterfaces-python-running Running a test script
 *
 *  In most cases however, python cannot find the library (except molecuilder
 *  has been installed in some system-default folder). In this case you should
 *  prefix your call to the python interpreter with:
 *  \code
 *  PYTHONPATH="<buildpath>/src/.libs" python
 *  \endcode
 *  where \a <buildpath> is the top build directory of molecuilder. If you have
 *  installed molecuilder (\code make install \endcode), but the
 *  \a <installpath> (i.e. the \a prefix given at to the configure call) is non-
 *  standard, then prepend this
 *  \code
 *  PYTHONPATH="<installpath>/share/site-packages" python
 *  \endcode
 *
 *  \section userinterfaces-python-notes Some notes to keep in mind
 *
 *  \subsection userinterfaces-python-notes-cleanup Cleaning up or reset state ...
 *
 *  Whenever you need to reset the internal state of the molecuilder, i.e.
 *  you want to save the current file and work on something new, use
 *  \code
 *  mol.cleanUp()
 *  \endcode
 *  This frees all memory, removes all static instances on the heap, and saves
 *  your input file (\sa WorldInputAction).
 *
 *  \subsection userinterfaces-python-help Help inside the interpreter
 *
 *  Note that the pyMoleCuilder module is fully documented. I.e.
 *  \code
 *  import pyMoleCuilder as mol
 *  help(mol)
 *  \endcode
 *  gives you a complete list of present functions/Actions in the module
 *  including their signature and a brief description (this is all
 *  automatically generated via the proprocessor magic from the Action's
 *  \b .def files).
 *
 *  Likewise you may obtain help on each single function, e.g.
 *  \code
 *  import pyMoleCuilder as mol
 *  help(mol.WorldInput)
 *  \endcode
 *  gives you the docu string on WorldInputAction.
 *
 *
 * \date 2011-11-01
 *
 */