Merge pull request #1866 from Textualize/prevent-event

Add a "prevent" context manager

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/).
 - Added horizontal rule to Markdown https://github.com/Textualize/textual/pull/1832
 - Added `Widget.disabled` https://github.com/Textualize/textual/pull/1785
 - Added `DOMNode.notify_style_update` to replace `messages.StylesUpdated` message https://github.com/Textualize/textual/pull/1861
+- Added `MessagePump.prevent` context manager to temporarily suppress a given message type https://github.com/Textualize/textual/pull/1866
 
 ### Changed
 

docs/examples/events/prevent.py

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+from textual.app import App, ComposeResult
+from textual.containers import Horizontal
+from textual.widgets import Button, Input
+
+
+class PreventApp(App):
+    """Demonstrates `prevent` context manager."""
+
+    def compose(self) -> ComposeResult:
+        yield Input()
+        yield Button("Clear", id="clear")
+
+    def on_button_pressed(self) -> None:
+        """Clear the text input."""
+        input = self.query_one(Input)
+        with input.prevent(Input.Changed):  # (1)!
+            input.value = ""
+
+    def on_input_changed(self) -> None:
+        """Called as the user types."""
+        self.bell()  # (2)!
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    app = PreventApp()
+    app.run()

docs/guide/events.md

@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ The message class is defined within the widget class itself. This is not strictl
 - It creates a namespace for the handler. So rather than `on_selected`, the handler name becomes `on_color_button_selected`. This makes it less likely that your chosen name will clash with another message.
 
 
-## Sending events
+## Sending messages
 
 In the previous example we used [post_message()][textual.message_pump.MessagePump.post_message] to send an event to its parent. We could also have used [post_message_no_wait()][textual.message_pump.MessagePump.post_message_no_wait] for non async code. Sending messages in this way allows you to write custom widgets without needing to know in what context they will be used.
 
@@ -118,6 +118,32 @@ There are other ways of sending (posting) messages, which you may need to use le
 - [post_message_no_wait][textual.message_pump.MessagePump.post_message_no_wait] The non-async version of `post_message`.
 
 
+## Preventing messages
+
+You can *temporarily* disable posting of messages of a particular type by calling [prevent][textual.message_pump.MessagePump.prevent], which returns a context manager (used with Python's `with` keyword). This is typically used when updating data in a child widget and you don't want to receive notifications that something has changed.
+
+The following example will play the terminal bell as you type. It does this by handling [Input.Changed][textual.widgets.Input.Changed] and calling [bell()][textual.app.App.bell]. There is a Clear button which sets the input's value to an empty string. This would normally also result in a `Input.Changed` event being sent (and the bell playing). Since we don't want the button to make a sound, the assignment to `value` is wrapped within a [prevent][textual.message_pump.MessagePump.prevent] context manager.
+
+!!! tip
+
+    In reality, playing the terminal bell as you type would be very irritating -- we don't recommend it!
+
+=== "prevent.py"
+
+    ```python title="prevent.py"
+    --8<-- "docs/examples/events/prevent.py"
+    ```
+
+    1. Clear the input without sending an Input.Changed event.
+    2. Plays the terminal sound when typing.
+
+=== "Output"
+
+    ```{.textual path="docs/examples/events/prevent.py"}
+    ```
+
+
+
 ## Message handlers
 
 Most of the logic in a Textual app will be written in message handlers. Let's explore handlers in more detail.

src/textual/_context.py

@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
 from contextvars import ContextVar
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from .app import App
+    from .message import Message
     from .message_pump import MessagePump
 
 
@@ -12,3 +15,6 @@ class NoActiveAppError(RuntimeError):
 
 active_app: ContextVar["App"] = ContextVar("active_app")
 active_message_pump: ContextVar["MessagePump"] = ContextVar("active_message_pump")
+prevent_message_types_stack: ContextVar[list[set[type[Message]]]] = ContextVar(
+    "prevent_message_types_stack"
+)

src/textual/dom.py

@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ from .walk import walk_breadth_first, walk_depth_first
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from .app import App
+    from .messages import Message
     from .css.query import DOMQuery
     from .screen import Screen
     from .widget import Widget

src/textual/events.py

@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ class Event(Message):
 @rich.repr.auto
 class Callback(Event, bubble=False, verbose=True):
     def __init__(
-        self, sender: MessageTarget, callback: Callable[[], Awaitable[None]]
+        self,
+        sender: MessageTarget,
+        callback: Callable[[], Awaitable[None]],
     ) -> None:
         self.callback = callback
         super().__init__(sender)

src/textual/message.py

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ class Message:
         "_no_default_action",
         "_stop_propagation",
         "_handler_name",
+        "_prevent",
     ]
 
     sender: MessageTarget
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ class Message:
         self._handler_name = (
             f"on_{self.namespace}_{name}" if self.namespace else f"on_{name}"
         )
+        self._prevent: set[type[Message]] = set()
         super().__init__()
 
     def __rich_repr__(self) -> rich.repr.Result:

src/textual/message_pump.py

@@ -10,15 +10,22 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import asyncio
 import inspect
 from asyncio import CancelledError, Queue, QueueEmpty, Task
+from contextlib import contextmanager
 from functools import partial
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Awaitable, Callable, Iterable
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Awaitable, Callable, Generator, Iterable
 from weakref import WeakSet
 
 from . import Logger, events, log, messages
 from ._asyncio import create_task
 from ._callback import invoke
-from ._context import NoActiveAppError, active_app, active_message_pump
+from ._context import (
+    NoActiveAppError,
+    active_app,
+    active_message_pump,
+    prevent_message_types_stack,
+)
 from ._time import time
+from ._types import CallbackType
 from .case import camel_to_snake
 from .errors import DuplicateKeyHandlers
 from .events import Event
@@ -78,6 +85,54 @@ class MessagePump(metaclass=MessagePumpMeta):
         self._mounted_event = asyncio.Event()
         self._next_callbacks: list[CallbackType] = []
 
+    @property
+    def _prevent_message_types_stack(self) -> list[set[type[Message]]]:
+        """The stack that manages prevented messages."""
+        try:
+            stack = prevent_message_types_stack.get()
+        except LookupError:
+            stack = [set()]
+            prevent_message_types_stack.set(stack)
+        return stack
+
+    def _get_prevented_messages(self) -> set[type[Message]]:
+        """A set of all the prevented message types."""
+        return self._prevent_message_types_stack[-1]
+
+    def _is_prevented(self, message_type: type[Message]) -> bool:
+        """Check if a message type has been prevented via the
+        [prevent][textual.message_pump.MessagePump.prevent] context manager.
+
+        Args:
+            message_type: A message type.
+
+        Returns:
+            `True` if the message has been prevented from sending, or `False` if it will be sent as normal.
+        """
+        return message_type in self._prevent_message_types_stack[-1]
+
+    @contextmanager
+    def prevent(self, *message_types: type[Message]) -> Generator[None, None, None]:
+        """A context manager to *temporarily* prevent the given message types from being posted.
+
+        Example:
+            ```python
+            input = self.query_one(Input)
+            with self.prevent(Input.Changed):
+                input.value = "foo"
+            ```
+
+        """
+        if message_types:
+            prevent_stack = self._prevent_message_types_stack
+            prevent_stack.append(prevent_stack[-1].union(message_types))
+            try:
+                yield
+            finally:
+                prevent_stack.pop()
+        else:
+            yield
+
     @property
     def task(self) -> Task:
         assert self._task is not None
@@ -149,6 +204,14 @@ class MessagePump(metaclass=MessagePumpMeta):
         self._parent = None
 
     def check_message_enabled(self, message: Message) -> bool:
+        """Check if a given message is enabled (allowed to be sent).
+
+        Args:
+            message: A message object.
+
+        Returns:
+            `True` if the message will be sent, or `False` if it is disabled.
+        """
         return type(message) not in self._disabled_messages
 
     def disable_messages(self, *messages: type[Message]) -> None:
@@ -458,12 +521,13 @@ class MessagePump(metaclass=MessagePumpMeta):
         if message.no_dispatch:
             return
 
-        # Allow apps to treat events and messages separately
+        with self.prevent(*message._prevent):
-        if isinstance(message, Event):
+            # Allow apps to treat events and messages separately
-            await self.on_event(message)
+            if isinstance(message, Event):
-        else:
+                await self.on_event(message)
-            await self._on_message(message)
+            else:
-        await self._flush_next_callbacks()
+                await self._on_message(message)
+            await self._flush_next_callbacks()
 
     def _get_dispatch_methods(
         self, method_name: str, message: Message
@@ -542,6 +606,9 @@ class MessagePump(metaclass=MessagePumpMeta):
             return False
         if not self.check_message_enabled(message):
             return True
+        # Add a copy of the prevented message types to the message
+        # This is so that prevented messages are honoured by the event's handler
+        message._prevent.update(self._get_prevented_messages())
         await self._message_queue.put(message)
         return True
 
@@ -580,6 +647,9 @@ class MessagePump(metaclass=MessagePumpMeta):
             return False
         if not self.check_message_enabled(message):
             return False
+        # Add a copy of the prevented message types to the message
+        # This is so that prevented messages are honoured by the event's handler
+        message._prevent.update(self._get_prevented_messages())
         self._message_queue.put_nowait(message)
         return True
 

src/textual/reactive.py

@@ -253,8 +253,9 @@ class Reactive(Generic[ReactiveType]):
                 for reactable, callback in watchers
                 if reactable.is_attached and not reactable._closing
             ]
-            for _, callback in watchers:
+            for reactable, callback in watchers:
-                invoke_watcher(callback, old_value, value)
+                with reactable.prevent(*obj._prevent_message_types_stack[-1]):
+                    invoke_watcher(callback, old_value, value)
 
     @classmethod
     def _compute(cls, obj: Reactable) -> None:

src/textual/widget.py

@@ -2489,9 +2489,20 @@ class Widget(DOMNode):
         self.app.capture_mouse(None)
 
     def check_message_enabled(self, message: Message) -> bool:
+        """Check if a given message is enabled (allowed to be sent).
+
+        Args:
+            message: A message object
+
+        Returns:
+            `True` if the message will be sent, or `False` if it is disabled.
+        """
         # Do the normal checking and get out if that fails.
         if not super().check_message_enabled(message):
             return False
+        message_type = type(message)
+        if self._is_prevented(message_type):
+            return False
         # Otherwise, if this is a mouse event, the widget receiving the
         # event must not be disabled at this moment.
         return (

tests/test_message_pump.py

@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import pytest
 
+from textual.app import App, ComposeResult
 from textual.errors import DuplicateKeyHandlers
 from textual.events import Key
 from textual.widget import Widget
+from textual.widgets import Input
 
 
 class ValidWidget(Widget):
@@ -54,3 +56,34 @@ async def test_dispatch_key_raises_when_conflicting_handler_aliases():
     with pytest.raises(DuplicateKeyHandlers):
         await widget.dispatch_key(Key(widget, key="tab", character="\t"))
     assert widget.called_by == widget.key_tab
+
+
+class PreventTestApp(App):
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        self.input_changed_events = []
+        super().__init__()
+
+    def compose(self) -> ComposeResult:
+        yield Input()
+
+    def on_input_changed(self, event: Input.Changed) -> None:
+        self.input_changed_events.append(event)
+
+
+async def test_prevent() -> None:
+    app = PreventTestApp()
+
+    async with app.run_test() as pilot:
+        assert not app.input_changed_events
+        input = app.query_one(Input)
+        input.value = "foo"
+        await pilot.pause()
+        assert len(app.input_changed_events) == 1
+        assert app.input_changed_events[0].value == "foo"
+
+        with input.prevent(Input.Changed):
+            input.value = "bar"
+
+        await pilot.pause()
+        assert len(app.input_changed_events) == 1
+        assert app.input_changed_events[0].value == "foo"