Ianthe

Ianthe is a Python executables build tool that generates PyInstaller commands and executes them, aiming to achieve more compact executables with a simpler syntax.

Command line arguments

• --export: Prints out the generated PyInstaller arguments and quits.
• --generate-build-script: Generates a Python script that executes the given project file.

Python usage

from ianthe import Ianthe

Ianthe("project_file.iproj").execute()

Setting up a project file

The structure

A Ianthe project file gets interpreted as a Python dict (outermost curly braces get added by Ianthe itself). It's composed of options, all of which (aside source) are optional. The order of options doesn't matter. Example:

source:       "test.py",
destination:  "my_folder",
display_mode: console,
icon:         "icon.ico"

The options

source or "source"

Specifies which file should be built. Requires a str or a path-like argument.

destination or "destination"

Specifies where the result should be saved. Requires a str or a path-like argument.

onefile or "onefile"

Equivalent to PyInstaller's --onefile argument. Specifies whether a single executable should be built instead of a folder. Requires a bool argument (True, False, yes or no)

scan or "scan"

Enables (True or yes) or disables (False or no) used modules scanning and keeps Python's standard library. Default is True.

keep or "keep"

Tells Ianthe to keep some specific modules. Useful when the result of an application built using Ianthe is broken due to some missing modules that Ianthe can't find. Requires a list argument containing module names.

copy or "copy"

If data needs to be copied to the result folder, you can specify which files and folders need to be copied. Requires a dict argument containing the file or folder path as key and file, "file", folder or "folder" as value to specify the type of data. Example:

copy: {
	"my_folder": folder,
	"my_file.txt": file
}

embed or "embed"

Equivalent to PyInstaller's --add-data and --add-binary arguments. Requires a dict argument containing the file path as key and file, "file", binary or "binary" as value to specify the type of data.

hidden_imports or "hidden-imports"

Equivalent to PyInstaller's --hidden-import argument. Requires a list argument containing module names.

collect or "collect"

Requires a dict argument specifying the type of collect command, and a list of modules that needs that type of data as value:

• data or "data"
  • Equivalent to PyInstaller's --collect-data argument.
• submodules or "submodules"
  • Equivalent to PyInstaller's --collect-submodules argument.
• binaries or "binaries"
  • Equivalent to PyInstaller's --collect-binaries argument.
• all or "all"
  • Equivalent to PyInstaller's --collect-all argument.

copy_metadata or "copy-metadata"

Requires a dict argument that contains a modules or "modules" argument as key and a list containing module names as value. Equivalent to PyInstaller's --copy-metadata unless a recursive or "recursive" option is used and set to a True (or yes) value. In that case, it's equivalent to --recursive-copy-metadata. Example:

copy_metadata: {
	recursive: yes,
	modules: [
		"my_module0",
		"my_module1"
	]
}

display_mode or "display-mode"

Requires either console, "console", windowed or "windowed".

icon or "icon"

Sets the program's icon. Requires a str or a path-like argument.

windows, win or "win"

Requires a dict containing Windows specific options.

• version_file or "version-file"
  • Equivalent to PyInstaller's --version-file argument.
• manifest or "manifest"
  • Equivalent to PyInstaller's --manifest argument.
• embed_manifest or "embed-manifest"
  • If set to a False (or no) value, it's equivalent to PyInstaller's --no-embed-manifest argument.
• requires_admin or "requires-admin"
  • If set to a True (or yes) value, it's equivalent to PyInstaller's --uac-admin and --uac-uiaccess arguments.

osx, macOS or "osx"

Requires a dict containing macOS specific options.

• emul_argv or "emul-argv"
  • If set to a True (or yes) value, it's equivalent to PyInstaller's --argv-emulation argument.
• target_arch or "target-arch"
  • Equivalent to PyInstaller's --target-architecture argument. It only accepts as values: "x86_64", "arm64" and "universal2".
• bundle_id or "bundle-id"
  • Equivalent to PyInstaller's --osx-bundle-identifier argument.
• entitlements or "entitlements"
  • Equivalent to PyInstaller's --osx-entitlements-file argument.
• codesign_id or "codesign-id"
  • Equivalent to PyInstaller's --codesign-identity argument.

pyinstaller_args or "pyinstaller-args"

Adds additional PyInstaller arguments. Requires a list argument containing PyInstaller arguments.