ENH: Update workflow to create executable

CHANGES.md

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 2019.1
 ------
+- Improve, fix, and update how to create an executable
 - Turn `pyqmix-web` into a proper Python package that can be published on PyPI
 - Add entry point script, such that the user can now simply enter `pyqmix-web`
   in their terminal after installation, which will fire up the backend and

EXECUTABLE.md

@@ -3,14 +3,15 @@
 ## This guideline assumes that:
 - A `run.py` file has been created. 
 Check out the `run.py` file in this repository.
-- Flask serves static files from the `pyqmix` sub-directory of an automatically created temporary folder. The exact location of this folder is saved in the environment variable `_MEIPASS` when the `PyInstaller`-created standalone exectuable is started. Typically it will be located inside the current user's `AppData\Local\Temp` folder.
+- Flask serves static files from an automatically created temporary folder. The exact location of this folder is saved in the environment variable `_MEIPASS` when the `PyInstaller`-created standalone exectuable is started. Typically it will be located inside the current user's `AppData\Local\Temp` folder.
 Check out the `app.py` file in this repository. 
 - The frontend and backend are located in neighboring directories
 
 ## Prepare the Python virtual environment for the backend
 - Create a virtual environment
-- Install the required dependencies: `flask`, `flask-restplus`, and, of course, `pyqmix`
-- Install `PyInstaller`
+- Install the required dependencies: ` pip install flask flask-restplus pyqmix`. The executable will only work if flask and flask-restplus are installed via pip. 
+- Install PyInstaller: `pip install PyInstaller`
+- The newest `jsonschema` module does not work with PyInstaller. Instead, use `jsonchema` in an older version, for example: 2.6.0.    
 
 ## Create a production build of the React frontend
 1. Open a terminal
@@ -35,7 +36,8 @@ This will create a run.spec file in the backend directory.
 	  ```
 	* Edit pathex to: `pathex=[spec_root]`
 	* Edit datas to: `datas=[('../name_of_frontend_folder/build', 'name_of_web_application')]`
-
+    * Optionally, you can add an icon to your standalone. Add `icon='../pyqmix_frontend/public/pyqmixweb_desktop_icon.ico'` to the EXE-section of run.spec.
+
 ## Build the executable
 1. Open a terminal 
 2. Browse to the `pyqmix_backend` directory

pyqmix_backend/run.py

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import webbrowser
-from .backend_app import app
+from pyqmix_backend.backend_app import app
 import threading
 import time
 from urllib import request

pyqmix_backend/run.spec

@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@
 # See:
 # https://stackoverflow.com/a/50402636/1944216
 # https://pythonhosted.org/PyInstaller/spec-files.html#globals-available-to-the-spec-file
+block_cipher = None
 import os
 spec_root = os.path.abspath(SPECPATH)
 
-
 a = Analysis(['run.py'],
              pathex=[spec_root],
              binaries=[],
@@ -18,18 +18,20 @@ a = Analysis(['run.py'],
              excludes=[],
              win_no_prefer_redirects=False,
              win_private_assemblies=False,
-             cipher=block_cipher)
+             cipher=block_cipher,
+             noarchive=False)
 
 pyz = PYZ(a.pure, a.zipped_data,
-          cipher=None)
-
+             cipher=block_cipher)
 exe = EXE(pyz,
           a.scripts,
           a.binaries,
           a.zipfiles,
           a.datas,
+          [],
           name='pyqmix-web',
           debug=False,
+          bootloader_ignore_signals=False,
           strip=False,
           upx=True,
           runtime_tmpdir=None,