About a PyQt example program

Question

I'm currently need GUI library for a project. I'm familiar with python and found PyQt might be a good choice.

I'm reading a tutorial about PyQt, and quite confused about the following example program

#!/usr/bin/python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

"""
ZetCode PyQt4 tutorial 

In this example, we draw text in Russian azbuka.

author: Jan Bodnar
website: zetcode.com 
last edited: September 2011
"""

import sys
from PyQt4 import QtGui, QtCore

class Example(QtGui.QWidget):

    def __init__(self):
        super(Example, self).__init__()
    
        self.initUI()
    
    def initUI(self):      

        self.text = u'\u041b\u0435\u0432 \u041d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u043b\u0430\
\u0435\u0432\u0438\u0447 \u0422\u043e\u043b\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0439: 
\
\u0410\u043d\u043d\u0430 \u041a\u0430\u0440\u0435\u043d\u0438\u043d\u0430'

        self.setGeometry(300, 300, 280, 170)
        self.setWindowTitle('Draw text')
        self.show()

    def paintEvent(self, event):

        qp = QtGui.QPainter()
        qp.begin(self)
        self.drawText(event, qp)
        qp.end()
    
    def drawText(self, event, qp):
  
        qp.setPen(QtGui.QColor(168, 34, 3))
        qp.setFont(QtGui.QFont('Decorative', 10))
        qp.drawText(event.rect(), QtCore.Qt.AlignCenter, self.text)        
            
    
def main():

    app = QtGui.QApplication(sys.argv)
    ex = Example()
    sys.exit(app.exec_())


if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

Here, in main function, an Example object is created, thus __init__() function, initUI() is called. My question is where does paintEvent() function is called?? since if we run the program, self.text(some Russian letters) will exactly appear on the widget.

In other words, what does sys.exit(app.exec_()) actually do? why it will call paintEvent() function?

Thanks!

About a PyQt example program

3 Answers