maketool 0.8.28

Python Automation tool for building PySide6 UI and PyInstaller EXE.

maketool

maketool is a command-line utility and helper module that simplifies execution and building PySide6 Python 3.7+ applications into executables using PyInstaller 5.8.0.

It's especially useful for GUI projects that need embedded resources (e.g., .ui, .qrc) and aim to produce portable .exe builds with minimal setup.

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Why Use maketool?

If you build windows desktop apps using PySide6 or PyQt, maketool:

• Saves time when converting .ui and .qrc files
• Simplifies PyInstaller builds
• Packages your application with minimal commands
• Automates repetitive tasks like building and cleanup
• Integrates easily with .bat scripts or shell commands
• Is great for both beginners and advanced developers using PySide6

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Commands

1. run

Executes the Python program after recursively builds all .ui and .qrc files in the current directory and subdirectories using pyside6-uic.exe and pyside6-rcc.exe. Then run python source code.

Note: it will ONLY rebuild pyside components that are out of date, so that execution is fast as possible, yet always includes any changes. FYI: python program is run with pythonw.exe so that the terminal window does not appear.

usage: maketool-run [-h] file

positional parameters:
  file        python file to run

parameters:
  -h, --help  show this help message and exit

2. clean

Removes temporary files and build artifacts, including:

• __pycache__ folders
• *_ui.py, *_rc.py, *.pyc, *.pyo
• PyInstaller build/ and dist/ folders
• .spec files in the current directory

Run it like this:

maketool-clean

3. compile

Builds your python app into an executable using PyInstaller.

• Compiles .ui and .qrc and image resources
• Generates a PyInstaller .spec file
• Runs PyInstaller with the provided options
• Updates version if exists in python file with --version value if provided

usage: maketool-compile [-h] --file FILE --type {onefile,onedir,console} [--icon="myicon.ico"] [--embed="sqlite3.dll"]

parameters:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --file FILE           python file to compile to exe
  --type {onefile,onedir,console}
                        type of exe to build
  --icon ICON           ico file
  --embed EMBED         comma delimited list of files to embed
  --version VERSION     program version (otherwise use __version__ in py source)

4. sublime

Update local Sublime Text 4 installation with these useful shortcuts:

CTRL+BACKSPACE - delete line CTRL+ALT+E - open windows explorer where current file is located CTRL+0 - reset font size F1 - insert print statement for variable where cursor is located F5 - run pyflakes on current python source F6 - maketool-refscan - scan for unused/orphan files in the project F7 - build (runs maketool-run on current script via the build system) F10 - insert current date/day

usage: maketool-sublime [-h] --path PATH

parameters:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --path PATH           sublime text - data/package/user path

5. refscan

Scans the current folder (and subfolders) and lists candidate unused/orphan files by doing a fast string reference scan. This is especially useful for catching forgotten assets like .ui, .qss, .ico, images, etc.

Default behavior is unused only:

maketool-refscan

Show both used and unused:

maketool-refscan --show-used

Write a CSV report:

maketool-refscan --csv refscan-report.csv

Notes:

• This is heuristic (string-based). It may miss dynamically constructed paths/imports and may produce false positives.
• For best results, run it from your project root.

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Features

• Simple command-line interface for .bat or .sh workflows
• Converts all .ui and .qrc files recursively
• Cleans up Python build artifacts
• Packages apps using PyInstaller
• Supports custom .ico icons
• Supports optional resource embedding

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Requirements

• Python 3.7+
• PySide6
• PyInstaller 5.8

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Installation

Install maketool helper from PyPI with following command:

pip install maketool

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License

MIT License
Copyright 2025 Alan Lilly