#! /usr/bin/env python

# Count the number of characters in the X selection.

import os, sys
import gtk, gobject

first_timeout = None

def count() :
    pipe = os.popen("xsel -p")
    xsel = pipe.read()
    pipe.close()
    return len(xsel)

def recheck() :
    global first_timeout
    c = count()
    if c > 0 :
        label.set_text("%d characters" % c)

    # For some reason, the first timeout needs to be removed,
    # but subsequent ones don't. I'm not clear why.
    if first_timeout :
        gobject.source_remove(first_timeout)
        first_timeout = None
    gobject.timeout_add(1500, recheck)

# Fork so we run the gui in the background:
try: 
  pid = os.fork() 
  if pid > 0:
      # exit first parent
      sys.exit(0) 
except OSError, e: 
    print >>sys.stderr, "fork #1 failed: %d (%s)" % (e.errno, e.strerror) 

# Bring up the main dialog:
dialog = gtk.Dialog("Characters in selection", None, 0,
                    (gtk.STOCK_OK, gtk.RESPONSE_OK))

title = gtk.Label("Characters in selection:")
dialog.vbox.pack_start(title, expand=False)

label = gtk.Label("")
#dialog.vbox.set_spacing(20)
dialog.vbox.pack_start(label, expand=True)

first_timeout = gobject.timeout_add(10, recheck)

dialog.show_all()
dialog.run()