[gedit-list] Updating gui inside a signal

[Stephen Moore <delfick755 gmail com>]

Hi,

So I'm trying to create a plugin that will run my tests from within
gedit so I can do some meaningful TDD whilst I rewrite vigedit for
gedit 3.

So far I have https://github.com/delfick/vigedit/blob/master/src/vigedit_specs.py
(for "convenience", started via
https://github.com/delfick/vigedit/blob/master/test.sh)
(look at revision 56c0ff080c of those two files for the messy solution
I had before I came across GObject.idle_add)

This works in the fact that it finds my tests and executes them and
they have access to gedit things which is nice.

The problem is that all the tests are run as part of the callback for
one signal and hence the gui doesn't update at any point during my
tests.
Therefore I'm unable to actually test modifications to gedit which is
the entire point of having tests that use gedit.

It would seem I could use GObject.idle_add(self.emit, "signal") to
make it run a signal when gedit is idle.
However, making nosetests do that for every test looks difficult, if
not impossible.
(And I'd rather use nosetests than hack together my own random test
discoverer/runner).

So, the option that is left is some magical ability to make gedit
update itself at random points during the signal.

I get this feeling that isn't possible, but on the chance that it is
possible, I thought I'd atleast ask the question.....

Is there a way to refresh the Gedit GUI midway through the invocation
of a signal?
(or some other way of achieving what I want?)

Thankyou

Stephen.