fixed it, almost

fake.py

@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@ data = {
         "x": None,
         "y": [1,2,3],
         "aaa": "aaa",
-        "c": "cccccc"
+        "c": "cccccc",
+        "image_background_enable": "passive",
+        "function": "spectrometer.py"
     },
 
     "ignored": {}
@@ -51,6 +53,8 @@ class PipelineClient:
         return server_info
     def get_instance_config(self, name):
         return data[name]
+    def set_instance_config(self, name, config):
+        pass
     def get_pipelines(self):
         return data.keys()
 

mathentry.py

@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class MathEntry(wx.TextCtrl):
     def SetValue(self, val):
         self.value_type = type(val)
         val = str(val)
-        super().SetValue(val)
+        super().ChangeValue(val) #TODO
 
 
     def on_enter(self, event):
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ class MathEntry(wx.TextCtrl):
 
 
     def clear(self):
-        super().SetValue("")
+        super().ChangeValue("") #TODO
 
 
 

scam.py

@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ class MainPanel(wx.Panel):
         self.instance = None
         self.camera = None
 
+        self.orig_cfg = None
+        self.pipeline_cfg = None
+
         self.pls = pls = Pipelines()
 
         pl_names =  [GOOD + n for n in pls.active]
@@ -104,6 +107,8 @@ class MainPanel(wx.Panel):
 
         self.entries = entries = SettingsList(self)
 
+        self.Bind(wx.EVT_TEXT, self.on_change)
+
         self.btn_print = btn_print = wx.Button(self, label="Print")
         self.btn_save = btn_save = wx.Button(self, label="Save")
 
@@ -156,6 +161,8 @@ class MainPanel(wx.Panel):
         cfg = pipeline.get()
         print("current config:", cfg)
 
+        self.pipeline_cfg = cfg
+
         # use contents of KNOWN_TYPES to pre-fill cfg
         #TODO use setdefault instead?
         cfg_o = cfg
@@ -221,7 +228,7 @@ class MainPanel(wx.Panel):
 
     def on_screenpanel(self, event):
         cam = self.camera
-        cmd = f"screen_panel -persist -cam={cam}"
+        cmd = f"screen_panel -persist -cam {cam}"
         print(cmd)
         subprocess.Popen(cmd.split(), start_new_session=True)
 
@@ -290,6 +297,24 @@ class MainPanel(wx.Panel):
         pipeline = self.pls[self.instance]
         res = pipeline.set(new_cfg)
         print("result config:", res)
+        self.on_select(None) # get the server-side config again
+        self.btn_save.SetBackgroundColour(wx.NullColour)
+
+
+    def on_change(self, event):
+        old_cfg = self.pipeline_cfg or {}
+        new_cfg = self.make_cfg()
+
+        new = {}
+        old = {}
+        for i in sorted(set(old_cfg) & set(new_cfg)):
+            old[i] = old_cfg.get(i)
+            new[i] = new_cfg.get(i)
+        old_cfg = old
+        new_cfg = new
+
+        color = wx.Colour(164, 36, 23) if new_cfg != old_cfg else wx.NullColour
+        self.btn_save.SetBackgroundColour(color)
 
 
 
@@ -315,7 +340,7 @@ def check_incoming_cfg(cfg):
 
 
 def check_outgoing_cfg(cfg):
-    bkg = cfg["image_background"]
+    bkg = cfg.get("image_background", None)
     cfg["image_background_enable"] = "passive" if bkg else None
 
     cfg["image_threshold"] = None