first try

dictlist.py

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QListWidget, QListWidgetItem
+
+
+class DictList(QListWidget):
+
+    def __init__(self, data, *args, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        self.data = {}
+        self.update(data)
+
+    def update(self, data):
+        for k, v in data.items():
+            self.add(k, v)
+
+    def add(self, key, value):
+        if key not in self.data:
+            itm = QListWidgetItem(key)
+            self.addItem(itm)
+        self.data[key] = value
+
+    def get(self, index):
+        key = self.get_key(index)
+        value = self.data[key]
+        return key, value
+
+    def get_value(self, index):
+        _key, value = self.get(index)
+        return value
+
+    def get_key(self, index): # this relies on dict being ordered
+        lst = list(self.data)
+        row = index.row()
+        return lst[row]
+
+
+

grum.py

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+import sys
+from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QApplication
+from mainwin import MainWindow
+
+
+app = QApplication(sys.argv)
+mw = MainWindow()
+mw.show()
+sys.exit(app.exec())
+
+
+

mainwin.py

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+from PyQt5.QtCore import Qt
+from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QMainWindow, QSplitter
+
+from dictlist import DictList
+from mdi import MDIArea, MDISubWindow
+
+
+class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
+
+    def __init__(self, title="grum.py", *args, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        self.setWindowTitle(title)
+
+        data = {"a": 10, "b": 20, "c": 30, "d": 40}
+        self.lst = lst = DictList(data)
+        lst.setAlternatingRowColors(True)
+        lst.doubleClicked.connect(self.on_select_list_item)
+        self.setCentralWidget(lst)
+
+        bar = self.menuBar()
+        self.mdi = mdi = MDIArea(bar)
+
+        splitter = QSplitter(Qt.Horizontal)
+        splitter.addWidget(lst)
+        splitter.addWidget(mdi)
+        splitter.setSizes([100, 1000])
+
+        self.setCentralWidget(splitter)
+
+
+    def on_select_list_item(self, index):
+        key, value = self.lst.get(index)
+
+        #TODO: just a test for dynamic adding
+        self.lst.add("x", 100)
+
+        for sub in self.mdi.subWindowList():
+            if sub.windowTitle() == key:
+                self.mdi.setActiveSubWindow(sub)
+                return
+
+        sub = MDISubWindow(key, value)
+        self.mdi.addSubWindow(sub)
+        sub.show()
+
+
+

mdi.py

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QMdiArea, QMdiSubWindow, QAction
+from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QTextEdit
+
+
+class MDIArea(QMdiArea):
+
+    def __init__(self, bar, *args, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+
+        menu = bar.addMenu("View")
+        menu.addAction("Cascade")
+        menu.addAction("Tiled")
+        menu.triggered[QAction].connect(self.on_menu_select)
+
+
+    def on_menu_select(self, p):
+        txt = p.text()
+        if txt == "Cascade":
+            self.cascadeSubWindows()
+        elif txt == "Tiled":
+            self.tileSubWindows()
+
+
+
+class MDISubWindow(QMdiSubWindow):
+
+    def __init__(self, title, data, *args, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        self.setWindowTitle(title)
+
+        txt = QTextEdit(str(data))
+        self.setWidget(txt)
+
+
+