wxPython making a panel not accessible through tab

Question

I built a gui using wx.glade. Part of this gui is a section to enter in passwords and then click a button to validate them. To make this section I used a grid sizer. Not every cell of the grid needed to have a button or field in it, so I filled these with wx.panel components as spacers.

What happens is that as I tab through the tx fields and buttons everything is fine, but the wx.panel spacers are also part of that tab list. What I want to do is make them non-tab selectable.

class MyFrame(wx.Frame):
   def __init__(self, *args, **kwds):
       # begin wxGlade: mainFrame.__init__
       kwds["style"] = wx.DEFAULT_FRAME_STYLE
       wx.Frame.__init__(self, *args, **kwds)
       self.panelLower = wx.Panel(self, -1)
       self.panelUpper = wx.Panel(self, -1)
       self.sizerPassword_staticbox = wx.StaticBox(self.panelLower, -1, "Password Settings")
       self.sizerInstall_staticbox = wx.StaticBox(self.panelLower, -1, "Install Actions")
       self.sizerStatus_staticbox = wx.StaticBox(self.panelUpper, -1, "Status")
       self.mainStatusbar = self.CreateStatusBar(1, 0)

       #Status List
       self.statusListCtrl = wx.ListCtrl(self.panelUpper, -1, style=wx.LC_REPORT|wx.SUNKEN_BORDER)
       self._init_coll_statusListCtrl_Columns(self.statusListCtrl)

       #Password Settings
       self.stInfraSystem = wx.StaticText(self.panelLower, -1, "infra.system")
       self.txInfraSystem = wx.TextCtrl(self.panelLower, -1, "Enter Password")
       self.btnInfraSystem = wx.Button(self.panelLower, -1, "Validate")
       self.stIwpcSystem = wx.StaticText(self.panelLower, -1, "iwpc.system")
       self.txIwpcSystem = wx.TextCtrl(self.panelLower, -1, "Enter Password")
       self.btnIwpcSystem = wx.Button(self.panelLower, -1, "Validate")
       self.stIwpcIwpcdba = wx.StaticText(self.panelLower, -1, "iwpc.iwpcdba")
       self.txIwpcIwpcdba = wx.TextCtrl(self.panelLower, -1, "Enter Password")
       self.btnIwpcIwpcdba = wx.Button(self.panelLower, -1, "Validate")
       self.stLdapOc4jadmin = wx.StaticText(self.panelLower, -1, "ldap.oc4jadmin")
       self.txLdapOc4jadmin = wx.TextCtrl(self.panelLower, -1, "Enter Password")
       self.btnLdapOc4jadmin = wx.Button(self.panelLower, -1, "Validate")
       self.stLdapOrcladmin = wx.StaticText(self.panelLower, -1, "ldap.orcladmin")
       self.txLdapOrcladmin = wx.TextCtrl(self.panelLower, -1, "Enter Password")
       self.btnLdapOrcladmin = wx.Button(self.panelLower, -1, "Validate")
       self.stIasAdmin = wx.StaticText(self.panelLower, -1, "ias_admin")
       self.txIasAdmin = wx.TextCtrl(self.panelLower, -1, "Enter Password")
       self.btnIasAdmin = wx.Button(self.panelLower, -1, "Validate")
       self.stIwpcadmin = wx.StaticText(self.panelLower, -1, "iwpcadmin")
       self.txIwpcadmin = wx.TextCtrl(self.panelLower, -1, "Enter Password")
       self.btnIwpcadmin = wx.Button(self.panelLower, -1, "Validate")
       self.panel_1 = wx.Panel(self.panelLower, -1)
       self.panel_2 = wx.Panel(self.panelLower, -1)
       self.btnValidateAll = wx.Button(self.panelLower, -1, "Validate All")

       #Install Actions
       ##SSp List
       self.olvSSP = ObjectListView(self.panelLower, -1, style=wx.LC_REPORT|wx.SUNKEN_BORDER)
       #olvColumns = ColumnDefn("Available SSPs", "left", 200, valueGetter="name")
       #self.olvSSP.SetColumn(olvColumns)
       self._init_coll_olvSSP_Columns()
       self.olvSSP.CreateCheckStateColumn()

       self.installSpacer0 = wx.Panel(self.panelLower, -1)
       self.installSpacer1 = wx.Panel(self.panelLower, -1)
       self.installSpacer2 = wx.Panel(self.panelLower, -1)
       self.installSpacer3 = wx.Panel(self.panelLower, -1)
       self.installSpacer4 = wx.Panel(self.panelLower, -1)
       self.panel_8 = wx.Panel(self.panelLower, -1)
       self.panel_9 = wx.Panel(self.panelLower, -1)
       self.btnBeginInstall = wx.Button(self.panelLower, -1, "Begin Install")

       self.__set_properties()
       self.__do_layout()

       self.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.onBtValidateInfraSystem, self.btnInfraSystem)
       self.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.onBtValidateIwpcSystem, self.btnIwpcSystem)
       self.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.onBtValidateIwpcIwpcdba, self.btnIwpcIwpcdba)
       self.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.onBtValidateLdapOc4jadmin, self.btnLdapOc4jadmin)
       self.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.onBtValidateLdapOrcladmin, self.btnLdapOrcladmin)
       self.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.onBtValidateIasAdmin, self.btnIasAdmin)
       self.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.onBtValidateIwpcadmin, self.btnIwpcadmin)
       self.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.onBtValidateAll, self.btnValidateAll)
       self.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.onBtBeginInstall, self.btnBeginInstall)
       # end wxGlade

   def _init_coll_statusListCtrl_Columns(self, parent):
       # generated method, don't edit
       parent.InsertColumn(col=0, format=wx.LIST_FORMAT_LEFT,
             heading=u'Timestamp', width=200)
       parent.InsertColumn(col=1, format=wx.LIST_FORMAT_LEFT,
             heading=u'Action', width=200)
       parent.InsertColumn(col=2, format=wx.LIST_FORMAT_LEFT,
             heading=u'Result', width=400)

   def _init_coll_olvSSP_Columns(self, data=None):
       self.olvSSP.SetColumns([
           ColumnDefn("Available SSPs", "left", 200, "name"),
       ]) 

   def __set_properties(self):
       # begin wxGlade: mainFrame.__set_properties
       self.SetTitle("SSP Installer")
       self.mainStatusbar.SetStatusWidths([-1])
       # statusbar fields
       mainStatusbar_fields = ["MyFrame_statusbar"]
       for i in range(len(mainStatusbar_fields)):
           self.mainStatusbar.SetStatusText(mainStatusbar_fields[i], i)
       # end wxGlade

   def __do_layout(self):
       # begin wxGlade: mainFrame.__do_layout
       mainSizer = wx.GridSizer(2, 1, 0, 0)
       sizerLower = wx.GridSizer(1, 2, 0, 0)
       sizerInstall = wx.StaticBoxSizer(self.sizerInstall_staticbox, wx.HORIZONTAL)
       sizerInstallButtons = wx.GridSizer(1, 2, 0, 0)
       sizer_4 = wx.BoxSizer(wx.VERTICAL)
       sizerPassword = wx.StaticBoxSizer(self.sizerPassword_staticbox, wx.HORIZONTAL)
       grid_sizer_1 = wx.GridSizer(8, 3, 0, 0)
       sizerStatus = wx.StaticBoxSizer(self.sizerStatus_staticbox, wx.VERTICAL)
       sizerStatus.Add(self.statusListCtrl, 1, wx.ALL|wx.EXPAND, 2)
       self.panelUpper.SetSizer(sizerStatus)
       mainSizer.Add(self.panelUpper, 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.stInfraSystem, 0, wx.ALL|wx.ALIGN_RIGHT|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.txInfraSystem, 1, wx.ALL|wx.EXPAND|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.btnInfraSystem, 0, wx.ALL|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.stIwpcSystem, 0, wx.ALL|wx.ALIGN_RIGHT|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.txIwpcSystem, 0, wx.ALL|wx.EXPAND|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.btnIwpcSystem, 0, wx.ALL|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.stIwpcIwpcdba, 0, wx.ALL|wx.ALIGN_RIGHT|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.txIwpcIwpcdba, 0, wx.ALL|wx.EXPAND|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.btnIwpcIwpcdba, 0, wx.ALL|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.stLdapOc4jadmin, 0, wx.ALL|wx.ALIGN_RIGHT|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.txLdapOc4jadmin, 0, wx.ALL|wx.EXPAND|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.btnLdapOc4jadmin, 0, wx.ALL|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.stLdapOrcladmin, 0, wx.ALL|wx.ALIGN_RIGHT|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.txLdapOrcladmin, 0, wx.ALL|wx.EXPAND|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.btnLdapOrcladmin, 0, wx.ALL|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.stIasAdmin, 0, wx.ALL|wx.ALIGN_RIGHT|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.txIasAdmin, 0, wx.ALL|wx.EXPAND|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.btnIasAdmin, 0, wx.ALL|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.stIwpcadmin, 0, wx.ALL|wx.ALIGN_RIGHT|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.txIwpcadmin, 0, wx.ALL|wx.EXPAND|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.btnIwpcadmin, 0, wx.ALL|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.panel_1, 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.panel_2, 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)
       grid_sizer_1.Add(self.btnValidateAll, 0, wx.ALL|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL, 2)
       sizerPassword.Add(grid_sizer_1, 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)
       sizerLower.Add(sizerPassword, 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)
       sizerInstallButtons.Add(self.olvSSP, 1, wx.ALL|wx.EXPAND, 2)
       sizer_4.Add(self.installSpacer0, 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)
       sizer_4.Add(self.installSpacer1, 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)
       sizer_4.Add(self.installSpacer2, 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)
       sizer_4.Add(self.installSpacer3, 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)
       sizer_4.Add(self.installSpacer4, 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)
       sizer_4.Add(self.panel_8, 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)
       sizer_4.Add(self.panel_9, 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)
       sizer_4.Add(self.btnBeginInstall, 0, wx.ALL|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_VERTICAL|wx.ALIGN_CENTER_HORIZONTAL, 2)
       sizerInstallButtons.Add(sizer_4, 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)
       sizerInstall.Add(sizerInstallButtons, 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)
       sizerLower.Add(sizerInstall, 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)
       self.panelLower.SetSizer(sizerLower)
       mainSizer.Add(self.panelLower, 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)
       self.SetSizer(mainSizer)
       mainSizer.Fit(self)
       self.Layout()
       # end wxGlade

Answer 1

Panels usually don't accept focus per se, so that's a little odd. You can catch the focus event and tell it to set focus on the next widget instead, assuming you keep track of tab order yourself. Or you can try disabling the panels, which should have the same effect.

Answer 2

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you but why not just use a spacer? They seem to be designed precisely for this purpose and won't accept tabs...wxglade has a button for them and they evaluate to:

sizer.add((20,20) 1, wx.EXPAND, 0)

20x20 is the nominal size of the spacer in pixels but you can apply the usual set of flags to adjust resize behaviour.