Qt code

qt.py

img = Image('abc.png')

img.show() # should open a new qt window to show the image
#this call should not block, and should reutrn immediately to allow the user to do further image processing

#additional image processing
img.toGray() 
img.whatever()

!/usr/bin/env python

from PyQt4 import QtGui,QtCore
import sys

class Gui(t):

class Thread(QtCore.QThread):

    def __init__(self):
        super(Gui.Thread, self).__init__()
        self.run()

    def run(self):
        app = QtGui.QApplication(sys.argv)
        window = Gui.Window()
        sys.exit(app.exec_())

    def __del__(self):
        self.wait()

class Window(QtGui.QWidget):

    def __init__(self):
       super(Gui.Window, self).__init__()
       self.resize(800,300)
       self.setWindowTitle("user image")
       self.vbox = QtGui.QVBoxLayout()
       self.setLayout(self.vbox)
       self.show()

    def doImageStuff(self, path):
        img = Image('abc.png')
        img.show() # should open a new qt window to show the image
        #this call should not block, and should reutrn immediately to allow the user to do further image processing
        #additional image processing
        img.toGray()
        img.whatever()

def __init__(self):
    thread = self.Thread()

if name == 'main':
gui = Gui() # something like this ?