import time

import pygame
import pygame.font
from pygame.locals import *

pygame.init()

window = pygame.display.set_mode((500, 200), 0, 32)

font = pygame.font.SysFont("Vera.ttf", 40)
testsurf = font.render("testing alpha blending", True, (250, 0, 0, 25))
# has no effect
# testsurf = testsurf.convert_alpha()

# with an alpha of 0 why do we see this??
#window.fill((0,250,0,0))

y = testsurf.get_height()/2
for x in range(testsurf.get_width()):
    c = testsurf.get_at((x, y))
    testsurf.set_at((x, y), (c[0],c[1],c[2],50))

print "window's alpha (not per pixel) is ", window.get_alpha()

window.blit(testsurf, (20, 20))

# sometimes have to do this twice?  double buffering?
pygame.display.flip()
pygame.display.flip()

time.sleep(5)