Re: [rgui-dev] RE: Backend

[Kero van Gelder]

> kero-
> 
> > I think code examples that show how to use the ideas can make it much
> > more alive. At least for me. It also helps to answer the question
> > "What would be the ultimate GUI code for you?" 'coz writing it shows
> > what is still wrong.
> 
> hmm..do you mean like the examples i have in the CVS? i'm not sure i
> follow. have you downloaded all the source?  i haven't updated the link
> on my web page recently, but if you don't want to mess with the CVS
> stuff (and i can't say i would blame you) then i will. in fact i'll just
> do it anyway: http://www.transami.net/ruby/, give me a couple hours to
> get to it.

Well, where is the famous "Hello, world!" that works? So I can wrestle
through all layers to see what happens, comment on it, improve on it
and implement it for several other widgets?

>From a Software Engineering point of view, that's how I work. I am not
interested in a FileDialog while I haven't seen a Label on the screen...
and so far, I haven't.

> > In my opinion (and therefore in Ruby-Wise), a Button is a Label that
> > can be clicked. Thus, it need not take care of displaying a String,
> > fonts and other things.
> 
> agreed. interestingly in GUtopIa, being Ruby code, this is expressed by
> a widget called Button that inherits the Labled mixin, just as the Label
> widget itself does.

Ehm, where? Not in components.rb...
(OK, on the Web-page w/ the Components on it.)

> > Sorry, that's only obvious stuff...
> 
> sorry, i didn't think the Rouge alpha/beta/gamma picture was anymore
> detailed.

Probably I'm more familiar with the Rouge picture...
But for a developer, there are certain parts that belong in certain
layers/blocks. "Backend wrapper" makes no such decision.

> > The Markup halfway the page is not in the picture on top.
> 
> which markup? what kind of picture should i draw?

In the picture on top, which part is responsible for decoding the
Markup Language and building a GUI?

> > The hacking make steps towards constructors like:
> >   Button.new("Press here") { p "Pressed here!" }
> > instead of
> >   Button.new(nil, :text=>"Press here") { p "Pressed here!" }
> > and also allows Window.new(:modal) for Window.new(:modal=>true)
> > so this would allow for shorter code for the user.
> 
> now, here i stress: "please be careful". it looks to me like your
> starting to either "pre-argument" your calls with the most common
> attributes of your widgets, or use object type checking to determine
> which attribute is being specified. this is a road to madness! try
> programming in Rebol if you don't believe me. it is better that the code
> be clean and easily deciphered rather then compact. IMHO. please give it
> some consideration.

myeah, that would be pre-argumenting... Good point.
where at first I sought for a way to ditch the nil in front, 'coz it
looks stupid, it might run out of hand.

It should go from Label.new(:text=>"bla") to Label.new("bla"), not
from Label.new(:border=>2, :font=>"funny", :text=>"bla", :align=>:right)
to a small improvement. Anyone who uses the latter is lost
anyway. Stylesheets or something else should solve that.

(where in the mentioned picture is the StyleSheet?)

> > Tell you what, I'll think about components that are in X or otherwise
> > below Ruby-Wise. Some of those pop up within or above Ruby-Wise, like
> > the WM. If I work a bit on the docs of the API that is below
> > Ruby-Wise, I might just form a better opinion of the blocks
> > surrounding it in Gutopia.
> 
> very cool. let me know what you find/determine.

Bunch of elements at:

  http://httpd.chello.nl/k.vangelder/ruby/wise/api_down.html

I still have to form an opinion out of it :)

+--- Kero ------------------------------ address@hidden ---+
|  Don't split your mentality without thinking twice       |
|                          Proud like a God -- Guano Apes  |
+--- M38c ---------- http://httpd.chello.nl/k.vangelder ---+