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Text File | 1995-09-23 | 20.0 KB | 474 lines

`BGUI' release 1.2 ****************** Preface ******* `BGUI' release 1.2 (C) Copyright 1993-1995 Jaba Development (C) Copyright 1993-1995 Jan van den Baard Written using DICE v3.0 by SNail: Jan van den Baard Bakkerstraat 176 3082 HE Rotterdam Holland Fido: 2:286/407.53 (Jan van.den.Baard) EMail: jaba@grafix.wlink.nl EMail is preferred. If you must use snail mail then please make it clear when you absolutely need an anwser and (don't forget this) include enough return postage. User Manual (C)Copyright 1993-1995 Jaba Development __ __ / / / \ __ / / / /\ \ _____\ \__/ /_/ /_/ /_____ (__________________________) `BGUI', (C) Copyright 1993-1995 Jaba Development. All rights reserved. This program is GiftWare. This means that if you want to use the programs you are morally obligated to reward the author with a gift that, you think, matches his efforts. If you cannot think of a gift (come on! be creative ;), a small financial donation will always be gladly accepted. I have thought about how to release this package for quite some time. My initial thought went out to shareware but I soon forgot about this. Since most of the libraries of this kind seem to be shareware I do not think that many people like this simply because it's anoying to have to pay for a library if you had to pay for the application as wel. To avoid these problems I have decided to release this package as giftware for people writing freely distributable software. With "freely distributable software" I mean non-crippeled, free of charge software. Authors who wish to use `BGUI' in shareware and/or commercial programs must pay for the usage of `BGUI' before actually using it. ShareWare and/or commercial usage is `not' allowed without: 1) Prior written permission from the author. 2) A small finacial donation of US$ 20,-, DM 30,- or HFL 30,-. 3) A free and registered copy of the product including free updates that still make use of the library. The idea behind this distribution policy is simple. You make money with the aid of `BGUI'? I want to get my (very humble) share. This software is not crippeled so when you register it you will not recieve a key-file or an updated version. Registering simply buys you the right to use this software in shareware and/or commercial applications. Resonable, eh? Introduction ************ `BGUI' is a BOOPSI based shared library contaning a number of BOOPSI classes. It allows for easy creation and managing of font sensitive and size adjustable GUI's on the Amiga. Hmm, where have I read something like this before..., I hear you say. YES! This is yet another GUI library. I know there has been a lot of discussions about the usabillity and neccesity of GUI libraries on the nets lately. Still, being the ignorant bugger that I am, at some point I felt it was necessary to write yet another one. Believe me when I say that `BGUI' was not intended to become a releasable project. I started coding `BGUI' simply because I was amazed what MUI did using BOOPSI. Therefore I started coding some BOOPSI classes as a learning experience. Hmmm... This is beginning to sound like an excuse... As if I did something terrible ;) The point is that, while working on BGUI, I saw many GUI libraries being released and not one of them really seemed to take off. This made me think that all this talk about "For every app I run I need to install a different GUI library" really is bull. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I have yet to see a program requiring a GUI library (with the exception of MUI ofcourse). Sure there are a lot available but MUI is the only one which actually seems to be used by the programmers. This is the reason for `BGUI'. I have tryed to create a library which does it's thing simular to MUI eliminating the biggest problems that programmers seem to have with MUI. Meaning no fancy background-pen-frame-text-image-whatever settings editor, not a zillion extra images, no external class libraries etc. `BGUI' is a single library which can be removed as easely as it can be installed. It provides an easy way to create and control GUI's without becoming excessive in what it does. I guess time will tell if `BGUI' is going to be accepted or not... Features ******** * Requires at least OS 2.04 (Yes, that is a feature :) * Extends on the existing system gadgetclass and rootclass. * Creates completely font sensitive GUI's. * Supports sizable windows. * AppWindow support. * Titled group-frames and seperators. * Supports OS 3.0 when available. * Style Guide compliant. * Keyboard control of most gadget classes. * Several types of notification to create "self driven" GUI's. * Easy intergration of third-party classes. * Easy to make your class work directly with BGUI. * Object oriented. * Resonable speed, even with a 68000 processor. * Relatively small library. * Classes for easy filerequester and commodity creation. * Seperate ARexx class including source code. Requirements ************ `BGUI' requires at least version 2.04 of the operating system. It does `not' run on 1.3 systems. Are there still people running 1.3? `BGUI' also requires the following disk-based libraries to operate: * gadtools.library (V37) (menus) * asl.library (V37) (filereq class) * commodities.library (V37) (commodities class) The following libraries are not required but they will impose on the functionality of the library when not available: * locale.library (V38) (localized library strings) * amigaguide.library (V37) (On-line help) * workbench.library (V37) (App-window support) It should not be a problem to use BGUI on a system with 512KByte but a minimum of 1 Megabyte is suggested as a minimum. Installation ************ The installation of BGUI is very simple. You can either use the Installer utility by C= which will install the library for you or you can copy the `bgui.library' to your LIBS: directory or into a directory you might have setup for non-system libraries. Where you put the headers/modules for the language you use is up to you. Since the different compilers and users use different directory structures I did not supply a script for you to install these. You'll have to do this by hand. Read Me ******* * The bgui.library is a special library in the sence that it is a single task library. This means that `every' task using the library must open the library for itself. The library base pointer may `not' be shared between different tasks. The reason for this is that the library tracks information like window bounds etc. This tracking is done for each individual task. So if your code spawns a sub-task which needs the library, the sub-task code must open the library for itself. It may not share it with the main task. * The object ID's (gadgets and menus) are restricted to the range 1..65535. ID's smaller or larger than this are not allowed. This should not be a problem :) * When designing custom classes to work with BGUI please try to keep your tag values and method ID's well out of the range of the BGUI tag values and method ID's. Using values that conflict with the BGUI values may have unexpected results. * Do not be alarmed when you notice disk-activity when a BGUI requester pops up. This is due to the fact that the bgui.library catalog file is re-loaded each time BGUI needs it. This makes sure that the language is correct if it changed. * When scrolling a large listview the mouse pointer may move in steps rather than smoothly. This is not abnormal behaviour with BOOPSI objects because all rendering occures on the input device it's task. Just scroll a MultiView window with the scroller and you'll see the same effect. * The BGUI windowclass depends on the IDCMP_SIZEVERIFY flag. This means that the responce to the signals you get have to be as quick as possible. If you need to use DOS routines or are unable to call uppon the windowclass event handler for a while you need to switch of the IDCMP_SIZEVERIFY dependance before you do and back on after you're done. There is a tag called WINDOW_NoVerify for this. Keyboard & Mouse **************** Most of the BGUI gadget objects can be controlled by the keyboard. Usually the key that is used to control an object is shown by an underlined character in the object it's label. The objects can be controlled as follows: * `Button' - Pressing the key will make the object appear pressed. If you release the key the object appears normal again and the application is signalled that the object was selected. When you accidentally activated the button you can press SHIFT or ESC before releasing the key to cancel the selection. * `Toggle Button' - Pressing the key will toggle the selected state of the toggle button. * `CheckBox' - Pressing the key will toggle the selected state of the checkbox object. * `Prop (Scroller)' - Pressing the key will advance the knob position by one page. When you press the key together with SHIFT the knob will backup one page. You can reset the knob position when you are dragging the knob with the mouse by clicking on the right mouse button. * `Listview' - Pressing the key will select the next entry in the list scrolling the entries when necessary. Pressing the key together with SHIFT will select the previous entry. Read only listview objects will simply scroll the list forward and backward. * `Cycle' - Pressing the key will cycle one choise forward. Pressing the key together with SHIFT will cycle one choise backward. Selecting the gadget with the mouse while holding down the SHIFT key will also make the gadget cycle backward. When the cycle gadget was setup to be a popup gadget by the application programmer you can click inside the label area to pop-up a menu from which you can select the desired item. You can recognize a popup gadget by the imagery left of the label area. Normal cycle gadgets have a circular arrow here and popup gadgets have a small menu here. * `Slider' - Pressing the key will advance the knob position by one. Pressing the key together with shift will decrease the knob position by one. You can reset the knob position when you are dragging the knob with the mouse by clicking to on the right mouse button. * `String,Integer' - Pressing the key will simply activate the gadget. * `Mx' - Pressing the key will select the next button skipping any disabled buttons. Pressing the key together with shift will select the previous button skipping any disabled buttons. If the Mx object is in tabs mode the choises will not stop at the last or first selection but instead it will cycle back to the start or the end. As you can see this behaviour is mostly style guide compliant with some additional possibilities. Disclaimer ********** THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE PROGRAMS, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE PROGRAMS "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAMS IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE PROGRAMS PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION. IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY REDISTRIBUTE THE PROGRAMS AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAMS (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAMS TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. License ******* This license applies to the product called `BGUI', a program for the Amiga computer, published by Jan van den Baard under the concepts of GiftWare, and the accompanying documentation, example files and anything else that comes with the original distribution. The term "Program" below, refer to this product. The term "Author" below, refers to "Jan van den Baard". The license is addresses as "you". * You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the program's executable code and documentation as you receive it, in any medium, provided that you conspicuously and appropriately publish only the original, unmodified program, with all copyright notices and disclaimers of warranty intact and including all the accompanying documentation, example files and anything else that came with the original. * You may not copy and/or distribute this program without the accompanying documentation and other additional files that came with the original. You may not copy and/or distribute modified versions of this program. * You may not copy, modify, sublicense, distribute or transfer the program except as expressly provided under this license. Any attempt otherwise to copy, modify, sublicense, distribute or transfer the program is void, and will automatically terminate your rights to use the program under this license. However, parties who have received copies, or rights to use copies, from you under this license will not have their licenses terminated so long as such parties remain in full compliance. * By copying, distributing and/or using the program you indicate your acceptance of this license to do so, and all its terms and conditions. * Each time you redistribute the program, the recipient automatically receives a license from the original licensor to copy, distribute and/or use the program subject to these terms and conditions. You may not impose any further restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein. * You may not disassemble, decompile, re-source or otherwise reverse engineer the program. * You are free to use the programs. If, after an evaluation period of up to 30 days, you find the programs useful enough to continue using them you are morally, not lawfully, obligated to send the author a gift that, you think, matches his efforts. Shareware or commercial usage of the programs require registering. Please refer to the *note Preface::. section for more information on registering. * If you wish to incorporate parts of the programs into other programs, write to the author to ask for permission. If you want to release your programs as being Public Domain, FreeWare or GiftWare you are allowed to include a copy of the "bgui.library" without the accompaning documentation and files. ShareWare and Commercial distribution of the programs is not allowed without prior written permission. Please refer to the *note Preface::. section for more information on registering. * You agree to cease distributing the program and data involved if requested to do so by the author. * You may charge a fee to recover distribution costs. The fee for diskette distribution may not be more than the cost to obtain a public domain diskette from Fred Fish. Future ****** This is a list of known bugs and quirks. Please read this before you start sending me bug reports and suggestions. `BUG' = A bug that is still present. `SUG' = A suggestion which might be implemented in the future. `REV' = Revision and/or fine-tuning that still needs to be done. `MAY' = Maybe... * `BUG' - The layout engine locks up when, due to a bug or hacking, you re-size a window smaller than it's minimum as decided by BGUI. Reported by Florian Vorberger. * `BUG' - The infoclass screws up computing it's minimum dimensions when the last thing in the text is a command sequence. Should not be a real problem since it is bullshit to end a string with a command sequence. * `BUG' - There seem to be problems when using the textfield.gadget in a BGUI context. The problem is that if you select an object while the textfield object is active you get a double message from the clicked object. I do not know why this is happening. * `REV' - `BGUI' gadgets on intuition requesters is `NOT' supported yet. * `REV' - The commodity class could use some cleaning up. I'm not really satisfied with it as it is. * `REV' - The format of the library and class documentation files suck. I should convert them to "real" autodoc format or amigaguide files. * `REV' - Error reporting. It's OK that a window failed to open or an object failed to create but it would be nice to know why. Both numeric and textual error descriptions should be made available. * `REV' - Adding method, conditional and hook notification to the window class to. This will allow notification to happen on the application task instead of the input.device task. * `REV' - Work on the menus. For now it is not possible to dynamically add items, add notification or help files to the menus. This really sucks. * `REV' - Try to cut down on the code size. Although, all things considering, BGUI is not excessive in size I'de like to see it smaller. * `MAY' - Letting the window backfill hook optionally make use of the preferred workbench window backfill pattern or picture. * `MAY' - Fonts and images in the info class. * `MAY' - Add a posibility to "snapshot" window sizes to disk. Should this be up to the application programmer? Suggested by Paul Weterings. * `MAY' - Take the layout engine of BGUI and make a seperate shared/link library out of it. This would result in a +/- 10 KByte shared/link library with the same functionality as the BGUI layout engine. Maybe this will satisfy those people who are always bitching and complaining about GUI engine libraries. Thanks To ********* The author would like to extend a big thank you to the following people for their valuable help: Bjorn Reese, Jim Cooper, Jim Karczewski, Keith Christopher, Michael Wiedmer, Michiel Willems, Magne Oestlyngen, Magnus Enarsson, Martin Bischoff, Parrish Heywood, Patrick van Beem, Paul Hill, Paul McLachlan, Paul Weterings, Per Harald Myrvang, Ranulf Doswell, Zachary A Forsyth. And the people I may have forgotten... Thanks should also go to: * Gary Duncan, Heiko Rath and Boris Jakubaschk for giving me permission to use their SCSI-2 code for the BGUIPlayer demo program. * All the folks at `O.I.C'. Obvious Implementations Corporation. This software is completely developed using DICE in the registered version and later on the commercial version. * Francesco Devitt for MemLeak. A remarkable simple but very useful tool ;) * Reinhard Spisser and Sebastiano Vigna for their wonderful Makeinfo which was used to generate this AmigaGuide./ASCII documentation. * Bryce Nesbitt and Michael Sinz for Enforcer. The best bug-hunter for the Amiga. Index ***** * Menu: * Disclaimer: Disclaimer. * Features: Features. * Future: Future. * Installation: Installation. * Introduction: Introduction. * Keyboard & Mouse: Keyboard & Mouse. * License: License. * Preface: Preface. * Read Me: Read Me. * Requirements: Requirements. * Thanks To: Thanks To.