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ClearWin versus Winteracter GUI capability

 
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Anonymous
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 7:47 pm    Post subject: ClearWin versus Winteracter GUI capability Reply with quote

Hello Fortran Gurus,

Two quick questions about GUI development including windows
and user friendly data entry and graphic display, viz...

1.) How do Salford's ClearWin capabilities compare with
Wintercater? Has anyone had experience with either
or (better) both? Is Wintercacter worth GBP 495?

2.) What sort of program do you need to turn a
moving graphic into a screen saver?

Many thanks and best wishes,
Ludwig

PS: My email is sciencegent@yahoo.com,
in case anyone wants to reply direct.


Ludwig
sciencegent@yahoo.com
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PaulLaidler
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Joined: 21 Feb 2005
Posts: 7916
Location: Salford, UK

PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 12:35 am    Post subject: ClearWin versus Winteracter GUI capability Reply with quote

Ludwig

In part answer to your second question, you can use ClearWin+ to create a screen saver.
See %sv in the help file. You might combine %sv with %gi for example.
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Anonymous
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 1:20 am    Post subject: ClearWin versus Winteracter GUI capability Reply with quote

Thank you so much for your help.
Best regards,
Ludwig
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Anonymous
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 4:51 am    Post subject: ClearWin versus Winteracter GUI capability Reply with quote

1.) How do Salford's ClearWin capabilities compare with
Wintercater? Has anyone had experience with either
or (better) both? Is Wintercacter worth GBP 495?

I've used both, though it's a while since I've used Clearwin+ for a project.

I am assuming Clearwin+ here, not just Clearwin which is what Salford called their interface to the Windows API. I have written a Windows interface using only Clearwin, in the days before Clearwin+, and I don't recommend it to anyone. Ever. Just don't.

Personally I'd say it depends on your preferences, and there are two major stylistic differences.

ClearWin+ is entirely source code based - you create a format string which lays out your controls. It's all text in the Fortran code. Winteracter you design your dialogs etc. visually, and save them in a Windows resource file which you link into the program.

Clearwin+ hides the message loop from you - you supply callback functions to the routine where you display your dialog, for instance. Winteracter you have a Fortran message loop and can structure the code below that any way you like.

Personally I would say that Winteracter is worth the money. I find it a huge time saver to be able to lay out a dialog exactly as it will appear on the screen, and I don't have the sort of brain that interacts well with lots of subtle differences in short format codes, so I spend a vast amount of time looking things up with Clearwin+. I also prefer to be able to see the message loop as part of the source code as I find it easier to understand what's going on in the debugger.

I would struggle with writing a large code using Clearwin+, especially the sort where the customer is likely to come back and ask for minor layout changes and additions. Having said that, I know some very large codes have been written using it, and if all you need is a few message boxes and simple dialogs then it is quick and easy to use. For complex dialogs and customers who want the layout just so I would need more help from a tool, and Winteracter is what I'd choose.

Also Winteracter has loads of built in presentation graphics, if you need that sort of thing it would save you a lot of time over writing them yourself. Again this is individual, it might be something you'll never need.

Catherine (I work for Polyhedron Software as a programmer, we sell both products and I often use Winteracter together with FTN95).
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Anonymous
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 8:29 pm    Post subject: ClearWin versus Winteracter GUI capability Reply with quote

Dear Catherine,

Thank you *so much* for your helpful and
insightful comments, and willingness to
share your experience.

Best regards,
Ludwig
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Anonymous
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 9:08 pm    Post subject: ClearWin versus Winteracter GUI capability Reply with quote

Dear Catherine,

One hopefully quick question about updating a %gr drawing surface
using ClearWin+, viz...

So far I have left all my winio commands in the main program,
as relegating graphic updates to subroutines always opened
up a new graphic window on top of all previous ones. I ended
up with a pile of windows instead of changing the *one* I wanted
to update.

Can you tell me how I can get a subroutine to update a window
graphic started from [main] or another subroutine?

I hope the above is not a bother.

Best,
Ludwig
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Anonymous
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 9:11 pm    Post subject: ClearWin versus Winteracter GUI capability Reply with quote

Dear Catherine,

One hopefully quick question about updating a %gr drawing surface
using ClearWin+, viz...

So far I have left all my winio commands in the main program,
as relegating graphic updates to subroutines always opened
up a new graphic window on top of all previous ones. I ended
up with a pile of windows instead of changing the *one* I wanted
to update.

Can you tell me how I can get a subroutine to update a window
graphic started from [main] or another subroutine?

I hope the above is not a bother.

Best,
Ludwig
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Anonymous
Guest





PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:31 pm    Post subject: ClearWin versus Winteracter GUI capability Reply with quote

I have both. In general, they are both Win API-based.
I use Clearwin+ only, because do not like to mix
different software and be dependent from several
companies.

Winteracter has offering some useful graphics and
windows constructs, but the same you can do yourself
in Clearwin and be more flexible to change anything
you want. Things like this one, for example,
http://www.winteracter.com/visual/3dview.png
are done in Clearwin in 1-2 fortran pages.

A plus for someone, Winteracter is Linux and Mac
fortran compatible (but I don't care )
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Anonymous
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 4:41 am    Post subject: ClearWin versus Winteracter GUI capability Reply with quote

I think what you need is %`gr in your initial winio call. This will then provide you with a drawing surface handle. You can pass this to your subroutine and call select_graphics_object@ with it, then subsequent output will go there instead of opening a new window.

Hope this helps,

Catherine.
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