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Image Bar (%ib) buttons.
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LitusSaxonicum



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 2388
Location: Yateley, Hants, UK

PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:54 pm    Post subject: Image Bar (%ib) buttons. Reply with quote

It would be nice if there was an equivalent to ADJUST_IB_SIZES@ that allowed the positions of the buttons - ADJUST_IB_SIZES@ just changes their widths. Maybe ADJUST_IB_POSITIONS@ ? Failing this, can anyone advise me how to separate them into groups?

I have tried putting an inactive (STATUS_CONTROL = 3), narrow, button between active buttons (the callback intentionally does nothing), and this works, but a blank flat area would be nicer. If I draw a bitmap that looks like a separator (for example, with a colon or solidus), then to see it, the button has to be clickable.

I tried initially to space out the groups of image bar buttons using multiple %ib format codes on the same line. The problem is that when the window they are in is resized, all groups but the leftmost scoot off behind the leftmost group (the groups are 1 row deep, with several buttons in each group, as in:

xxx xxxx xxx in a line under the menu bar

… and it doesn’t seem to help putting them in a box (%ob … %cb) ).

Next, when a particular button is inactive (STATUS_CONTROL = 3) it appears as a grey rectangle. This isn’t particularly attractive, so I have concluded that it is better to arrange for the callback to do nothing rather than to “grey out” the image bar button if it isn’t supposed to be active.

Wouldn’t it be more logical if a raised image bar button was simply not pressable? I suppose that this would require more STATUS_CONTROL options. Here’s my list of what %ib buttons might need to look like in their “greyed” state:

a. Button doesn’t show at all, isn’t pressable, and acts as a separator
b. Button stays up always, isn’t pressable (greyed equivalent to status_control = 4)
c. Button shows the image as greyed out (i.e. as if [flat] were to be selected) but does nothing if clicked.
d. Button shows the bitmap (i.e. as if [coloured] were to be selected) but does nothing if clicked.

Perhaps c. and d. are the same as b. depending on what is selected in the [] in %ib[] - nothing, flat or coloured.

Or have I simply missed something listed in the chm or enh files?

Eddie
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PaulLaidler
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Joined: 21 Feb 2005
Posts: 7916
Location: Salford, UK

PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 2:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I do not have time at the moment to check this out but there is an undocumented feature that may do the trick. Try putting %se between the groups...

winio@('%se', DEPTH)
double precision DEPTH

%se is designed to function with %ib and %bx, in order to provide a grey line as a separator between buttons, this allows grouping of buttons. DEPTH is measured as a fraction of the character height and this amount is added to the height, one half above and one half below the buttons. Typically the same value as that specified with %bx but it can differ.There is no limit to how many times %se can be specified, however if it’s specified at the beginning it simply provides a space and no line.
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LitusSaxonicum



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 2388
Location: Yateley, Hants, UK

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 11:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Paul, that's a really useful suggestion. I'll try it.

On the basis of further investigation, I see that my bitmaps weren't drawn in a way that meets the full requirements of %ib. Indeed, as I drew them in CorelDraw, and asked for them to be antialiased (which normally makes a better job of conversion of a vector image to bitmap), and CorelDRAW anti-aliased the edges, they were far from ideal.

A certain amount of trial and error has demonstrated (to me at least) that %ib works best for some very simple shapes - it can then automatically generate a reasonable greyed-out equivalent. However, unless the 1-pixel complete border is present, it assumes that the greyed out image is a simple dark grey rectangle. If the image is faily straighforward (for example, the 3 circles for Mickey Mouse) then the greyed out image is still recognizable. However, if the bitmap is carefully-crafted, and antialiased round the edges for maximum legibility at small size, then the greyed-out shape may not be so recognizable.

Eddie
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LitusSaxonicum



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 2388
Location: Yateley, Hants, UK

PostPosted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmmm... %se is obviously designed for vertical %ib toolbars, not horizontal ones (I suppose"depth" is a giveaway). If one divides a long horizontal %ib into 3 shorter ones with a %se in between each, then any window resize drives the two rightmost %ib arrays scurrying behind the leftmost - something that happens if one simply uses "blanks" to space out the button bars. The depth variable creates an odd effect in the spacer.

E
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PaulLaidler
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Joined: 21 Feb 2005
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Location: Salford, UK

PostPosted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Have you tried experimenting with %ib for the first group of buttons, then %bm for a vertical bar bitmap and then a new %ib for the next group of buttons?

Alternatively you could start off with a text item (a pipe symbol say) for the vertical bar.
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PaulLaidler
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Joined: 21 Feb 2005
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

%se appears to work well enough in the following sample...

Code:
WINAPP
  INTEGER winio@,i
  i=winio@('%ca[Image bar]%sy[3d]&')
  i=winio@('%bd&',0.0D0,0.0D0,0.5D0,1.0D0)
  i=winio@('%mn[File[Exit]]&','EXIT')
  i=winio@('%3ib[flat]&','cut/Cut',4,'CONTINUE','copy/Copy',4,'CONTINUE','paste/Paste',4,'CONTINUE')
  i=winio@('%se&',0.0D0)
  i=winio@('%3ib[flat]&','cut/Cut',4,'CONTINUE','copy/Copy',4,'CONTINUE', 'paste/Paste',4,'CONTINUE')
  i=winio@('%ff%gr[black]',300,200)
 
  END

  RESOURCES
  cut BITMAP cut.bmp
  copy BITMAP copy.bmp
  paste BITMAP paste.bmp
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LitusSaxonicum



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 2388
Location: Yateley, Hants, UK

PostPosted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 7:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Paul,

In reply to both of your posts, yes, I have tried dividing the image-bar into two with all manner of separators: characters, text, blanks, %gr regions etc etc. Yes, also, the code you posted works fine.

Now add a %ww, and a %pv for the %gr ... and what happens when you resize the window?

Answer: the rightmost %ib moves as the window is resized. If the resize is smaller, then the mobile %ib buttons scoot off and hide behind the leftmost (fixed) %ib content.

You don't get this behaviour if all the image buttons are defined in the same %ib format code, although this can make for a very complicated winio@ statement! It does mean also that the %se can't be usefully employed, and that the only effective separator is an inactive button.

Of course, anything can be used to divide up the buttons into groups in a fixed size window.

What about my suggestion of ADJUST_IB_POSITIONS@ ?

Best regards

Eddie
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LitusSaxonicum



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 2388
Location: Yateley, Hants, UK

PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

After I switched off my PC I had a hunch that maybe %ap would do the trick. It does - for a fixed size window.

"Absolute Position" is also a bit of a misnomer. Absolute in x - yes, but when applied to the groups of %ib controls, y is relative to the first group.

Eddie
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PaulLaidler
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Joined: 21 Feb 2005
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Location: Salford, UK

PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 9:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have not had time to think through your suggestion about "Absolute Position". It is not clear to me what you are asking for.

Regarding the unwanted movement of the second group of buttons, I could run some tests on this. You could try using %ob (without a border) in order to group the two sets of buttons in one box.
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LitusSaxonicum



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 2388
Location: Yateley, Hants, UK

PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Paul,

Already tried the %ob - %cb. It moves with the righthand group(s) of %ib buttons.

Assuming that you meant my suggestion regarding "adjust_ib_positions@", it is just this.

After one has created a set of %ib buttons, it is possible to call adjust_ib_widths@ (ixw, iyw, istatus) with istatus = 0 - which loads ixw and iyw with the width and height info for each button. One can then call adjust_ib_widths@ (ixw, iyw, istatus) a second time, this time with istatus NOT = 0, and with some revised values in ixw and iyw in order to change the width &/or height of the buttons.

My suggestion is to create a similar subroutine that returns the coordinates of the top left corner of each button - say in arrays jxw, jyw.

If one wanted a gap (say between buttons 3 and 4 of a 6-button group), one might add the necessary extra to jxw(4), (5) and (6), then call the routine with istatus NOT = 0, to set those coords. This would end up with an %ib containing "gaps" - in this case between buttons 3 & 4.

I'm guessing now, but I imagine that the %ib group would still behave as a single entity during a window resize.

Regards

Eddie
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PaulLaidler
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Joined: 21 Feb 2005
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have tried a few experiments but failed to get the desired effect with the current functionality of ClearWin+.

Given that %se is undocumented I can fix it so that it is anchored during a %pv resize. I can include this in the next release which hopefully will take place quite soon.
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LitusSaxonicum



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 2388
Location: Yateley, Hants, UK

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 8:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmmm ... I thought I posted a reaction to this suggestion!

The idea of anchoring %se seems to me a good one, and as %se is undocumented, shouldn't cause any incompatabilities. I can't think of any reason why one would prefer the existing behaviour. Any chance of %se[flat] producting simply grey space?

clearwin_info@('BUTTON_NUMBER') returns the button number that caused the window to close (usual reason, a callback function returning zero). This button number is relative to the %ib format that contained the button. If one has multiple %ib formats (and it is difficult to imagine using %se without at least two %ib formats), there is no way of separating out which one "did the deed" - that is, without maintaining a separate tracking system.

winio@ returns zero when a callback for %ib returns zero, so in any case, one needs such a separate tracking system to differentiate it from closure via clicking on the Close button top right of the caption bar.

Regards

Eddie
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PaulLaidler
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 1:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I will see if [flat] can be implemented easily.

Changing the return from clearwin_info@('BUTTON_NUMBER') could break existing code but it may be a simple matter to provide an absolute number under a new clearwin_info@ parameter.

In the meantime, how about setting a marker on callbacks for the two %ib controls. The marker would be used to indicate which group was clicked on last.
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LitusSaxonicum



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
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Location: Yateley, Hants, UK

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Paul,

The returned button number isn't a problem for me, as I have no code that relies on looking for the button number, I was just trying to outguess other folks' potential problems,

Eddie
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LitusSaxonicum



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 2388
Location: Yateley, Hants, UK

PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A chance discovery ....

With %bx, groups of %ib buttons ARE locked in position, and simply a couple of blanks act as padding to separate them into groups. Without a %bx, all but the the leftmost group move on a window resize.

This is sufficiently different to %tb, where groups of buttons are always locked (whether or not you have a %bx) to have confused me for ages.

Perhaps the simplest solution is to put this in the documentation ...

Regards

Eddie
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