[comp.windows.x] CUA with HP widgets

ejp@bohra.cpg.oz (Esmond Pitt) (10/17/89)

I am trying to implement a CUA-style application panel using the HP
widgets.  (These seem to be cosmetically what I want.) I need in this
order, going down the screen:

	- optional titlebar
	- horizontal menubar, each item leading to a pulldown possibly
		leading to popups
	- two-way-scrolled application space
	- optional function key area

Although the HP widgets are apparently meant for CUA, they do not seem
to be directly applicable. The basic Panel widget supports a titlebar,
menu, and application workspace but nothing else, i.e. no function key
area. There is no pulldown menu manager. There is no menu manager or
layout widget which gives the correct behaviour for the menu bar and
function key areas (basically maximum columns minimum rows, but always
column-aligned - this is not quite what RowCol provides).

I have come up with the following scheme:

	menubar:
		a RowCol widget containing MenuButtons leading to
		Cascades of more MenuButtons

	application workspace:
		a VPane containing a BulletinBoard for the real
		application stuff and another RowCol of MenuButtons for
		the optional function key area.

My question is: is there a better way to do all this within the
standard HP (or other) widget set, or do I really have to go & hack my
own?


-- 
Esmond Pitt, Computer Power Group
ejp@bohra.cpg.oz