smoke@well.sf.ca.us (Nicholas Jackiw) (01/22/91)
In article <9101090933.aa00954@BONNIE.ICS.UCI.EDU> erose@BONNIE.ICS.UCI.EDU writes: >One of the things I have been looking for in ResEdit >is a template/editor/picker for 'ictb' (color dialog >item table) resources. I know that there is no >template built into any version of Resedit up to >version 2.1d5. >Eric Rose The ictb is technically known as a "hairy datatype." It's highly polymorphic, and includes optional compression techniques and self- referential elements which don't lend themselves to linear repetitions of simple datatypes. There's no way a standard (i. e. "item list") ResEdit template can capture their form, and I'm not aware of any custom ictb pickers either. ictbs rarely seem to be used. Much of their power is lost if you're trying to be compatible. If, for instance, I used an ictb to vary the fonts and sizes of items in a dialog, I'd naturally resize the dialog window and layout based on these appearances. If, then, I run on a plus or an se, the ictb gets ignored, but the sizing and layout is retained, so my dialog looks horrible. ictbs are really only handy for providing supplemental coloring information, or for applications which demand Color Quickdraw for other reasons to begin with. This having been said, I once wrote an ictb composer called DITL Devil. It does not allow you to edit existing resources, but it does help in creating actbs, dctbs, and ictbs. It's debugged only to the extent of minimal functionality---that is, if abused, it will gladly abuse you in return. Finally, it requires knowledge of the relationship between items and their ictb descriptors, and ictbs and their dctb/actb parents. Given all of these disclaimers, I'll send a copy to anyone who requests it. -- --- * --- Nicholas Jackiw Smoke@well.sf.ca.us | Jackiw@cs.swarthmore.edu Key Curriculum Press, Inc. Applelink: D3970 | (415) 548-2304 --- * ---