wilson@csli.STANFORD.EDU (Nathan Wilson) (02/15/89)
I'm considering using floating palettes in an object oriented graphics editor (as per a large number number of graphics programs including MacPaint 2.0). I vaguely remember someone mentioning an article on how to do them. Does any one have this reference? Or for that matter does anyone have any example source code that does them? Are such palettes considered a serious violation of the user interface guidelines? Is there or will there ever be an Apple approved mechanism for them? Is there something people like better? Nathan Wilson Teleos Research nathan%teleos.com@ai.sri.com
sho@pur-phy (Sho Kuwamoto) (02/16/89)
In article <7554@csli.STANFORD.EDU> wilson@csli.UUCP (Nathan Wilson) writes:
<I'm considering using floating palettes in an object oriented graphics
<editor (as per a large number number of graphics programs including
<MacPaint 2.0). I vaguely remember someone mentioning an article on
<how to do them. Does any one have this reference? Or for that matter
<does anyone have any example source code that does them? Are such
<palettes considered a serious violation of the user interface
<guidelines? Is there or will there ever be an Apple approved
<mechanism for them? Is there something people like better?
There is an excellent article in the April 1988 issue of MacTutor,
complete with source code. It's very long, so you probably will want
to get the source disk. There are a couple of earlier articles on
tear off menus, but they are not as complete as this one. I have some
floating palettes in the application I'm currently working on, but
they have been customized to my application, so I'm not sure how
useful the code would be. It would probably be easier to just send in
for the generic version.
Personally, I like floating palettes, as long as they are not used to
excess. I'd like to see some Toolbox calls to implement floating
palettes and floating tear off menus, but I don't see it happening any
time soon. Now what I really want the fabled complete rewrite of the
ROMs. I'd even be willing to shell out a couple of thousand dollars
for a board swap for my Mac II....
-Shothecloud@dhw68k.cts.com (Ken McLeod) (02/16/89)
In article <7554@csli.STANFORD.EDU> wilson@csli.UUCP (Nathan Wilson) writes: >I'm considering using floating palettes in an object oriented graphics >editor (as per a large number number of graphics programs including >MacPaint 2.0). I vaguely remember someone mentioning an article on >how to do them. Does any one have this reference? Or for that matter >does anyone have any example source code that does them? Are such >palettes considered a serious violation of the user interface >guidelines? Is there or will there ever be an Apple approved >mechanism for them? Is there something people like better? MacTutor, Vol.4 No.4 (April 1988): "Tear-Off Menus & Palettes" MacTutor, Vol.4 No.5 (May 1988): "Missing WDEF Routine" (for above) MacTutor, Vol.4 No.12 (Dec. 1988): "Tool Window Manager" All of the above examples are in C, but should be relatively easy to translate into other high-level languages. Opinions differ as to whether tear-off palettes are a good idea. There is no Apple-approved mechanism for them; you'll need to do all the work yourself. As I recall, the authors of the first example above implemented their own custom MDEF and WDEF to communicate with the application's code. Good luck... -ken -- ========== ....... ============================================= Ken McLeod :. .: felix!dhw68k!thecloud@ics.uci.edu ========== :::.. ..::: InterNet: thecloud@dhw68k.cts.com //// =============================================
bell@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Mike Bell) (02/16/89)
In article <1979@pur-phy> sho@newton.physics.purdue.edu.UUCP (Sho Kuwamoto) writes: >In article <7554@csli.STANFORD.EDU> wilson@csli.UUCP (Nathan Wilson) writes: ><I'm considering using floating palettes in an object oriented graphics ><editor (as per a large number number of graphics programs including ><MacPaint 2.0). I vaguely remember someone mentioning an article on ><how to do them. Does any one have this reference? Or for that matter ><does anyone have any example source code that does them? Are such ><palettes considered a serious violation of the user interface ><guidelines? Is there or will there ever be an Apple approved ><mechanism for them? Is there something people like better? > >There is an excellent article in the April 1988 issue of MacTutor, >complete with source code. It's very long, so you probably will want >to get the source disk. There are a couple of earlier articles on >tear off menus, but they are not as complete as this one. I have some >floating palettes in the application I'm currently working on, but >they have been customized to my application, so I'm not sure how >useful the code would be. It would probably be easier to just send in >for the generic version. > >Personally, I like floating palettes, as long as they are not used to >excess. I'd like to see some Toolbox calls to implement floating >palettes and floating tear off menus, but I don't see it happening any >time soon. Now what I really want the fabled complete rewrite of the >ROMs. I'd even be willing to shell out a couple of thousand dollars >for a board swap for my Mac II.... > >-Sho Has anyone seen the Tear Off Menu init from Mindvision Software ? It adds toms to every program, including the finder ! I have been using it for a couple of weeks without any problems. It's great for drawing programs, especially with two screens. Mike Bell bell@eniac.seas.upenn.edu _______________ / ___________ \ | / \ | | | UPenn | | | | Mac | | Administrator: Mike Bell (bell@eniac) | | Archives | | | \___________/ | To access the Mac archives, issue the command: | ______ | cd ~mac/new | , |______| | For a listing of all available files, read: | @ | filelist.tx \_______________/ Send any questions/suggestions about the archives to: | | \_______________/ mac@eniac ***** Above instructions are valid for PennNet use only...all others use FTP
wdh@well.UUCP (Bill Hofmann) (02/17/89)
In article <7554@csli.STANFORD.EDU> wilson@csli.UUCP (Nathan Wilson) writes: >I'm considering using floating palettes in an object oriented graphics >editor (as per a large number number of graphics programs including >MacPaint 2.0). I vaguely remember someone mentioning an article on >how to do them. Does any one have this reference? Or for that matter >does anyone have any example source code that does them? MacTutor April 88, p. 26ff, MacTutor December 88, p. 76ff. I'm using code from the first article in an application. It's good code, except for an ommission or two. You can get the code on disks from MacTutor. I believe there is a user-interface document published by apple, describing the appropriate uses for windoids, and the way they should be invoked. This also covers tear-offs. Hypercard, of course, violates the guidelines. The second article includes a discussion of interface issues. -Bill
sho@pur-phy (Sho Kuwamoto) (02/19/89)
> Has anyone seen the Tear Off Menu init from Mindvision Software ? It adds >toms to every program, including the finder ! I have been using it for a couple >of weeks without any problems. It's great for drawing programs, especially with two screens. How does this INIT handle programs which implement floating palettes on their own? -Sho
sho@pur-phy (Sho Kuwamoto) (02/20/89)
In article <19995@dhw68k.cts.com> thecloud@dhw68k.cts.com (Ken McLeod) writes: >In article <7554@csli.STANFORD.EDU> wilson@csli.UUCP (Nathan Wilson) writes: >>I'm considering using floating palettes in an object oriented graphics >>editor [...] > [...] > MacTutor, Vol.4 No.12 (Dec. 1988): "Tool Window Manager" How is this last article? I didn't pick up this copy of MacTutor, (damn, should get a subscription one of these days) so what I'd like to know is how this is different from the stuff in the April issue. -Sho
borton@uva.UUCP (Chris Borton) (02/21/89)
In article <1989@pur-phy> sho@newton.physics.purdue.edu.UUCP (Sho Kuwamoto) writes: >> MacTutor, Vol.4 No.12 (Dec. 1988): "Tool Window Manager" > >How is this last article? I didn't pick up this copy of MacTutor, >(damn, should get a subscription one of these days) so what I'd >like to know is how this is different from the stuff in the April >issue. The April issue implemented things as a WDEF and an MDEF. The December article does things with a parallel set of window routines-- TGetNewWindow(), TFrontWindow(), etc. that do the normal window stuff and their own pallette handling as well. Thus, different approaches to the problem. Note on earlier question about "Apple-approved" methods: although I don't know if you could call it an Apple-approved method, Mac DTS WAS consulted and "approved" of the April code. -cbb -- Chris Borton borton%uva@mcvax.{nl,bitnet,uucp} Rotary Scholar & Network Administrator, University of Amsterdam CS
ra_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu (02/26/89)
In article <644@uva.UUCP>, borton@uva.UUCP (Chris Borton) writes... >Note on earlier question about "Apple-approved" methods: although I >don't know if you could call it an Apple-approved method, Mac DTS WAS >consulted and "approved" of the April code. How about Apple putting floating palletes in the ToolBox? The more apps do it their own way, the more chance they have of breaking on future Apple systems/CPU's. If there's a standard method relying on ToolBox calls, the underlying code can be updated by Apple to keep in shape with future releases. Just a thought. Robert ------ ra_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu ------ generic disclaimer: all my opinions are mine