mab@druwy.ATT.COM (Alan Bland) (09/25/90)
I'm planning a programming project and the timeframe looks right to develop it specifically for 2.0, and use the new 2.0 user interface support. Since I don't have 2.0 yet, I'd like to know what new capabilities have been introduced in the 2.0 Intuition toolkit. I don't care much about differences at the programming level, just what the end-user sees. Specifically, I'd like to know: 1. Does 2.0 support multiple-levels of sub-menus, instead of the single level of sub-menu supported by 1.3? 2. Is there support for automatically making a multi-column menu if there are too many menu items to fit on the screen? This is particularly important for programs that run in several different screen resolutions. This will also be important if only one level of sub-menu is supported. 3. Is there support for Open Look-style "pinned" menus? 4. Is there finally a standard file requester? 5. Are proportional fonts supported everywhere (i.e. in text gadgets)? 6. Is there better support for super bitmap windows? Trying to program the prop gadgets in 1.3 is so cumbersome that many programs don't take advantage of scrollable windows. I don't want to plan to use scrollable windows if the programming interface is no better than 1.3. I'm sure there are plenty of other similar questions I should ask. If you know of other new user interface goodies along these lines, I'd appreciate hearing about them. Thanks!! -- -- Alan Bland -- att!druwy!mab == mab@druwy.ATT.COM -- AT&T Bell Laboratories, Denver CO -- (303)538-3510
peter@cbmvax.commodore.com (Peter Cherna) (10/01/90)
In article <6192@drutx.ATT.COM> mab@druwy.ATT.COM writes: >Specifically, I'd like to know: > >1. Does 2.0 support multiple-levels of sub-menus, instead of the single > level of sub-menu supported by 1.3? No. Only one level of sub-menu is available. More levels tend to be very awkward to use. >2. Is there support for automatically making a multi-column menu if there > are too many menu items to fit on the screen? This is particularly > important for programs that run in several different screen resolutions. > This will also be important if only one level of sub-menu is supported. The Gadget Toolkit (gadtools.library) provides full font-sensitive menu layout including automatic columnization. >3. Is there support for Open Look-style "pinned" menus? No. >4. Is there finally a standard file requester? Yes. You'll find it in asl.library. >5. Are proportional fonts supported everywhere (i.e. in text gadgets)? Yes. You can specify the font for your string gadgets in the new StringExtend structure, or otherwise you get the screen's font. Proportional fonts are supported by string gadgets under 2.0. >6. Is there better support for super bitmap windows? Trying to program the > prop gadgets in 1.3 is so cumbersome that many programs don't take advantage > of scrollable windows. I don't want to plan to use scrollable windows if > the programming interface is no better than 1.3. Both the gadget toolkit and Intuition support an easier description of proportional gadget values. For example, if your window represents 50 inches of a CAD drawing whose total width is 280 inches, and you wish the display to start 30 inches in, you would say GTSC_Visible = 50 GTSC_Total = 280 GTSC_Top = 30 When the scroller moves, you will be told of the new "top" value. >I'm sure there are plenty of other similar questions I should ask. If you >know of other new user interface goodies along these lines, I'd appreciate >hearing about them. GadTools provides a bunch of types of gadgets, including scrolling lists, mutually exclusive gadgets, cycle (multi-select) gadgets, etc. >Thanks!! >-- >-- Alan Bland Peter -- Peter Cherna, Software Engineer, Commodore-Amiga, Inc. {uunet|rutgers}!cbmvax!peter peter@cbmvax.cbm.commodore.com My opinions do not necessarily represent the opinions of my employer. "Very strange... the window is broken on both sides."
cunniff@hpfcso.HP.COM (Ross Cunniff) (10/01/90)
>1. Does 2.0 support multiple-levels of sub-menus, instead of the single > level of sub-menu supported by 1.3? No. >2. Is there support for automatically making a multi-column menu if there > are too many menu items to fit on the screen? This is particularly > important for programs that run in several different screen resolutions. > This will also be important if only one level of sub-menu is supported. I *think* this is supported by one of the toolkits; I'll look it up when I get home tonight. >3. Is there support for Open Look-style "pinned" menus? No. >4. Is there finally a standard file requester? Yes. The asl.library has a very nice file requester in it. >5. Are proportional fonts supported everywhere (i.e. in text gadgets)? Yes. Note that this can sometimes be *more* work for the programmer. >6. Is there better support for super bitmap windows? Trying to program the > prop gadgets in 1.3 is so cumbersome that many programs don't take advantage > of scrollable windows. I don't want to plan to use scrollable windows if > the programming interface is no better than 1.3. The programming interface for gadgets has vastly improved under 2.0. I assume you have access to the 2.0 autodocs; if not, I would suggest that you immediately get them. >-- Alan Bland Ross Cunniff Hewlett-Packard Colorado Language Lab cunniff@hpfcla.HP.COM