lrr@Princeton.EDU (Lawrence R. Rogers) (05/04/89)
Suppose you wanted to build a tool that works like the garbage can whereby you move files to it. Say you wanted to call it TeX and that to format you would move an icon and then the file as formatted would appear on your favorite printer. How easy is it to integrate such a tool into the windowing system, and if it isn't, shouldn't it be easy? Thanks. Larry Rogers (Postmaster@Princeton.EDU) Manager, Operating Systems Princeton University Computing and Information Technology Computing Center 87 Prospect Street, Room 201 Princeton, NJ 08544 UUCP: princeton!lrr ARPANET/CSNET: lrr@Princeton.EDU BITNET: lrr@pucc.BITNET PHONE: 609 452 6483
ali@polya.Stanford.EDU (Ali T. Ozer) (05/05/89)
In article <8113@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> Lawrence R. Rogers writes: >Suppose you wanted to build a tool that works like the garbage can >whereby you move files to it. Say you wanted to call it TeX and that >to format you would move an icon and then the file as formatted would >appear on your favorite printer. How easy is it to integrate such a >tool into the windowing system, and if it isn't, shouldn't it be easy? It's easy. The Workspace Manager provides the functionality for your app to register one or more of its windows such that when the user drags a file icon on top of your window and lets go, a method in your app gets called. Take a look at the Draw & Icon programs in /NextDeveloper/Demos in 0.9: They both allow you to drop TIFF and PS icons from the Workspace in the drawing area. (Source for Draw is included in /NextDeveloper/Examples.) BTW, 0.9 includes TeX and Metafont. Fonts are generated on the fly as needed and stored in /LocalLibrary (thus making them available on that system to others). Ali Ozer, NeXT Developer Support aozer@NeXT.com
peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) (05/05/89)
In article <8113@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>, lrr@Princeton.EDU (Lawrence R. Rogers) writes: > Suppose you wanted to build a tool that works like the garbage > can whereby you move files to it. Say you wanted to call it TeX > and that to format you would move an icon and then the file as > formatted would appear on your favorite printer. The original Window/Icon/Mouse user interface on the Xerox Star office automation system worked this way. In fact that was the way ALL the commands behaved. I have often wondered why this rather intuitive user interface was abandoned in favor of double-clicking. -- Peter da Silva, Xenix Support, Ferranti International Controls Corporation. Business: uunet.uu.net!ficc!peter, peter@ficc.uu.net, +1 713 274 5180. Personal: ...!texbell!sugar!peter, peter@sugar.hackercorp.com.
osborn@ut-emx.UUCP (John H. Osborn) (05/05/89)
In article <8956@polya.Stanford.EDU>, ali@polya.Stanford.EDU (Ali T. Ozer) writes: > In article <8113@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> Lawrence R. Rogers writes: > >Suppose you wanted to build a tool that works like the garbage can > >whereby you move files to it. Say you wanted to call it TeX and that [TeX-talk deleted] > It's easy. The Workspace Manager provides the functionality for your app > to register one or more of its windows such that when the user drags a file > icon on top of your window and lets go, a method in your app gets called. > Take a look at the Draw & Icon programs in /NextDeveloper/Demos in 0.9: They > both allow you to drop TIFF and PS icons from the Workspace in the > drawing area. (Source for Draw is included in /NextDeveloper/Examples.) > [more TeX deleted] > > Ali Ozer, NeXT Developer Support > aozer@NeXT.com Finally! I've been waiting for an interface like this. I'm a big fan of this technique and have wanted to impliment things with it for a long time. Now, more complex, how about dropping a folder on your icon? (With images of Iconic printers, xerox machines, and faxes dancing in head) -John Osborn (osborn@emx.utexas.edu) UTexas Computation Center - User Services - Bovine Division
edwardm@hpcupt1.HP.COM (Edward McClanahan) (05/06/89)
> The original Window/Icon/Mouse user interface on the Xerox Star office > automation system worked this way. In fact that was the way ALL the commands > behaved. I have often wondered why this rather intuitive user interface > was abandoned in favor of double-clicking. ---------- Well, double-clicking IS faster. The Mac interface seems to also make the assumption that a single file only has a single application associated with it (e.g. double-clicking on a spreadsheet data-file icon brings up the spreadsheet program loaded with the selected spreadsheet data-file). Also, I personally prefer a trackball to a mouse (because it is always in the same place, doesn't need as much room, doesn't require a separate pad to avoid scratching my desk, etc...). My problem with a trackball is: "How do you hold down a button and drag an icon?" Ed "maybe if I moved my phone over here..." McClanahan
mblakele@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Tad Blakeley) (05/08/89)
In article <-290109998@hpcupt1.HP.COM> edwardm@hpcupt1.HP.COM (Edward McClanahan) writes: >Also, I personally prefer a trackball to a mouse (because it is always in >the same place, doesn't need as much room, doesn't require a separate pad >to avoid scratching my desk, etc...). My problem with a trackball is: >"How do you hold down a button and drag an icon?" Kensington (and perhaps others) has solved this problem quite well, by putting a click-lock button on the trackball. With the Kensington Turbo Mouse, as they call their Mac trackball, you can configure either the left or right button to be click or click-lock, so it's lefty-friendly. Also, "chording" both buttons at once sends a user-configurable command (mine is set for Ouit). With a multi-button system like X-Windows, I would suggest using a double-click or a chorded click to activate click-lock, and a single subsequent click to release. That way you have your whole hand free to drag accurately. Actually, I don't have much trouble dragging and clicking with my Kensington, but others seem to. >Ed "maybe if I moved my phone over here..." McClanahan ---> Disclaimer: I have no relation with Kensington Microware, other than as a _relatively_ satisfied customer. I haven't tried any other trackballs, so I'm not even sure that mine is particularly good. -- tad -- W "Americans don't care much for beauty; they'll shit in a river, S I Dump oil in an ocean." _Last Great American Whale_ (Live) T B e-mail and random flames to: mblakele@jarthur.claremont.edu R ------- Screw Western Interstate Bank, Savings, and Trust of Riverside -------