Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde!uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!orca.wv.tek.com!demiurge!brucec
From: brucec@demiurge.WV.TEK.COM (Bruce Cohen;685-2439;61-028)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.smalltalk
Subject: Re: Smalltalk Interface Builder
Keywords: interface builder smalltalk
Message-ID: <5542@orca.wv.tek.com>
Date: 5 Dec 89 19:27:58 GMT
References: <4692@netcom.UUCP>
Sender: nobody@orca.wv.tek.com
Reply-To: brucec@demiurge.WV.TEK.COM (Bruce Cohen)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Wilsonville, OR
Lines: 27

In article <4692@netcom.UUCP> cooper@netcom.UUCP (Ken Cooper) writes:
> ...
>The basis of the interface builder is a set of reusable classes, or widgets,
>which implement the functionality of standard GUI mechanisms.  Each widget
>manages its interaction with the user, and sends relevant messages to its
>registered owner only when something interesting occurs.  For example, a
>button widget would handle all button presses, giving the user feedback that
>the button was pressed, sending a message to its owner only when the mouse was
>released within the button.  If you're used to MVC, this model brings the View
>and Controller into one package, avoiding much of the spaghetti so typical of
>Panes and Dispatchers.

This design sounds similar to the various X toolkits, especially
InterViews.  Your use of the word "widget" makes me think the resemblance
is more than coincidence.

Recently, Mark Linton, who is the driving force behind InterViews, began
organizing a working group to develop a C++ class lattice which provides an
X toolkit.  I'd say much of what you have done in Smalltalk is applicable
to that effort; I'd like to hear more detail, and I think Mark ought to
know about this.  I'm sending him a copy of you posting, in case he hasn't
seen it.

Bruce Cohen
brucec@orca.wv.tek.com
Interactive Technologies Division, Tektronix, Inc.
M/S 60-850, P.O. Box 1000, Wilsonville, OR  97070