Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnewsk!ech
From: ech@cbnewsk.ATT.COM (ned.horvath)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: When to use a _real_ moda
Message-ID: <2258@cbnewsk.ATT.COM>
Date: 21 Mar 90 22:57:48 GMT
References: <16785@well.sf.ca.us>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 20

From article <16785@well.sf.ca.us>, by oster@well.sf.ca.us (David Phillip Oster):
> The general problem for modeless dialogs are that if _anything_ changes, then
> you have to scan a list of potentially visible dialogs to see which ones _are_
> visible, then change all relevant fields to be consistent with the new
> information.  (You have to do this anyway, but in a world of modal dialogs,
> the set of things that are potentially visible is much smaller.)
> 
> For example, suppose you have a database with three windows visible:
> a main window showing many records, a data entry showing one record, where
> the user can edit individual fields, and search window.
[more examples]

To put this into SmallTalk-y or object-oriented terms, what you are describing
is a DATA object with multiple VIEWS.  The recommended method is to store a
list of dependent VIEW objects in the DATA object, then have the data object,
when changed, send lots of CHANGED...BECAUSE messages to the dependents.

Think about it...

=Ned Horvath=