Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!noao!ncar!ico!auto-trol!marbru
From: marbru@auto-trol.UUCP (Martin Brunecky)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: WHITE PAPER:  Enhancing the X resource file syntax
Keywords: Xrm
Message-ID: <841@auto-trol.UUCP>
Date: 24 Sep 90 17:18:08 GMT
Reply-To: marbru@auto-trol.COM (Martin Brunecky)
Organization: Auto-trol Technology, Denver
Lines: 40


   WHITE PAPER:  Enhancing the X resource file syntax

   The  resource  file  syntax,  as  required   by   XrmGetFileDatabase   and
   XrmPutLineResource  is  well  known.   However,  any  frequent Xrm user is
   probably tired of typing lines like:

      MyApp*file_menu.btn1.foreground:  white
      MyApp*file_menu.btn1.background:  black
      MyApp*file_menu.btn1.borderColor: red
      ....
      MyApp*file_menu.btn1.xxxx:        yyyy

   Sure, using loose bindings and/or using unique names (such as  f_menu_b_1)
   and/or using cpp, the amount of typing (and the resource file size) can be
   reduced.  But often at the cost of clarity and/or flexibility.

   So why not allow something like:

      MyApp*file_menu.btn1.foreground: white
      -.background:                    black
      -.borderColor:                   red

   The "-" operator would save lots of typing. It would reduce the file size.
   It would increase readability.
   Plus, it would allow internal optimizations within XrmGetFileDatabase:  it
   could  save the overhead of string parsing and database search list lookup
   for the repeated database path.  May be not that significant.   But  small
   improvements  keep  adding, and we all are desperately looking for ways to
   improve Xt applications startup performance.

   Thus, consider this yet another wish list item for R5.



-- 
=*= Opinions presented here are solely of my own and not those of Auto-trol =*=
Martin Brunecky                   marbru@auto-trol.COM
(303) 252-2499                    {...}ncar!ico!auto-trol!marbru
Auto-trol Technology Corp. 12500 North Washington St., Denver, CO 80241-2404