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From: Lawson.English@p88.f15.n300.z1.fidonet.org (Lawson English)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Dialogs and TCL
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Date: 2 Feb 91 16:37:00 GMT
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David M Marcovitz writes in a message to All

DMM> Are there classes in TCL to handle dialogs? I just learned how 
DMM> to use the CBartender class to play with menus, and it makes 
DMM> life really easy. I would think there would be something similar 
DMM> to handle dialog boxes. Is there anything

The closest thing to it is the CAboutBox in the More Classes folder, which is
a real kludge.

What I've been thinking about is to create a new SwitchBoard class and Window
class that handle dialogues the way MacApp does. 

Basically, one must put a test into the ProcessEvent method that checks  FrontWindow
 to see if 1) is it a TCL window, and 2) if so, is it set with an "itsADialogue"
flag = TRUE.

If all of the above then you have to check for clicks outside the content region
of the front window, cmd-key-presses aside from "c," "v" and "x," and SysBeep
'em.

Elsewise you pass the event on to the inherited method. The easiest way to do
it would be to split the functionality (don't you love that word) of ProcessEvent
into two methods: ProcessEvent, which is identical until the line 

"if (isMyEvent)"

is reached, and DoEvent, which takes the EventRecord as an arguement. Your new
ProcessEvent class should now say:

if (isMyEvent) then
     DoEvent(theEventRecord);

In the base class (which substitutes for CSwitchBoard), DoEvent does exactly
what the old "if (isMyEvent)" block did. In the override method for handling
dialogues, DoEvent handles the special cases discussed above and either eats
them or passes them to inherited DoEvent.

You CDialogueWindow should have an "itsADialogue" flag that is always set to
false unless you need a modal dialogue. 

Now you can use a normal TCL window as a Dialogue window and use all the CPanes
and co. to your hearts content. If you want to be fancy, you can create a default
button, a default text field, etc. ala the MacApp dialogues. You can also have
custom controls as methods, and animation without filterprocs, etc. You can
even design the thing to work with the Dialogue templates of ResEdit, and do
a GetDialogue to load the various resources (good luck there!).

Very handy.


I'm still implementing the above, but you now have all my research and thoughts
on the subject. Go fer it if you need a CDialogue class.


Lawson
 

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