Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!cbmvax!peter
From: peter@cbmvax.commodore.com (Peter Cherna)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer
Subject: Re: Using the Layers library to do non-Intuition windows
Message-ID: <20926@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Date: 25 Apr 91 02:41:35 GMT
References: <1991Apr19.003233.16889@netcom.COM> <1991Apr22.103115.3443@sugar.hackercorp.com> <1991Apr24.031607.28073@netcom.COM>
Reply-To: peter@cbmvax.commodore.com (Peter Cherna)
Organization: Commodore-Amiga, Inc.  West Chester, PA.
Lines: 46

In article <1991Apr24.031607.28073@netcom.COM> rodent@netcom.COM (Ben Discoe) writes:
>  2. I CANNOT use a intuition window, because there is NO WAY to keep
>intuition from drawing into a window when you activate it with the mouse.
>Yes, even if you specify a borderless, title-less window with no gadgets,
>Intuition will still paint a bar at the top of the window when you click
>in it.

I suspect that your title-less window actually has a window title of "",
instead of NULL.  A null-string will give you the problem you report.
A NULL pointer for NewWindow.Title (along with the BORDERLESS flag,
and none of the WINDOW(DRAG|CLOSE|SIZE|DEPTH) flags) will make the
problem go away.

>Also, I will no longer be able to receive input through my
>original, backdrop window if I open other Intuition windows.  Tapping
>the input device is (hopefully) unnecessary trouble.

The best way is to make all your windows share a single IDCMP port.
That way, you don't have to worry about which window is providing
input, unless you care.  Send mail if you don't know the technique
for sharing IDCMP ports among multiple windows.

>  To explain why I seem to be going backwards in GUI evolution, let me
>explain: I am very seriously creating a dBASE 4 work-a-like for the Amiga.
>dBASE 4 windows are drawn with text, have no gadgets and in fact do not
>support mice at all.  I would use text buffers to refresh each window,
>but that involves writing my own text-based window manager to handle
>refreshing.  I though, why do that when the Layers library will do refreshing
>for me, and allow me to draw lines graphically in the windows as well?

I'd recommend doing your dbase-like rendering inside a regular Amiga
window.  If you use the BridgeBoard software, you get exactly
that effect (a PC window with an Amiga border around it).
If you remain unconvinced that you should use regular Amiga windows
with borders, think again.  If you're still unconvinced, use
borderless windows.  It can work.

>------------------
>Ben in San Jose, trying to do Great Things for the Amiga.

     Peter
--
Peter Cherna, Operating Systems Development Group, Commodore-Amiga, Inc.
{uunet|rutgers}!cbmvax!peter    peter@cbmvax.commodore.com
My opinions do not necessarily represent the opinions of my employer.
"If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."