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MDI

 
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Alyce
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Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Posts: 91

PostPosted: Aug 13th, 2007, 12:15pm    Post subject: MDI Reply with quote

Brent,

The MDI features of WMLiberty are very useful. I've created working MDI apps using LB and API calls, but it's a kludge, at best. I hope the next version of WMLiberty includes improvements in this feature. It's one that is often requested in LB-Land. It's also one of the reasons I use other languages.

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PostPosted: Aug 13th, 2007, 12:53pm    Post subject: Re: MDI Reply with quote

One of the big problems I see with MDI as implemented is that it's next to impossible to store data 'in' a window. With straight API, you'd just allocate some extra memory per window in the class, trap the WM_NCCREATE and WM_NCDESTROY messages to initialize it, and write a couple helper functions to get/set the information in the form of a struct. Having some way to do this through WMLiberty would be awesome.

Other than that, things are basically kosher as-is. I'm using so many API calls, controls, and callbacks anyway... but that's another topic entirely.
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Brent
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Joined: 01 Jul 2005
Posts: 797

PostPosted: Aug 13th, 2007, 10:38pm    Post subject: Re: MDI Reply with quote

Hi Alyce & Bill,

I've given MDI some thought and I believe it may be possible to clone existing windows; something like this:
Code:
' THIS IS NOT REAL CODE
' Skeleton of a Very Basic MDI Text Editor
    NoMainWin

    Global g.hwndMDIFrame

    Open "WMLiberty" For DLL As #wmlib

[main.Setup]
    WindowWidth = _CW_USEDEFAULT
    WindowHeight = _CW_USEDEFAULT
    StyleBits #main, 0, _WS_VISIBLE, 0, 0

    Menu #main, _
        "&File", _
        "&New",        main.New, _
        "&Open...",    main.Nothing, _
        "E&xit",       main.Exit
    Menu #main, _
        "&Window"
    Menu #main, _
        "&Help", _
        "&About this demo...", main.Nothing

    Open "MDI Text Editor" For Window As #main

    #main "TrapClose main.Close"
    #main "ResizeHandler main.Resize"

    hwndFrame = HWnd(#main)
    hwndClient = _NULL ' Use the full client area.

    CallDLL #wmlib, "CreateMDIFrameClone", _
        hwndFrame    As ULong, _
        hwndClient   As ULong, _
        g.hwndMDIFrame As ULong

[doc.Setup]
    WindowWidth = _CW_USEDEFAULT
    WindowHeight = _CW_USEDEFAULT
    StyleBits #doc, 0, _WS_VISIBLE, 0, 0

    Menu #doc, _
        "&File", _
        "&New",        main.New, _
        "&Open...",    main.Nothing, _
        "&Save",       main.Nothing, _
        "Save &As...", main.Nothing, _
        "&Print...",   main.Nothing, _
        "E&xit",       main.Exit
    Menu #doc, "Edit"
    Menu #doc, "&Window"
    Menu #doc, _
        "&Help", _
        "&About this demo...", main.Nothing

    TextEditor #doc, 0, 0, 320, 300

    Open "Document" For Window As #doc

    #doc "TrapClose doc.Close"

    Wait

Sub main.Close wnd$
    Close #doc ' also destroys all clones
    Close #main
    Close #wmlib
    End
End Sub

Sub main.Resize wnd$
End Sub

Sub main.Exit
    Call main.Close "#main"
End Sub

Sub main.Nothing
    Notice "Not implemented."
End Sub

Sub main.New
    hwndDoc = HWnd(#doc)

    CallDLL #wmlib, "CreateMDIChildClone", _
        hwndDoc        As ULong, _
        "Document"     As Ptr, _
        g.hwndMDIFrame As ULong, _
        hwndMDIChild   As ULong
End Sub

Sub doc.Close wnd$
    CallDLL #wmlib, "DestroyActiveChild", _
        g.hwndMDIFrame As ULong, _
        ret As Long
End Sub

The hard part may be trying to trap modifications to LB "widgets" like texteditors and graphicboxes.

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PostPosted: Aug 22nd, 2007, 6:48pm    Post subject: Re: MDI Reply with quote

Looking at it now, I've found a work-around to the issue of storing information with windows. Instead of storing the data itself with the window, an app-specific window ID can be stored (using SetWindowLong). That ID corresponds with an entry in a dynamic array. I've also worked out some simple garbage collection: when a new ID is requested, the allocater looks for an entry flagged as closed.

Truth be told, now that this issue is solved, I *like* the current implementation of MDI. Maybe I've been spending too much time doing straight Win32. Rolling Eyes
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Brent
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Joined: 01 Jul 2005
Posts: 797

PostPosted: Aug 24th, 2007, 9:31am    Post subject: Re: MDI Reply with quote

Bill, I'm glad you've found a way around your problem. The extra window data can be very useful for storing tidbits. My proposed changes to MDI support would also include "-Ex" versions that would allow you to specify window data blocks and more.
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