Re: Love the language & API, would like to modify the UI

[Sheldon Gill]

Issac Trotts wrote:
> I'm looking at the gui examples, wondering how to make them look and
> act more like regular Win32 apps when they run on Win32.
>
> How do I get the menu to be part of the application's main window?

We need to create a view class which will hold the menu within the applications 
main window. A number of applications will need to be modified for this because 
they open *without* a main window.

> The CurrencyConverter beeps instead of closing when I click on the X
> button at the top right of its window (using Windows style).  How can
> I make it close and not beep?

Haven't looked more closely at it but the beep is because the window isn't 
responding to the message.

When using GNUstep style windows, can you close the window properly?

> Is there a way to change the window background color to something
> other than dark gray?

Yes, you need to modify the System.clr file in your home directory. 
Unfortunately, it's not as easy as editing a text file.

For your application you can modify the System color list. Look at NSColorList. 
You want to change the color for the key @"windowBackgroundColor" from memory.

> Pressing Ctrl-c to copy the contents of a textfield makes the computer
> emit an old-school DOS beep.  Is there a way to turn off the beep and
> make it copy to the Win32 clipboard?

This is because GNUstep on windows currently doesn't map ctrl-c to the "copy" 
command.

> Whenever I start an app for the first time it brings up a dialog box
> with the title "Information" telling me "Server Preferences Not Set". 
> I would like this not to happen.  Then it brings up a dialog box
> entitled "server Preferences".  In this box I can choose not to "Use
> Win Taskbar" which makes it so that the next time I launch the app it
> has a window stuck in the middle of the screen that cannot be moved,
> resized, maximized, hidden, or closed by X-button.  I would like to
> not be given this option.

I have modified this myself but haven't committed the code. (Will do soon)

In the interim, you can shut it up with the 'defaults' command. Try:

defaults write NSGlobalDomain GSUseWMStyles YES
defaults write NSGlobalDomain GSUseWMTaskbar YES

> The scrollbar does not respond to the mouse wheel.  How do I change this?

You modify -back to detect the windows mouse scroll message.
You modify -gui to respond to the mouse wheel movement.

> It's not clear to me how to make the apps launch by clicking in
> explorer.  Any ideas?

You've got to launch the actual executable. If you've made 
CurrencyConverter.app you need to launch CurrencyConverter.exe which is inside 
that directory.

> I can launch GSTest.app by cd'ing to the gnustep-examples-1.0.0/gui
> directory and typing openapp GSTest/GSTest.app but if I cd to the
> GSTest directory and type openapp GSTest.app it reports this error:
>
> Can't find the required application: GSTest.app!

As above, you need to:

cd examples/GSTest/GSTest.app
./GSTest.exe

> How do I resize the windows with the mouse?

You drag the bottom edge. If you're using GNUstep style windows you'll get *no*
feedback while doing this what-soever.

If you're using native style windows, it may look like you can resize it but 
that doesn't mean you can.


These are the short form answers because I'm pressed for time right now. If 
you'd like to look more closely into these things please feel free to ask more 
questions.


Regards,
Sheldon