Re: Graphics properties implementation

[Michael Goffioul]

On 1/12/08, Shai Ayal <address@hidden> wrote:
> OK, it seems like it's time to start adding properties.
> Michael, Just so we don't duplicate our work, Do you plan on adding
> other properties soon or will you focus on the backend?
> If you are planning to add, lets divide the work -- tell me what you
> want to add, and I'll do the rest

Please go ahead with adding properties (I need them in order
to continue on the rendering code). I won't have that much time
this weekend, so I'll let you start on it. I think that the first
thing to do is to identify the properties that every object should
have and put them in the base_properties class (note that this
class is not auto-generated). I remember I've seen a page
in Matlab doc about common properties (I don't have Matlab
under hand for the moment and the Mathworks server is down).

There are other things I can do while you're working on the
properties: for instance add the C++ code to implement listeners,
add flags for the genprops.awk script to support hidden or
read-only properties.

Related to hidden properties, I think that properties like
__plot_stream__ and so on should be hidden. Normally, hidden
properties should not be listed by the "get(void)" method; they
should only be accessible on explicit requests by the
"get(caseless_str)" method. However, doing this will make
some m-code not functional: for instance, "drawnow" uses
"get(fig_handle)" to get a structure containing all properties;
if hidden properties are not part of the structure, drawnow
will fail. What do you think?

Michael.