Fred or Freak: Smooth IDE resize

[Tenaja]

Ok, so what's the trick? The PB IDE resizes without flickering the main text window.

JaPBe flickers horribly when resizing. (Almost beyond flicker, to just blank off.)
EPB is even worse.

I wrote a simple IDE with tabs and 2 splitters formatted just like the PB IDE, and while not nearly as bad as JaPBe, the main text window still flickers. The flicker is gray, but the text disappears. I debugged all of the events going on, and I don't have any calls other than getting windowheight (etc) and resizing the gadgets.

Is it the Scintila restyle? Even that is called very infrequently compared to the window resize...but can it be temporarily disabled until the resize is finished?

...and while I am asking about this topic, is there a place to reference the values of all #SCI_ constants?

Thanks.

[freak]

The IDE does not use a SplitterGadget on the main window on Windows. It uses the mouse messages directly to implement the draging.

[Tenaja]

Ok, thanks. Is it written in PB?

Does that mean you have many CompilerIfs (or IfDef's) for the OS?

[Zach]

I think the bigger tell here might also be the IDE uses a Scintilla text box as well.. Maybe it has its own routines to handle the redraw or something? Or maybe you're using that already...

Either way, I think the forums are littered with thread after thread about GUI/Window resizing, how to get it flicker free, and stuff like that.. I don't know if it has to be ownerdrawn but I think I've seen that term mentioned a lot.

Maybe a forum search will help you get more info.


All I know is, ProGUI is a lot better about that. I don't think I've ever seen it flicker (but not saying it doesn't)

[leonhardt]

SmartWindowRefresh(0,1)

[aston]

There is one old trick to avoid flickering of scintilla control (ScintillaGadget).
Just add to main window flag #WS_CLIPCHILDREN like this:

Code: Select all

;scintilla control in editor app
#SCI_STYLESETFORE = 2051
#SCI_SETTEXT = 2181
Define win.i
win = 1
Define hsci.i
Define htext.s
htext = "This is a simple Scintilla with text..."
hsci=1
Define winstyle
winstyle = (#PB_Window_SystemMenu|#PB_Window_SizeGadget |#PB_Window_MinimizeGadget | #PB_Window_MaximizeGadget|#WS_CLIPCHILDREN)

  OpenWindow(win,100, 100, 640, 480, "Scintilla Control",winstyle ) 
     If InitScintilla()
        hsci=ScintillaGadget(win, 10, 52, 600, 400, #Null )
        
        ; front set color
        SendMessage_(hsci, #SCI_STYLESETFORE, 0, RGB(0, 0, 0))
        
        SendMessage_(hsci,#SCI_STYLESETBACK,32,RGB(249,248,218))
        
        SendMessage_(hsci,#SCI_STYLECLEARALL, 0, 1)
        
        scifontsize.i = 9
	      For i = 0 To 12
	        SendMessage_(hsci,#SCI_STYLESETFONT, i, "Courier New")
	      SendMessage_(hsci,#SCI_STYLESETSIZE, i, scifontsize)
	      Next i
;set number margin (For numnbers)
SendMessage_(hsci, #SCI_SETMARGINTYPEN, 0, #SC_MARGIN_NUMBER)
SendMessage_(hsci, #SCI_SETMARGINWIDTHN, 0, 46)
;set color of caret line
SendMessage_ (hsci,#SCI_SETCARETLINEBACK,RGB(225,225,245),0)
;Set caret line visible
SendMessage_ (hsci,#SCI_SETCARETLINEVISIBLE,1,0)
        ;test 
        SendMessage_(hsci, #SCI_SETTEXT, 100, htext)
        
        
        
     EndIf
     
     Repeat
       wmsg=WaitWindowEvent()
       
       Select wmsg
           
        Case #WM_SIZE   
           winW = WindowWidth(win) 
           winH = WindowHeight(win)
           ResizeGadget(1, 10, 52, (winW-20), (winH-64))
          
       EndSelect
       
       
     Until wmsg = #WM_CLOSE
  

And work fine without flickering

[Foz]

And another Windows only method that feels wrong when resizing, but definitely removes all flickering (by removing all the updates until the resize has finished):

Code: Select all

Procedure ResizeGadgets()
  ResizeGadget(4, 0, 0, WindowWidth(0), WindowHeight(0))
EndProcedure


Procedure WndProc(hwnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam)
  Protected result = #PB_ProcessPureBasicEvents
  
  If uMsg = #WM_EXITSIZEMOVE
    ResizeGadgets()
  EndIf
  
  ProcedureReturn result
EndProcedure

ProcedureDLL ScintillaCallBack(Gadget, *scinotify.SCNotification)
  ;
  ; The ProcedureDLL declaration is important for the callback to work correctly on MacOSX,
  ; on all other OS it has no effect.
  ;
EndProcedure

InitScintilla()


OpenWindow(0, 0, 0, 500, 500, "Resize Test", #PB_Window_SystemMenu | #PB_Window_SizeGadget | #PB_Window_WindowCentered)
ScintillaGadget(0, 0, 0, 0, 0, @ScintillaCallBack())
ScintillaGadget(1, 0, 0, 0, 0, @ScintillaCallBack())
SplitterGadget(2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, #PB_Splitter_Separator | #PB_Splitter_Vertical    )
ScintillaGadget(3, 0, 0, 0, 0, @ScintillaCallBack())
SplitterGadget(4, 0, 0, 500, 500, 2, 3, #PB_Splitter_Separator )

SetWindowCallback(@WndProc(), 0)

Repeat
  Event  = WaitWindowEvent()
  
  Select Event
    Case #PB_Event_MaximizeWindow, #PB_Event_RestoreWindow
      ResizeGadgets()
      
    Case #PB_Event_CloseWindow
      Define Quit = 1
  EndSelect
  
Until Quit = 1

[Tenaja]

Foz--thanks for the sample; I've saved it for later reference, although it is not suitable for this app.

Aston--with your short sample, the flickering was not noticeable at all. Since mine has a couple splitters, though, it did make a difference--but not without its own artifacts, leaving a trail of scrollbars. With this trick, it appears there are slightly fewer artifacts (or they disappear sooner) in Scintilla gadget if it is positioned on the top/left, like the PB IDE has. I prefer the Proc and Var list on the left, though, because it allows for smaller mouse moves. I just might replace the splitter with direct manipulation, as Freak mentioned. (When I have time to kill.)

Thanks a lot!

[User_Russian]

The editor, without flicker.
http://www.mediafire.com/?jdt7pr5ptd18g3q

[Tenaja]

I just ran your exe (have not yet installed the xp library), but it is way smoother than even the PB IDE. Very nice. I will have to dig into the code to see if your tricks are win-only...and make sure it is not because it is just very few features.

Unfortunately, the comments are kind of difficult to read. In PB's IDE, they are all vowels...
; Èäåíòèôèêàòîð ðåäàêòîðà ðåäàêòîðà

Anyway, I will figure it out. Thank you very much!

[Tenaja]

And another Windows only method that feels wrong when resizing, but definitely removes all flickering (by removing all the updates until the resize has finished):... (CODE CUT)

Foz,
I just had an idea that expanded upon yours, and it works reasonably well. (I still haven't dissected the Russian code.) Instead of redrawing on every event (one extreme), or waiting for only a single redraw (the other extreme), it updates with a pre-set time delay. Instead of continual artifacts, you get stepped artifacts. Kind of a compromise that allows precise resizing yet reduces smearingartifacts. It does require a Case #WM_EXITSIZEMOVE, to accommodate for resizes between the time-outs.

With my 4-year old dual core laptop, with the delay at 100ms, I skip over 3-10 redraw calls, depending upon how fast I move the mouse and how large the window is on my 26" monitor.

If I can't get a good cross-platform solution from the Russian code, I will leave this in.

Code: Select all

			    Case #WM_EXITSIZEMOVE
							maximized = 0
							windowW = WindowWidth(#WIN1)
							windowH = WindowHeight(#WIN1)			;for saving in Prefs.
							If GetWindowState(#WIN1) = #PB_Window_Maximize
								maximized = 1
							EndIf
							ResizeGadget(#SPLITTER_Left,0,ToolBarHgt,windowW, windowH-ToolBarHgt-StatusBarHeight(#STAT1) - MenuHeight())
							timeResizeLast = ElapsedMilliseconds()
							Debug "ExitSizeMove " + Str(ResizeCounter)
							ResizeCounter = 0
    		
    		
				Case #PB_Event_SizeWindow
						timeResizeNow = ElapsedMilliseconds()
						If timeResizeNow > timeResizeLast + #RESIZEDELAY		; 100ms is a good delay
							maximized = 0
							windowW = WindowWidth(#WIN1)
							windowH = WindowHeight(#WIN1)			;for saving in Prefs.
							If GetWindowState(#WIN1) = #PB_Window_Maximize
								maximized = 1
							EndIf
							ResizeGadget(#SPLITTER_Left,0,ToolBarHgt,windowW, windowH-ToolBarHgt-StatusBarHeight(#STAT1) - MenuHeight())
							timeResizeLast = ElapsedMilliseconds()
							Debug ResizeCounter
							ResizeCounter = 0
						Else
							ResizeCounter + 1
						EndIf

[Danilo]

I just ran your exe (have not yet installed the xp library), [...]

Be careful, a friend told me that User_Russian's pbTorrent could possibly contain a Trojan. It loads another .EXE by HTTP GET.

Be smart and do not run any .EXE from User_Russian on your main desktop.
Just look at the source code and if you still want to test the executable, run it within a protected environment.

Just a warning, be careful.

[Tenaja]

Turns out a call to this macro after every resize gets rid of the scroll-bar smearing artifacts--with it, the window even looks nicer than the PB IDE. (Too bad it is not cross-platform.)

Code: Select all

Macro RedrawWindow()
	CompilerIf #PB_Compiler_OS = #PB_OS_Windows
		RedrawWindow_(WindowID(#WIN1), 0, 0, #RDW_UPDATENOW)
	CompilerEndIf
EndMacro

[User_Russian]

I just ran your exe (have not yet installed the xp library), [...]

Be careful, a friend told me that User_Russian's pbTorrent could possibly contain a Trojan. It loads another .EXE by HTTP GET.

In the torrent client is not malware, which cause harm to your computer or download other Trojan programs on the computer.
I've never created a virus and is not going to do it.

You can check pbTorrent, on the site. www.virustotal.com

[Trond]

The panel gadget flickers alot, so if you use that for the tabs you will get flicker.