GridGadget

Applications, Games, Tools, User libs and useful stuff coded in PureBasic
Zach
Addict
Addict
Posts: 1654
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 12:36 am
Location: Somewhere in the midwest
Contact:

Re: GridGadget

Post by Zach »

I'm really interested in this topic. GUI design in general really, but as far as making custom gadgets or Windows I have had very poor luck searching. Google has been very poor help on the matter, as I find lots of similar questions from people wondering how to make their own GUI for a game, or their own widget for something. With basically no real answers, or sarcasm about "why bother to reinvent the wheel" etc..


But I have never been able to find an article or any kind of info on how to actually build a GUI from scratch (i.e for a game or something) and what is involved in that..


i.e Code examples on HOW you implement functionality for Copy/Cut/Paste, word formatting/wrapping, using actual Fonts (and/or Bitmap fonts) etc.. Just really going over a system as a whole from the ground up..

I see tons of people with frameworks of their own and this or that, but no one seems to want to share the secrets on how the hard bits are accomplished (Anyone can paint a picture of a Window in some form to the screen, but adding functionality is another beast).

Do you have any links to good reading you could share? Or any book recommendations?
Image
Polo
Addict
Addict
Posts: 2422
Joined: Tue May 06, 2003 5:07 pm
Location: UK

Re: GridGadget

Post by Polo »

Hi Zach!

You don't need to read anything to do what I've done, and I'm not a very good programmer.
Using PB's command set, it is very easy to create a custom gadget, you just need to know what you want to achieve and not forget the details.
For the editing system I had to scrach my head a few times to get things working like i wanted to, as it's not an easy task to get editing with font formatting working :)

So, can't send you articles/books on this subject as I didn't read any :)
Zach
Addict
Addict
Posts: 1654
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 12:36 am
Location: Somewhere in the midwest
Contact:

Re: GridGadget

Post by Zach »

Hi,

Is your source well commented? Are you willing to share it?

I dunno if I'd actually pick up anything but, who knows.
Image
Polo
Addict
Addict
Posts: 2422
Joined: Tue May 06, 2003 5:07 pm
Location: UK

Re: GridGadget

Post by Polo »

Hi, no sorry the source is not commented at all, and is 4500 lines of code.
I wont be sharing it as I am not sure of what to do with this, I'll make sure, when PB4.6 is released, to decide 8)
IdeasVacuum
Always Here
Always Here
Posts: 6425
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:33 am
Location: Wales, UK
Contact:

Re: GridGadget

Post by IdeasVacuum »

Zach, have a read of one or more of Charles Petzold's books, especially 'Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software'.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0735611319
IdeasVacuum
If it sounds simple, you have not grasped the complexity.
User avatar
USCode
Addict
Addict
Posts: 912
Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2004 11:04 pm
Location: Seattle, USA

Re: GridGadget

Post by USCode »

The PB guys should re-implement the ListIconGadget using the canvas and expand on it's capabilities.
User avatar
graph100
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
Posts: 115
Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2010 3:17 pm

Re: GridGadget

Post by graph100 »

If someone does that, maybe he will want to add it to this project : CustomGadget
I will soon post it in this forum, in English, I'm waiting to have more command and gadget.

also, if some test on mac could be done, I would appreciate the feedback, because now it's not tested on mac ;'(

@Polo : real Interesting works ;), I wanted to do this job one day, (don't have the time now XD )
_________________________________________________
My Website : CeriseCode (Warning : perpetual changes & not completed ;))
jesperbrannmark
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
Posts: 536
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:42 am
Location: sweden
Contact:

Re: GridGadget

Post by jesperbrannmark »

I think the gridgadget is great, the possibilities are so many - not only excel type programs but it can replace the old grey listicongadget in general i think.
i would love to get my hands on that code and try make it better. its really a fantastic piece you made there so far, nomatter if the code looks like crap.
I talked about doing something similar in the mac forum here, since on mac you are extremely limited with listicongadget (no colors etc)....
Just keep up the good work :-)
Polo
Addict
Addict
Posts: 2422
Joined: Tue May 06, 2003 5:07 pm
Location: UK

Re: GridGadget

Post by Polo »

jesperbrannmark wrote:I think the gridgadget is great, the possibilities are so many - not only excel type programs but it can replace the old grey listicongadget in general i think.
i would love to get my hands on that code and try make it better. its really a fantastic piece you made there so far, nomatter if the code looks like crap.
I talked about doing something similar in the mac forum here, since on mac you are extremely limited with listicongadget (no colors etc)....
Just keep up the good work :-)
Cheers mate!
As you said, the possibilities with this gadget are endless, it can be used as an excel type program, handling database data and such, etc...
I'll make sure to make it better with more functionnalities but i'd rather wait that PB4.6 is out, I've already done too much workaround to try to fix some bugs from the canvasgadget, scrollbars etc ;)
Zach
Addict
Addict
Posts: 1654
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 12:36 am
Location: Somewhere in the midwest
Contact:

Re: GridGadget

Post by Zach »

IdeasVacuum wrote:Zach, have a read of one or more of Charles Petzold's books, especially 'Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software'.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0735611319

Thanks, I will look into that.
Image
said
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
Posts: 342
Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2011 6:07 pm

Re: GridGadget

Post by said »

Hi Polo

any progress with your interesting cross platform grid ... looking very promising; am willing to buy whenever is ready

cheers
Polo
Addict
Addict
Posts: 2422
Joined: Tue May 06, 2003 5:07 pm
Location: UK

Re: GridGadget

Post by Polo »

Hello Said,

I must say I posponed at the time the development of this gadget, as PB Canvas gadget simply wasn't ready.
In the meantime I developed the TextEditGadget which enhanced some of the features I started working on for this Grid Gadget.

I'd need to get back to it, which shouldn't ask for too much, I'll see what I can do :)
srod
PureBasic Expert
PureBasic Expert
Posts: 10589
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2003 4:35 pm
Location: Beyond the pale...

Re: GridGadget

Post by srod »

Polo, if you don't mind me asking... :)

PB's scrollbar gadgets; how did you manage to track the user dragging the scroll-thumb without using API? I ask because, well, the last time I checked, PB's event loop did not report these events. Has this changed for PB 4.6 RC 2?

Nice gadget by the way, very nice!
I may look like a mule, but I'm not a complete ass.
Polo
Addict
Addict
Posts: 2422
Joined: Tue May 06, 2003 5:07 pm
Location: UK

Re: GridGadget

Post by Polo »

srod wrote:Polo, if you don't mind me asking... :)

PB's scrollbar gadgets; how did you manage to track the user dragging the scroll-thumb without using API? I ask because, well, the last time I checked, PB's event loop did not report these events. Has this changed for PB 4.6 RC 2?

Nice gadget by the way, very nice!
I used API, but thanks to various examples on the forum I still kept the cross platform capabilities.
However the Mac workaround to get these events isn't good as scrollbars must be created from scratch. I hope the PB Team will fix a small issue in the PB Mac scrollbars so that I can use them on this gadget :)
srod
PureBasic Expert
PureBasic Expert
Posts: 10589
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2003 4:35 pm
Location: Beyond the pale...

Re: GridGadget

Post by srod »

Thanks for the reply. Figured that you had to use API. A shame as this is a real limitation of PB's scrollbar gadgets.
I may look like a mule, but I'm not a complete ass.
Post Reply