Boring.... How to skin program?

[sartic]

Users r telling my program r boring... How to add more colors, picture for background of windows etc?
For win version of my exe there is XP theme what's that?
All my GUI stuff is created width VD (PB).

[Kuron]

If you posted a screen shot of what your program looks like, it might help people see what needs improving and lead to some suggestions on how to make it look better.

[sartic]

It looks like my old VB programs on Win95/98.
How to add image as background, how to add background for window. That will be enough 4 now

[remi_meier]

Connect a callback to the "expose-event" signal from
a window and draw a pixbuf on its GdkWindow
Python Code

Mandatory remark: Most Linux people dislike non-standard
window skinning. But of course there are a few exceptions
to the rule.

[Ramihyn_]

Mandatory remark: Most Linux people dislike non-standard window skinning.

Oh yes, i learned that during a beta test of a skinned application. The windows users where fine with it, but the majority of the linux users where annoyed and wanted it gone. I actually had to remove it for the linux version

[Shield]

Usually the problem isn't the different look and feel but the overall handling (workflow) of the application that gets interrupted
by skins where the developers didn't think that much while implementing it.

[remi_meier]

Usually the problem isn't the different look and feel but the overall handling (workflow) of the application that gets interrupted
by skins where the developers didn't think that much while implementing it.

No, actually, I _want_ my window background in a light
grey with nicely shaded also-grey buttons on it. The input
fields of any kind should be white, and may be light yellow
if they still need to be filled. If you don't follow that and
you are not by any chance a widget, player, fanzy-dj-tool,
always-inconsistent-website, nicely-animated-clutter-app
or something absolutely needed, you will not stay on my
laptop for long
But I might make an exception in a case of ingenious
thought-through workflow (Unfortunately I'd still
prefer a standard app.)

Cheers
Remi

[Ramihyn_]

Usually the problem isn't the different look and feel but the overall handling (workflow) of the application that gets interrupted
by skins where the developers didn't think that much while implementing it.

Most windows users liked it and the rest didnt mind, the linux users wanted it gone with a majority of about 80-90% Just my experience.

[bembulak]

No, actually, I _want_ my window background in a light
grey with nicely shaded also-grey buttons on it. The input
fields of any kind should be white, and may be light yellow
if they still need to be filled. If you don't follow that and
you are not by any chance a widget, player, fanzy-dj-tool,
always-inconsistent-website, nicely-animated-clutter-app
or something absolutely needed, you will not stay on my
laptop for long

No, Remi, you'e not an exception. I don't like skinned programs too! It's a pain to use such programs and it's even worse, when stanadard keyboard shortcuts ares screwed up.
The ERP Software we use here in my office runs on .NET and all the shortcuts are "non standard". Ctrl+S for search, Ctrl+D for printing, and worst of all: skinned, custom Dialogboxes, ... horrible.

[Foz]

Meh, all it needs is a few icons next to the section header texts, and it will look like a different (colourful) program.

Oh and did you check the "Enable XP Skin support" in the compiler options?

That, and you need to tell your users to get back to work.

[sartic]

I know about "xp skins" but i do not know what is?

How to add picture to window as background (replace "white" width nice texture)
Window frame is second thing... how to change it?
I know how to add picture when u design GUI. This app has already done GUI.

[Zach]

The only way to do any decent skinning is to do structural changes to your GUI source code...
Like it or not, that is the only way to accomplish certain things.

If you want to change the color of some forms, and buttons, that would require the least modification (inserting some commands to change the target Widgets properties) but its still modification.