I'd really like to implement this old Window Interface library based on Motif with GtkBoxes, but I simply cannot accurately predict when the application code needs an hbox or a vbox, or switch an old hbox to a vbox. The library I'm trying to implement with Gtk must be able to put boxes within boxes at any location in any order.
As far as I can tell when looking at the GtkContainers, my only choice is to attempt to manage everything within GtkFixeds, except that when building a Gtk GUI, none of the widgets know their dimensions and locations until they're just about to be rendered. I have been able to pass around some useful information using gtk_widget_set_size_request(), but as soon as I try to listen for "configure-event", "size-allocate", or "size-request" and attempt to make additional gtk_widget_set_size_request()s I start an infinite loop where the window keeps growing to accommodate its hungry children. Another negative side effect of using a bunch of gtk_widget_set_size_request()s everywhere is that I rob the user's ability to shrink all windows to less than their original sizes (annoying). I've been trying to avoid GtkFixed because I'll end up doing a lot of work that Gtk wants to do for me, but at this point I'm forced to attempt to manage everything on my own. So how am I 'supposed' to disobey Gtk and micromanage every GtkFixed's position and size when the window is first shown to the user and after they make their own adjustments? Are "configure-event", "size-request", and "size-allocate" the core signals I need to focus on or am I going about this entirely the wrong way? An example problem I've run into involves my root application window. I add a GtkFixed to the GtkWindow to put the rest of the widgets inside, but when I try to keep the GtkFixed widget the same size as the GtkWindow, so that the other widgets know how much space they have to work with, the window just gets bigger every time the GtkFixed asks how big the window is and fills it up. I need some more balanced size negotiation. At what exact point does the parent know what it has to work with so that the child can calulate how much of that the child actually wants? Suggestions on where to look for extensive use of GtkFixed or other ways of implementing a lower level packing system would be a big help. ~Thanks _______________________________________________ gtk-app-devel-list mailing list gtk-app-devel-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/gtk-app-devel-list
