Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!convex!killer!mit-eddie!bu-cs!bzs
From: bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: Novice question about X toolkits
Message-ID: <23567@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Date: 1 Jul 88 05:03:52 GMT
References: <19880629193417.1.DWJ@ANAXIMANDER.THINK.COM>
Organization: Boston U. Comp. Sci.
Lines: 41
In-reply-to: dwj@THINK.COM's message of 29 Jun 88 19:34:00 GMT


>I am new to xwindows and am seeking some basic information.
>In particular, I would like to find out about existing Xwindow
>toolkits that will help me build an application.  This application
>will run on a SUN using X11.  I am using Lucid Common Lisp, but
>I assume that I can also use toolkits written in C.  Some of the
>functions I want to perform are to:

>  - Put up a menu of options for the user to mouse on.

Although other window systems have certainly made some use of "menus"
it is antithetical to the X model (particularly in the sample server,
which you didn't pay for anyhow), options are something which should
be handled later, perhaps by a presentation manager built upon the
soon to be released Toolkit (Consortium members are reviewing a
document which might help clarify this common confusion.)

>  - Allow the user to position a window with the mouse.

Positioning the window involves a clash of philosophy between the
client, server and window manger's distinct roles, who should do the
moving? Obviously a serious problem, suggestions welcome.

>  - Display a binary image inside a window.

Binary images, although superficially desirable, cannot be efficiently
updated and therefore have not been included in the distributed
protocol model.  Sorry.

>  - Display an image of straight lines inside a window.

Lines (or, to be truly general, let me rephrase that as filled
polygons of one dimension with arbitrary clipping) are part of an
imaging model which is hoped to be supplied by vendors' packages, they
were never intended to be accessible by ordinary users. However, a
multiply constrained, composite widget could be easily created which
*simulates* Lines, see the source.

	:-) :-) :-)

	-Barry Shein, Boston University