Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!sun!frisbee!jcb
From: jcb@frisbee.Sun.COM (Jim Becker)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re^2: Gadgets in Motif
Message-ID: <122257@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 17 Aug 89 23:32:42 GMT
References: <322.8908161255@jupiter.cmi.no> <1443@riscy.dec.com>
Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM
Lines: 46

graham@fuel.dec.com (kris graham) writes:


->>Gadgets versus Widgets in Motif
->>-------------------------------

->>Motif has introduced the user interface object "Gadget" as an alternative to
->>"windowless" Widgets ( arrow, button, label, separator etc).

->>Is the advantage converting a Widget into a functionally equilavalent Gadget
->>primarily speed, memory savings or both? Is this a Motif-only toolkit extension?

->Gadgets have been in the DECwindows toolkit long before Motif  was created.  I  
->(am not sure) believe the MIT folks have it also.


Gadgets have been used in form and function in the Intuition interface
system for the Amiga since 1985. The names the same and the
implementation technique is a lot simpler to understand and utilize.


->The implementors of gadgets say that there are tremendous performance improvements
->both in execution speed and data space.....for *both* application and server processes....
->and reduces the incidence of lost functionality associated with widgets.


It has always been very difficult for me to understand the reasons
behind making each interactive element of the interface a server level
resource, when it should simply be regions of the screen defining
interactive elements.

The drain of the performance of the Server has been clearly shown with
early widget programs. How has it happened that so many intelligent
people have assumed that windows are a cheap resource that can be used
freely?


->-- 
->Christopher Graham          
->Digital Equipment Corp            
->Ultrix Resource Center                                         
->New York City  (usual disclaimers go in here)

-- 
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| Jim Becker	jcb@sun.com    ::  Sun Microsystems, Inc. |