horizontal/vertical widget-subclasses

[Helge Hess <hh mdlink de>]

Hi there,

I just wonder why there are special subclasses for Horizontal and
Vertical widgets, like

  gtkbox   => gtkhbox, gtkvbox
  gtkpaned => gtkhpaned, gtkvpaned
  gtkruler => gtkhruler, gtkvruler
  and so on ..

Wouldn't a simple orientation-flag in the super-class do the trick ? I
think that having so much more or less equal subclasses makes it more
difficult to do a subclass of some widget.

Any opinions regarding this, does it have any advantage ?

Greetings
  Helge