[gtk-list] Re: changing a widget's background

[andrew cogent ca]

Alan Shutko writes:
 > andrew@cogent.ca writes:
 >> For much the same reason, a GUI builder for a non-programmer will
 >> have to entirely avoid any of the packing containers, and go with
 >> only the GtkFixed container type.  While the GTK+ container model
 >> is interesting and quite powerful, it is a complete mind-blast for
 >> anybody who has worked with virtually any other GUI builder on the
 >> planet.
 > 
 > I'm not sure I agree.  Glade (imho) doesn't do a good job of
 > managing it, but boxes are really just like rows or columns of a
 > spreadsheet.  (For example, I don't like how it will ask you how
 > many things should be in a box.)  Just keep adding things into
 > them, and they do the right thing.  Aloow the non-programmer to set
 > some simple properties (like whether things expand or not) and
 > you'll let them easily get good results considerably easier than
 > any fixed gui-builder.

I think this relates to another message I posted, regarding
persistence and the difference between procedural and state knowledge
in GTK widgets.  It is quite possible that the Glade programmer(s) did
not handle boxes as generally as we would like because it is just not
possible given GTK's current ability to report its own state.

 > For non-programmers, you'd probably want to make some
 > assumptions... assume all containers have a box inside them or
 > something... Does Tcl/Tk have a ui builder that does a good job of
 > editing boxes?

Yes, but which kind of box?  VBox, HBox, Fixed, or something unknown
that is loaded at runtime?  This is just a different assumption from
always using GtkFixed, which really will fundamentally define how the
user interacts with the GUI builder.

Andrew