Re: [gtk-list] Re: Window manager window placement and X modifiers/states

[Paul Barton-Davis <pbd op net>]

>> 	Let's say my app looks best when it's at 600x400.  Is there some
>> other function/resource I should use?
>
>gtk_window_set_default_size(). However, you may want to check that the
>display is at least that large. :-)
>
>The other danger is that 600x400 is too small with some translations,
>themes, or theme-specified fonts. I'm not sure if set_default_size()
>will shrink beyond the size request though, in which case it would
>come out OK.

although i love GTK's adoption of the TeX glue+box model, the one area
where it falls down is in the domain of widgets that actually have to
be a certain size in order to work. when this size is a function of
the text that needs to be displayed in full, regardless of the font
specified by the style, things really get to be a pain.

the most egregious example of this is the GtkEntry widget used with a
GtkSpinButton. This often ends up being a completely useless size,
unrelated to the width necessary to display the value range of the
associated adjustment.

I got so fed up with this that i wrote the following utility function;
i use it for all widgets that display text and will be functionally
compromised if they are too small:

void
gtk_widget_set_usize_to_display_given_text (GtkWidget *w,
					    const gchar *text,
					    gint hpadding,
					    gint vpadding)

{
	guint width;
	guint lbearing;
	guint rbearing;
	guint ascent;
	guint descent;
	
	gdk_string_extents (w->style->font,
			    text,
			    &lbearing,
			    &rbearing,
			    &width,
			    &ascent,
			    &descent);

	gtk_widget_set_usize (w, width+hpadding, ascent+descent+vpadding);
}