Re: [gtk-list] Does it exist?

[David Whitehurst <david whitehurst att net>]

Sean Cody wrote:

> I'm curious if there is any projects on tutorials for application design in
> GTK+ and/or Glade.  What I am refering to is the dicussion of how exactly to
> design applications not the api in which to do it.
>
> Questions posed could be:
>     How should data be dealt with?
>     What is the best way to modularize windows?
>     What are the most common appoaches to application design?
>     Tips on text mode to gui application porting.
>
> I think of a tutorial/book/site based on this topic would be extremly useful
> as  anyone can learn an api but not everyone can use it effectively (as I
> have learned first hand).
>
> If such a project doesn't exist I would be interested in contributing to
> one.  How about anyone else?
>
> Sean
>
> --
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Sean:

I am wrestling with the same questions.  I am a C++, Visual Basic COM Developer
and I love the fact that I can develop my own software using all this free
linux stuff.  Anyhow, I am creating an application to perform archives, handle
rpms, configures, and makes.  Basically I am writing a linux software setup and
build tool.  I started this application using GTK+ and wrote an application and
one command using a C-like design using main() to create the complete window
environment.  Then, I said to myself, I am an object oriented developer and
I will design this using a gApplication object, a gCommand object, and multiple
gOption helper objects.  These would suffice for the command setup.  I also
created a gFileHelper utility object that handled the file selections.  The
application was coming together a little better now, and I was more comfortable
with my understanding of how to expand its usefulness for my initial version.
This came to a sad conclusion because the GTK+ portions did not scope properly
and I began to segmentation fault.  I did not know about GTK-- and I could not
find my problem.  I know it must be in the signal code. The objects talk to
each other via simple pointers but the GTK+ objects (or psuedo C-like objects)
did not have the same pointer system.  I was just lucky that the application
worked as long as it did.

My point is, for your question, I believe that any application should be
written using the GTK-- because your overall application design should take
advantage of the object oriented concept.  It is much easier to get GUI
visuals, advance your application design, revise and better that design, if you
write it using C++ and GTK--.

I will say that I truly love "C" but its limitations begin to show when you
design a system with user interface, I/O, persistence, etc.  I am a Senior
Applications Developer for a HPUX, WIndows NT shop and I spend more and more
time now designing and less and less time coding.  Object oriented techniques
reduce the coding time and accelerate the design; pure fact.

And, Sean if you are interested in helping me with my application, I would more
that happy to share with you what I have learned.  I  agree with you on the API
issue.  I have written code for OpenGL, Windows SDK, MFC, Intergraph Solid
Edge, Global Shipbuilding CAD (GSCAD), COM, SAS, Pascal, Fortran, C, C++,
Assembler 6502, 8086, Perl, Active Server Page Scripting, etc.  ... The key is
understanding the concepts of the system design.  I am a jack-of-all-trade
developer, and I constantly am disappointed in our junior level folks because
they don't know good design.  I think that when it comes to GTK, the answer is
C++ and GTK--.  How do you keep up with all the development going on?  I think
you do it by understanding first and coding to the best possible system
design.  Grady Booch wrote a good book, "Object Oriented Analysis and Design".
This is probably the best book next to experience that I have found.

I hope I helped,

David L. Whitehurst

david.whitehurst@att.net