Re: GtkTextView with transparent background

[Vikram Noel Ambrose <noel ambrose gmail com>]

Daniel Svensson wrote:
> Hi,
> I've been messing around with different approaches in hope of making
> the background of a GtkTextView transparent with no solution in sight.
> The closest I've come is making the whole widget transparent[1], but
> as I want to keep the text non-transparent this is not an option.
>
> The reason I want a GtkTextView transparent is that I want to create a
> window with a background image, and being able to put a text area of
> variable size somewhere on it (the user will be able to move the text
> area), and it's the window background that should be seen through the
> GtkTextView. A picture says more than a thousand words, so have a look
> at the video of OmmWriter[2].
>
> Any hints on how to accomplish this with GTK+friends based libraries
> would be greatly appreciated.
>
> [1] http://library.gnome.org/devel/gdk/unstable/gdk-Windows.html#composited-window-example
> [2] http://www.ommwriter.com/
>
>   
I just watched the OmmWriter video. If I was to implement the same thing 
in GTK I would:

1. Create a GtkTextView, put it in a box and add it to a GtkWindow
OR
1. Use a GdkDrawable for the entire thing

2. Figure out a way of setting a background image for the window
- tip - http://tinyurl.com/yj7zud2
- tip - http://tinyurl.com/yaqk69
- tip - http://tinyurl.com/ye9jq3z
3. Setup "size-allocate" callback for textview to constrain resizing
- tip - http://tinyurl.com/yff6rbf
4. Figure out how to draw a border around the textview
5. Get the textview to move around in its fixed size box (or maybe just 
use a GdkDrawable and its functions)
6. Draw gtkimage/custom widget for menus

I'm just a beginner as well, but hope that gives you some ideas at least.

Vikram.