Re: Experimenting with no gtk_main()

[Patrick <patrick spellingbeewinnars org>]

On 12-04-19 10:09 AM, David Nečas wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 19, 2012 at 09:58:37AM -0400, Patrick wrote:
> > I am trying to control gtk from a specific thread in another
> > language, I don't want a blocking call like gtk_main() because I
> > want the thread to interact with other threads periodically.
> Blocking gtk_main() and periodic interaction are not in conflict.
>
> If a single iteration of the Gtk+ main loop, i.e. gtk_main_iteration(),
> does things that take too long for your requirement of periodicality
> then you are in trouble anyway and running gtk_main_iteration()
> explicitly buys you nothing.  You will still get too long delays due to
> gtk_main_iteration().
>
> If a single interation of the main loop does not take too long then you
> can just run gtk_main() and perform the regular inter-thread interaction
> in a source registered to the Gtk+ main loop, e.g. using
> g_timeout_add().
>
> Yeti
Hi Yeti

Thanks for answering my post :)

I didn't want to clutter the list with my weirdness but here is 
specifically what I am trying to do:

I am trying to run most of my application in Ada. I know there is a 
binding already but I would prefer my own DIY option. I would like to 
write a tiny skeleton C Gtk app and then control it from an Ada thread. 
I realize there are all sorts of facilities to program gtk apps in C, 
including threading but I would like to stick to Ada whenever possible.

The long running task I am concerned about is on the Ada side and is not 
a callback from the gui.

I would like the main loop to be in Ada. It would call updates on my C 
gtk part, rendezvous with the other long running thread quickly to 
exchange data and then return to looping the gtk part. If I call 
gtk_main it will block the Ada thread.

Hope this makes sense. While I hope to change this one day, at the 
moment I am just an amateur coder...