Displaying wirdgets - Differently?

[jalqadir netscape net]

In order to automate the use of enter boxes, I have created two classes that will handle the input and display of data, see below, the problem with this approach is that, with virtually identical Gtk::Frame, the widgets are displayed with a minor, but anaesthetic, difference; the title of the Gtk::Entry and Gtk::Combo is not at the left bottom and the Entry and Combo widgets are not at the Left-Top position of the Gtk::HBox.
I have spent a considerable amount of time researching all kinds of documents, but my inexperience in GUI programming combined with my lack of knowledge of GTKmm gets in the way.
I am posting the code, in the hope that someone here will be able to point me in the right direction.
Thanks

namespace jme{
//! \brief This class is thrown in the case of an exception
//* < This is the only part of the code I don't need to show, since the parent class is a simple exception handler. > *//
class BoxEntryEx : public virtual jme::Exception {
public:
    BoxEntryEx( jme::error_t ec, const std::string& f,
                const std::string& m, size_t l ) {
        setException( ec, f, m, l );
    }
    virtual ~BoxEntryEx()throw(){}
};//Class

class IOBoxBase : public Gtk::VBox{
protected:
    virtual void Init() throw(jme::BoxEntryEx );
    void setTitle(const char*) throw(jme::BoxEntryEx);
    int max_len;
    int height;
    int width;
    Glib::ustring title;
    Glib::ustring text;
    Gtk::Label* label;
public:
    IOBoxBase(){Init();}
    virtual ~IOBoxBase(){};
    //Gtk::VBox* getHandle()const{return this;}
};
class TextEntry : virtual public IOBoxBase{
    virtual void Init() throw(jme::BoxEntryEx );
    Gtk::Entry* entry;
    void setMaxLen(const int) throw(jme::BoxEntryEx);
public:
    TextEntry();
    TextEntry(const gchar*,  // Title;
              const gchar* , // Text to be displayed if any
              gint,          // Number of characters
              gint,          // Horizontal pading
              gint);         // Vertical padding
    virtual ~TextEntry(){}
    const char* getText()const;
    virtual Gtk::Entry* getHandle(){return entry;}
};

class ComboBox : virtual public jme::IOBoxBase{
private:
protected:
    virtual void Init() throw(jme::BoxEntryEx );
    Gtk::Combo* combo_box;
public:
    ComboBox(){Init();}
    ComboBox(const gchar*,              //Title
             gint)                      //Vertical padding
             throw(jme::BoxEntryEx );   //Exception
    virtual ~ComboBox(){}
    virtual Gtk::Combo* getHandle() {return combo_box;}
}; // class
}  // namespace
 /////////////////////////////////////
void jme::IOBoxBase::Init()
throw(jme::BoxEntryEx ){
    try{
        label = Gtk::manage(new Gtk::Label());
    }catch(...){
        jme::BoxEntryEx e( mem_alloc, FILE, METHOD, LINE );
        e.record("error_log.txt");
        throw e;
    }
    text = "unknown";
    label->set_label(text);
    label->set_alignment(Gtk::ALIGN_LEFT, Gtk::ALIGN_BOTTOM);
}
void jme::IOBoxBase::setTitle(const char* c)
throw(jme::BoxEntryEx ){
    title.assign(c);
    if(title.empty()){
        title.clear();
        jme::BoxEntryEx e( str_empty, FILE, METHOD, LINE );
        throw e;
    }
    label->set_label(title);
}
///////////////////////  TextEntry /////////////////////////////
void jme::TextEntry::Init()
    throw(jme::BoxEntryEx ){
    try{
        entry = Gtk::manage(new Gtk::Entry());
    }catch(...){
        jme::BoxEntryEx e( mem_alloc, FILE, METHOD, LINE );
        e.record("error_log.txt");
        throw e;
    }
    entry->set_has_frame( true );
    entry->set_visibility( true );
    entry->set_max_length(30);
    this->ensure_style();
}

void jme::TextEntry::setMaxLen(const int i)
throw(jme::BoxEntryEx){
    if(i <= 0){
        jme::BoxEntryEx e( jme::num_invalid, FILE, METHOD, LINE );
        throw e;
    }
    max_len = i;
    entry->set_max_length(max_len);
}
jme::TextEntry::TextEntry(){
    this->Init();
}
jme::TextEntry::TextEntry(const gchar* cp, const gchar* text,
                          const gint i, const gint hpad,
                          const gint vpad){
    this->Init();
    this->setMaxLen(i);
    this->setTitle(cp);
    label->ensure_style();
    this->set_size_request (width,    //width_pixels
                            height);  //height_pixels);
    this->pack_start(*label);
    this->pack_start(*entry);
}
const char* jme::TextEntry::getText()const{
    Glib::ustring tmp = entry->get_text();
    tmp.c_str();
}

/////////////////////// ComboBox ///////////////////////////
void jme::ComboBox::Init()
throw(jme::BoxEntryEx ){
    try{
        combo_box = Gtk::manage(new Gtk::Combo());
    }catch(...){
        jme::BoxEntryEx e( mem_alloc, FILE, METHOD, LINE );
        e.record("error_log.txt");
        throw e;
    }
}

jme::ComboBox::ComboBox(const gchar* title, gint pad) 
throw(jme::BoxEntryEx ){
   Init();
   setTitle(title);
   this->set_size_request (25,  //width_pixels
                          25);  //height_pixels);
   this->pack_start(*label);
   this->pack_start(*combo_box);
}

namespace jme{
//! \brief This class is thrown in the case of an exception
class FrameEx : public virtual jme::Exception {
public:
    FrameEx( jme::error_t ec, const std::string& f,
             const std::string& m, size_t l ) {
        setException( ec, f, m, l );
    }
    virtual ~FrameEx()throw(){}
};//Class



class NameFrame : virtual public Gtk::Frame{
private:
    //! Among other things this method takes care of the initialization of
    //! variables and memory allocation.
    virtual void Init() throw(jme::FrameEx);
    //! Manages the properties for the ComboBox object
    void ComboBoxFName();
    //! Manages the properties for the Entry object
    void AddressFrame();

protected:
    Glib::ustring version;
    Gtk::VBox* boxBase;
    Gtk::HBox* hboxOne;
    Gtk::HBox* hboxTwo;
    jme::ComboBox* cbFirstName;
    jme::TextEntry* entryMiddleName;
    
public:
    NameFrame();
    virtual ~NameFrame();
}; //class
class NetworkFrame : virtual public Gtk::Frame{
private:
    virtual void Init() throw(jme::FrameEx);
    Glib::ustring version;
    Gtk::VBox* boxBase;
    Gtk::HBox* hboxOne;
    Gtk::HBox* hboxTwo;

    jme::TextEntry* entryEmail1;
    jme::TextEntry* entryEmail2;
    jme::TextEntry* entryUrl;
public:
    NetworkFrame();
    ~NetworkFrame();

};
void jme::NameFrame::Init()throw(jme::FrameEx){
   version = "0.0.1";
   this->set_label("Name");
   this->set_shadow_type(Gtk::SHADOW_OUT );
   
   try{
     boxBase         = Gtk::manage(new Gtk::VBox());
     hboxOne         = Gtk::manage(new Gtk::HBox());
     cbFirstName     = Gtk::manage(new jme::ComboBox("First Name", 
                                                     10));
     entryMiddleName = Gtk::manage(new jme::TextEntry("Middle Name","nada",
                                                      30,25,25));
   }catch ( std::bad_alloc & x ) {
      jme::FrameEx e( mem_alloc, FILE, METHOD, LINE );
      e.record("error_log.txt");
      throw e;
   }
}
jme::NameFrame::NameFrame(){
    int pad = 10;
    this->Init();
    this->grab_default();
    cbFirstName->set_flags(Gtk::CAN_FOCUS);
    cbFirstName->grab_focus();
    set_focus_child (*cbFirstName);
    hboxOne->pack_start(*cbFirstName, true, true, pad);
    hboxOne->pack_start(*entryMiddleName,true, true, pad);
    boxBase->pack_start(*hboxOne);

    this->add(dynamic_cast<Gtk::Widget&>(*boxBase));
    this->set_focus_child(dynamic_cast<Gtk::Widget&>(*cbFirstName));
    this->set_flags(Gtk::HAS_DEFAULT);
}
jme::NameFrame::~NameFrame(){}

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////
void jme::NetworkFrame::Init()throw(jme::FrameEx){
    version = "0.0.1";
    try{
        boxBase = Gtk::manage(new Gtk::VBox());
        hboxOne  = Gtk::manage(new Gtk::HBox());
        hboxTwo  = Gtk::manage(new Gtk::HBox());
        entryEmail1 = Gtk::manage(new jme::TextEntry("Primary Eamil","nada",30,25,25));
        entryEmail2 = Gtk::manage(new jme::TextEntry("Secondary Email","nada",30,25,25));
        entryUrl    = Gtk::manage(new jme::TextEntry("URL","nada",90,25,25));
    }catch ( std::bad_alloc & x ) {
        jme::FrameEx e( mem_alloc, FILE, METHOD, LINE );
        e.record("error_log.txt");
        throw e;
    }
}
jme::NetworkFrame::NetworkFrame(){
    int pad = 10;
    this->Init();
    this->set_label("Network");
    this->set_shadow_type(Gtk::SHADOW_OUT );
    hboxOne->pack_start(*entryEmail1,true,true,pad);
    hboxOne->pack_start(*entryEmail2,true,true,pad);
    hboxTwo->pack_start(*entryUrl,true,true,pad);

    boxBase->pack_start(*hboxOne,   Gtk::PACK_EXPAND_WIDGET);
    boxBase->pack_start(*hboxTwo,   Gtk::PACK_EXPAND_WIDGET);

    this->add(dynamic_cast<Gtk::Widget&>(*boxBase));
}
jme::NetworkFrame::~NetworkFrame(){}


Should you need some more information please do not hesitate to ask.


-- 
* You cannot exercise your power to a point of humiliation.
                       - Jean Chretien

* It's amazing how the small seeds of distrust and misunderstanding
can yield a crop of hate and death...

* If that document has fine printing anywhere, just chuck it in the garbage
                      - Jorge Escalante
Ma'assalama! Adiós! bye!


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