Copyright © 2009, 2010 Arndt Roger Schneider
As usual the documentation underwent some improvements:
And various other refinements.
These is finally the documentation going into print at www.lulu.com. Of course, the print and PDF download versions feature more Scalable Vector Graphics than the online versions. The Runtime Library book is in particular almost free of any bitmaps.
There are no modifications on the Ruby wrapper classes. The following list contains all the packages needed to use the Runtime Library and Gestalt Items with Ruby/Tk:
The Ruby documentation for the Runtime Library and Gestalt Items is online at:
Read the Ruby book onlineThere are no modifications on the Lisp wrapper classes. The following list contains all the packages needed to use the Runtime Library and Gestalt Items with Lisp/LTk:
The Lisp documentation for the Runtime Library and Gestalt Items is online at:
Read the Lisp book online.There are no modifications on the Python wrapper classes. The following list contains all the packages needed to use the Runtime Library and Gestalt Items with Python/Tkinter:
The Python documentation for the Runtime Library and Gestalt Items is online at:
Read the Python book online.The editors Emacs and the Apple® XCode® IDE are supported with dedicated skeletons and textmacros for the Tcl-mode.
The XCode® Tcl-mode is included in the XCode® download package, please read the included install instructions to learn how-to extend XCode® with a Tcl-mode.
The Gestalt Items are based on the Runtime Library. Always download the latest versions of both libraries.
Download packages for UN*X manual pages and the documentation are available inside the download section.
Gestalt Items and the Runtime Library contain composite windows written in Tcl/Tk. The libraries feature frequently used application elements, such as a complete toolbar system (Goolbar, Gooleditor, Galette, Zoolbar ).
Some items, mostly inside the Runtime Library, provide basic functionality such as combobox, multi-column-listbox, hierarchy, statusbar, scrollbar management...
In brief: The Runtime Library provides basic and the Gestalt Items advanced functionality.
The composite windows of both libraries follow the same design principles: Each window must provide at least one substantial feature of its own. Each composite window shall support aggregation. For example: a rtl_gridwin manages the scrollbars for a rtl_mlistbox, which in-turn contains hugelists to display the content.
The template mechanism is documented in the Runtime Library 1.1 Manual (PDF).Both libraries use TkPath, when present. Although Gstripes from the Gestalt Items looses almost all its functionality without TkPath. Plain Tcl/Tk serves as a fall back solution. Both TkPath versions »0.2.4« or higher and »0.3« are supported. TkPath is recommended for a high quality (anti-aliased) Graphical User Interface especially under X11. A working CAIRO installation is necessary for using TkPath under X11.
Zoolbar–the TkZinc based toolbar– always requires the TkZinc package.
The primary goal, for both libraries, is to create high quality and resolution independent Graphical User Interfaces. The toolbar and other items allow to substitute images with glyphs or sophisticated vector graphics, termed vectors. Images are recessive to glyphs and glyphs are recessive to vector graphics.
Most of the libraries composite windows are based on canvas, pathcanvas or TkZinc as their buildings blocks. This design choice makes an easy conversion into Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) possible.
Figure 1, “Gestalt Items TkPath and CAIRO” features a Goolbar with vectors, Galette with vectors, Rtl_tabset, Gistbox containing a Hugelist and a Gstripes window with hijacked »message«, »label«, »button«. Further two Rtl_gridwin inside the Galette to the Left and the Gistbox to the Right. A single radial gradient is running through the entire dialog, including through the Goolbar on top and the Galette. Buttons feature a series of layered semi-transparent linear gradients. The input focus is set to the Gistbox. There are no images being used in this dialog.
View the above screen shot as a resolution independent SVG.Additional Scalable Vector Graphicss are included inside the online manual pages.
Both the Runtime Library and Gestalt Items are extensively documented.
The Documentation consist of a complete book for each library. These books are also elements of this web site:
The Gistbox window is an alternative to comboboxes. Gistbox is an edit able listbox, its emphasis is on the content.
The internal listbox is replaceable with any listbox conforming to Tk listbox interface, such as: Rtl_mlistbox, hugelist ...
Please see Gistbox for details.The Gestalt Items contain a Toolbar system, fashioned after the Aqua OSX® user interface.
The System Consists Of
- Goolbar
A toolbar window based on Tk Canvas, using TkPath. Goolbar displays icons either as images, glyphs (font based vector graphics) or complex vectors.
Please see Goolbarfor details, also visit the Goolbar Manual Page.- Zoolbar
A toolbar window based on TkZinc (ported from Goolbar). Same as with Goolbar, expect that vectors are based on TkZinc and images are scaled.
Please see Zoolbar Manual Page for details about the TkZinc based toolbar.- Galette
A palette window, based on Goolbar. A Galette organizes items in multiple rows. The Galette contains scrollbars attached to scroll its contents. Use a Gooleditor to interactively customize a Galette.
Please see Galette for details, also visit the Galette Manual Page.- Gooleditor
An Aqua OSX® compliant toolbar customization dialog for Goolbar, Galette and Zoolbar. Gooleditor features drag-n-drop.
Please see Gooleditor for details, also visit the Gooleditor Manual Page.
In brief: gstripes provides a customizable background for a dialog.
Gstripes was originally developed, to create stripes under Aqua OSX® for Tcl/Tk. It did hijack labels and messages, rendering their caption or image into a Tk canvas window.
Read Hijacking Labels and Messages, to learn more about hijacking windows.Now, Gstripes also hijacks buttons, radiobuttons, checkbuttons and menubuttons and frames. Gstripes depends on TkPath for hijacking these windows, only labels and messages can be hijacked without TkPath.
Buttons, checkbuttons, radiobuttons and menubuttons can be grouped.
Concept and a design example can be found at: Gstripes and Active Controls.Gstripes converts a conventional dialog into a vector graphic. Which can be converted into Scalable Vector Graphics by a svg generator tool.
Frames may have a semi-transparent colour or a gradient. Frames can be combined into contours.
See Background Frames to learn more about background frames. See Contours to learn more about using contours.Gstripes is also injected into some Runtime Library windows, such as rtl_combobox, rtl_gridwin.
Read Runtime Library Templates for details. Please also see Gstripes for general informations. also visit the Gstripes Manual Page.The Runtime Library is a collection of composite windows written in Tcl/Tk.
These windows are presented in the Addendum of the Runtime Library online book.Updated composite windows
- Rtl_tree
Rtl_tree is a hierarchy window written in Tcl/Tk. This hierarchy window features drag-n-drop, multi-selection. A rich graphical interface (uses TkPath when available).
For details consult the Runtime Library online book about Rtl_tree.- Rtl_tabset
Rtl_tabset is a tabset/ notebook window written in Tcl/Tk.
For details consult the Runtime Library online book about Rtl_tabset.- Rtl_mlistbox
Rtl_mlistbox is a multi-column listbox window written in Tcl/Tk.
On default Tk listboxes are used for displaying content. These listboxes can be replaced with every other listbox implementation conforming to TK's listbox interface. It is even possible to use rtl_listboxes inside of it.
See Cascading Rtl_mlistboxes (SVG) for example.The rtl_mlistbox provides External Sorting , that can be combined with virtual listboxes. Hugelist can be turned into a virtual listbox.
For details consult the Runtime Library online book In particular the chapter about the Rtl_mlistbox.- Rtl_gridwin
Rtl_gridwin container window, with internal scrollbars. the client window (specified via the -widget property) is automatically mapped and scrollbars are attached to it.
For details consult the Runtime Library online book.Rtl_gridwin uses a sophisticated scrollbar auto-hide and display mechanism.
The visual design is explained in the Runtime Library online book.- rtlysizer, rtlxsizer
Are simple resize handles, which operate on an underlying grid. Rtlxsizer interactively modifies the minsize value of its column. Whereas rtlysizer modifies the minsize value of its row.
On default Tk listboxes are being used for displaying content. The listboxes can be replaced with every other listbox implementation conforming to TK's listbox interface. It is even possible to use rtl_mlistboxes inside of rtl_mlistboxes.
For details consult the Runtime Library online book about rtlysizer and rtlxsizer.
Further Runtime Library Functionality
- Rtl_combobox
- A combobox window. This window will be modified by gstripes from the Gestalt Items. The Gstripes modifications are only visual.
- Rtl_customize, Rtl_symbutton, Rtl_symbolbarcustomize
These windows compose a toolbar system based on buttons. This system is supplanted by:
Gestalt Items Goolbar, Gestalt Items Goolbareditor and Gestalt Items Zoolbar .- Rtl_tooltip, Rtl_statusbar
- Form a hyperlink and online help system. The tooltip mechanism is currently only documented inside the older Runtime Library 1.1 PDF-book
- Rtl_scrollwin, Rtl_decoratedframe, Rtl_preferences, Rtl_question, Rtl_chooseFont, Rtl_makeFont, Rtl_shell, Rtl_spinbox
- Various other windows of the Runtime Library, Some of these windows are outdated. Runtime Library Introduction for more details.
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