OpenEuphoria

1. Block Text in Win32lib

• Posted by Icy_Viking Mar 22, 2015
• 2274 views

Hello,

When I am programming using the win32lib, when I try to use an LText control, it shows up as a big black chunky bar. It also, only does if I am putting it on a TabItem control. I am wondering if there is a work-around this?

I'm using Euphoria 4.0.5 Win32lib 0.70.1 Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OS 4GB RAM

constant Hero_List = createEx(ListBox,"",Tab_Hero,10,30,150,650,0,0), 
Hero_List_Add = createEx(PushButton,"Add",Tab_Hero,10,680,60,25,0,0), 
Hero_List_Remove = createEx(PushButton,"Remove",Tab_Hero,70,680,60,25,0,0), 
Hero_Name_Text = createEx(LText,"Name:",Tab_Hero,170,30,30,20,0,0) 

The above is just part of my code, mostly where the big black bar is appearing when I run the program.

3. Re: Block Text in Win32lib

• Posted by Icy_Viking Mar 23, 2015
• 2147 views

Really? I was hoping there would be a fix for it by now. I guess I could use another GUI library, but I have made progress on this project using win32lib. wxWidgets would be a good choice, though GTK looks good, but I don't think there's a windows version for version 3 of GTK yet of a Euphoria wrapper. However, I could make one for windows.

5. Re: Block Text in Win32lib

• Posted by Icy_Viking Mar 24, 2015
• 2113 views

Yes, Win32lib could use some work. Redy does look quite promising indeed. However for this project, I will need a full widget set. So I'm probably going to look in to EuGTK or wxEuphoria, or perhaps possibly take a swing at developing/reviving the win32lib.

7. Re: Block Text in Win32lib

• Posted by Icy_Viking Mar 24, 2015
• 2079 views

I was thinking of using the GTK windows bundle that is currently available under GTK's site and making a wrapper with that. I'd be using the 32-bit DLLs, as I'd assume that would allow for more compatibility between systems.

9. Re: Block Text in Win32lib

• Posted by Icy_Viking Mar 24, 2015
• 2026 views

I am currently working on my own GTK wrapper for windows. Its using the 3.6.4, I know its not the newest, but its the newest one for windows. So many underscores in the GTK library.

11. Re: Block Text in Win32lib

• Posted by irv Mar 25, 2015
• 2009 views

I would encourage anyone who wants to make Euphoria more useful, but I do have to point out something that should be obvious: writing a usable Euphoria/GUI wrapper is a huge task, whether for Windows, GTK, Qt, Wx, or whatever. Wouldn't it be a lot more productive to spend your time improving something that is already usable, something already, let's say, 90% or more complete?

Also, let me say that EuGTK is unlikely to ever be entirely satisfactory on Windows, for the reason you point out - the Gtk/Windows dlls always lag behind the current GTK version. And for a reason you didn't mention - it will always be another wedge between the user and the os. A wedge that has to be kept up to date with Windows as well as with GTK. Twice as much work. Four times as much testing.

Don't forget that there are people who just don't want to run GTK on Windows, just as there are people who don't want to run Windows programs on Linux, using Wine. Even if it works perfectly, it just doesn't 'feel right' somehow.

Actually, if we could get the same Euphoria source code to run on all 3 platforms, that would be ideal. We'd simply include a different 'engine' for GTK, Windows, or whatever, and we'd get similar results. Similar, but not identical, since each platform has its own look and feel.

For a while, I thought I might be able to rewrite the 'guts' of EuGTK - basically, the widget[] structure, which is just one big array of call prototypes - to call Windows functions. Then I realized that there is just too much difference between GTK and Windows designs to allow this to work. Object-oriented vs. not, automatic layout vs. manual, the differences go on and on. If someone smarter than me can do this - please step forward. I am willing to help.

13. Re: Block Text in Win32lib

• Posted by irv Mar 25, 2015
• 1981 views

Anything's possible - but that sure wouldn't be the preferred way. Better perhaps to have 2 (or 3) files, and include the correct one with ifdefs.

However, that wouldn't even begin to address the real problem, which is the fundamental design difference between GTK and Windows. One example: you'd either have to write a automatic sizing and layout routines, so that Windows would work like GTK, or you'd have to fundamentally break GTK so that you could use fixed sizing and layouts. Doing that would lead to even bigger problems with other things.

If you didn't fix the Windows code so it worked like GTK, then you wouldn't have code that was cross-platform. And that, unless I misunderstand, is the goal here.

15. Re: Block Text in Win32lib

• Posted by Ekhnat0n Mar 25, 2015
• 1955 views

I fully agree Irv. It has been too long I did any Euphoria-programming so
I forgot abt. the ifdef possibility.
That would be the most elegant way to solve this matter indeed.

AND... it will be easier too, to implement solutions for the OOP/non-OOP etc.
I really think a small group on this forum should create a
dedicated think-tank to come up with what would have to be included in each
platform-specific include-file.
OR we might have a topic like the one I started on WHAT do you want in OpenEu.

Please react if you so wish by mailing me personally at nyellorion@live.nl

17. Re: Block Text in Win32lib

• Posted by Icy_Viking Mar 25, 2015
• 1947 views

Well I haven't gotten very far in writing my own wrapper for GTK. However, I could look more into the win32lib and figure out what is causing the blocky text and try to fix that bug.

19. Re: Block Text in Win32lib

• Posted by dr_can Mar 30, 2015
• 1849 views

I think you are being misled about win32lib.

The original point (blackened out text) is a result of MS Windows policy/practice regarding Visual Styles (see for example https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb773187%28v=vs.85%29.aspx) and the fact that Euphoria 4.0.0 & onwards is, by default, compiled with a manifest. To address your problem you could try a different (earlier) version of win32lib (the latest "corrects" this problem but causes others, especially with regard to controls on children of other controls) or JM Duro's re-casting of the library (see the Archive) instead. Failing these you could try a manifest-free version of the interpreter (see http://euphoria.indonesianet.de/ - eu4testpack) - I find this works in circumstances where the other "solutions" don't. It seems to be (as suggested) a rather hit-and-miss situation with regard to individual machine/OS setups, although I am sure there is a pattern.

Win32lib is, as indicated, in the care of Derek Parnell and will, I am sure, one day be re-issued in a form more suitable for the present-day Euphoria. It is actively being worked upon. (The stuff about a retired creator is nonsense. David Cuny was the originator.)

Moreover the accompanying Form Designer/IDE is also being actively maintained and currently being tuned for Euphoria 4. I know 'cos I'm doing it!

21. Re: Block Text in Win32lib

• Posted by andi49 Mar 30, 2015
• 1831 views

Hallo

The working link is http://euphoria.indonesianet.de/eu4testpack.zip

But it is from June 2013, i do not think it will help with Win8 and above. (i'am willing to provide newer builds if someone needs them)

Andreas