The GUI Loft Changes -- Delta beween releases
Adapted stuff(tm) to be compliant with the upcoming
Win32::GUI 1.0 . Things should still be compatible with
0.0.670.
Bug fix: Removed warning when moving the last control downwards in the control order.
Bug fix: Removed warning when deselecting the last selected control.
Bug fix: New Win32::GUI version broke the Listview control in that the -index option seems to be required.
Removed the Win32 dependency in Makefile.PL
Changed the install PPM command
Redesigned the Properties dialog, which seemed to have a problematic Label control covering the input field.
Changed the ``use Win32::GUI::Hyperlink'' to ``use Win32::GUI::HyperLink'', which may or may not solve some problems using that control.
Tried to make the installation a bit easier by easing the version prerequisites in the PPM definition. Don't know if it worked though.
PerlApp is again used to create tgl.exe, since the PAR version seems to crash and burn on WinXP.
Added a demo program to demonstrate how to use Custom Controls.
PAR is now used to create tgl.exe, not my ancient version of PerlApp.
The newly released Win32::GUI 0.0.670 deprecated the -style option, so using TGL with the new version will produce warnings to that effect. This is now fixed (I replaced them with a -remstyle, -addstyle sequence).
Implementation note that may bite you if you use the ControlInspector to adjust the options: the options are sorted so that all -style and -exstyle options come first, followed by -remstyle and -addstyle, then alphabetically. Most people can safely ignore this. But please look through your existing applications to see if this broke anything.
The new Win32::GUI version supports drag-n-drop, so I no longer use my patched version of 0.0.558 for the binary distribution.
Note that the new 0.0.670 release is now the only officially supported version of Win32::GUI. On a practical note, I think the ListView is broken using older versions due to the -style usage. So just upgrade, ok?
New property: the -tip option/Tip property is used for tooltips.
GUI Bug fix: When selecting a boolean property in the Properties window, sometimes the checkbox wouldn't become visible.
Annoyance fixed: Windows that appear outside of the screen are now forced on to the screen.
GUI bug fix: Missing enable/disable on cluster buttons and missing error checks caused errors when no cluster were selected.
GUI feature: The Toolbar window is now resizable so you can position it vertically or horizontally or however you like.
GUI feature: The Toolbar window location is now remembered between program runs.
GUI bug fix: www.microsoft.com is a never-ending source of link-rot, so I changed the Win32 SDK link to another web site.
GUI feaure: The Win32 SDK symbols are linked from the Help menu. This file is very handy when using functions in the Win32 SDK.
Bug fix: The Wrap and Frame properties interfere with the Bitmap property, making the image appear as a grey square. Fixed.
Display version and release date in the About box.
Bug fix: -showselalways of a ListView doesn't work, because the -style is sometimes set again after that option takes effect. Fixed by always putting -style and -exstyle options first in the otptions list. Don't know if this is the way Win32::GUI is intended to work. Maybe it shouldn't be.
Bug fix: Custom Properties doesn't make it properly into a loaded Design. Don't know how I missed that when implementing that feature, but I obviously wasn't quite done when I finished. Fixed by auto-vivifying properties not ``native'' to a control.
Added new Demo program to demonstrate home grown font support using Custom Properties + ControlInspector.
The WIN32API.TXT is shipped in the ./resource/win32/ directory. It's the Win32 API Declarations for Visual Basic, and the copyright says it can be redistributed, so... great, thanks Microsoft! It covers most of the symbols and values you may need when coding the Win32 API so it's really useful (although I prefer the actual header files, but they can't be redistributed just like that).
Added support for the control Win32::GUI::Hyperlink. It's kind of a Label on steroids with a clickable URL attached.
If you want to use it, there is a depency on Win32::GUI::Hyperlink <http://www.jeb.ca/perl/win32_module.htm>.
If you don't use it, I don't think you should have to notice anything.
Changed the installation scripts to work with both ActiveState Perl 5.6 and 5.8 (the ``ppm'' syntax broke when ppm in fact became ppm3. Thanks ActiveState!).
Fixed the problem with the new Win32 module giving weird warning about symbol clashes; the examples were changed:
use Win32; #Old
use Win32 (); #New
New feature: Custom Perl code when running the binary distro. This makes it possible to add your own properties if they aren't implemented in TGL (if they are simple enough). Read more: Programmer's Reference..Custom properties.
Bug fixed: Only one property will have effect if two or more control properties that use -addstyle or -remstyle are enabled in one control. This affects e.g. Textfield..Number and Textfield..Case.
Added som entries to the FAQ
Bug fixed: When deleting a clustered control, it isn't really deleted from the cluster.
Bug fixed: When a control is still present on acoount of the previous bug, it's
still present in the $design- >rhClusterWingc() property (it doesn't show up in
the built window).
Changed some non-implemented menu items to be disabled.
Added a note about supported Perl distros (ActivePerl, not IndigoPerl).
Corrected a file name typo with the RichEdit control.
Bug fixed: When saving a Design after a preview with ResizeHMod or ResizeVMod specified for some control, Storable would croak on a CODE ref (a Win32::GUI::Resizer object with a code ref was accidently left in the data structure).
Fixed newly introduced bug with reading .gld files.
Added class method newScalar() to enable you to load the
Window from a scalar instead of loading it from disk.
Updated the Programmer's Reference, look at the SYNOPSIS for an example.
Programmer's utility: Win32::GUI::Loft::winapp($nameWindow)
Return three-value array with the ($win, $design, $app) that corresponds to $nameWindow. Quick way of getting to these vars.
Updated Demo program FetchURL now shows how to influence the build process and set e.g. a Class and change the -style. The Programmer's Reference contains a section describing this.
Beta color management: Foreground and Background property for the controls: Label, Textfield, Listbox, and TreeView. This is experimental, don't rely on it.
Bug fix: Warning triggered when setting the property Align or Valign to ``''.
New Window type: borderless window. Property value for the Window control property DialogBox: borderless. Uses the new class Win32::GUI::BorderlessWindow (in the Win32::GUI::AdHoc PPM).
Open file by drag-n-drop on The GUI Loft window. You will need to a) run the binary; or b) rebuild your Win32::GUI module for this to work. Option a) is obviously easier.
Open file by command line parameter.
New property for the Textfield and RichEdit controls: WantReturn
New property Design->rhClusterWingc()
Added a FAQ
More pictures to the User Manual
New (backwards compatible) .gld format. Data::Dumper -> Storable.
Right-click Popup menu to select controls
Menu: Align commands
Right-click Popup menu
Menu: Select all, Select window,
Menu: Bring up, Bring down, Bring to top, Bring to bottom
New Control: Graphic
New Control: Toolbar
New options to the Window control: Maximizebox, Minimizebox, Helpbox, Menubox, Controlparent, Resizable
Bug fixed: Esc in the Properties window closes the current Design.
StatusBar control: Restricted the Height property to 18 pixels (like it renders).
Menu item: Copy Resizer code to Clipboard
Manipulate controls: SHIFT snaps to horizontal/vertical movement
Demo program: FileDisplay
New control: StatusBar
New control: ProgressBar
Developer's Reference (in resource/dev.pod)
FetchURL Demo program
Code SYNOPSIS
Basic resizer feature + docs
Resizer - modifier
Win32::GUI Help files included (for easy reference)
Win32::GUI control sensitive help files for the selected control (for even easier reference)
Link to the Windows SDK docs on MS site
Programmer's reference update. Still not finished though
``Edit | Copy name'' copies the names of selected controls to the Clipboard
Visible grid
Grid/snap settings
Remove dependency on Data::Denter (really!)
Changes file
PPMs - AdHoc, Loft
Refactor Win32::Clipboard code - move to app
Remove dependency on Data::Denter
Lotsa stuff
The GUI Loft is Copyright (c) Johan Lindström, johanl@bahnhof.se
The Perl Artistic license applies.