[Pythoncard-users] Updated EXPERIMENTAL resource Editor - now at v0.3

[Alex T. <al...@tw...>]

> Unfortunately, 0.3 will not be out tonight as previously expected.

Version 0.3 is now available, at 
www.tweedly.net/Python/newresourceEditorv0.3.zip 
Note in particular the need to update Pythoncard/widget.py for this 
version.


----------------------------------------------------
Experimental Resource Editor v 0.3

This version of the resource Editor has the following changes:

0.2:  as 0.1, with the addition of layering for multiple components,
rectangular marquee selection and bug fixes - see "0.2" for details.

0.3: bug fixes:
        click-on-space deselects all components will now cause
            switch back to single mode
        ctrl-click to deselect component failed to remove said component
            from componentList display
     automatic naming rules - see below


IMPORTANT NOTE: 0.3 requires you to update Pythoncard/widget.py When
you unzip the newresourceEditorv0.3 directory, you will find the
updated version of widget.py inside the resource editor directory. You
need to copy this over to the top-level of your Pythoncard
directory. Please keep a copy of the existing widget.py in case of problems.


Property editor window display.

The propertyEditor Window has been extensively changed. Previously it
was a small window, showing a list of components and a list of
attributes applicable to the currently selected component. The
currently selected attribute was displayed (and editable) below this.

The new version uses a much larger window, again showing a list of
components. For the currently selected component, ALL attributes are
shown, in a large area to the right. Any of the attributes can be
edited directly, and the change will take effect as soon as the focus
leaves the field being edited (the Update button is still also
available).

0.3
Component naming when created - automatic naming rules

When a component is newly created, its name is automatically generated;

 - if a new component being added, the name is formed by taking the
   component type name, and appending an integer - the smallest number
   which provides a new unique name. Thus: Button1, Button2, Button3,
   ...

- if a component is being created by either a copy/paste, or
  Edit/Duplicate command, then name is based on the existing
  component, with an integer appended (again, smallest number to
  produce a new name is used). Thus: if Button1 is being Duplicated,
  the new component will be Button11, or Button12, or Button13....

If the component has a label or text attribute, this will be
automatically generated; it will be the same as the name.

Both the name and the label/text are marked as being "auto-generated"
(actually, as NOT being "user-specified"). If either one is edited by
the user, it is then marked as "user-specified", and it will no longer
be subject to automatic updating. So long as the name or label/text
are not user-specified, they will be automatically updated if the other
one is modified by the user.

The label/text will be set to the same as the name.

The name will be set to the same as the label, but with all characters
except letters and numbers removed, all spaces converted to underscore
("_"), and all other characters removed. Any leading numbers or
underscores will be removed (to ensure it is a valid variable name),
and it will be shortened to a maximum of 24 characters long. Then an
integer will be appended, the smallest number producing a new unique
name is used.

In the propertyEditor display, alongside the name and label/text is a
checkbox showing whether each is user-specified or not. If you modify,
for instance, the name it will automatically check the associated
checkbox. If you wish the name to revert to being automatically
generated, simply uncheck this box.

0.3 end


0.2 section ....  replaced by the above auto-naming rules
In the existing resourceEditor, every time you create a component
(either from the Component menu, or by Duplicate, or Paste), you are
presented with a dialog box to specify the name (and label / text for
those components that have them).


I have taken that out (at least for now) - so the component is
immediately created with the default name/label. I've found this
better and faster for my testing - but I'm not sure if it would be the
same when using the resourceEditor "for real", rather than for
testing.

If you want to revert to the earlier behaviour, find the line
       result = fakeEmptyDialog(desc, offsets, promptString)
around line 1334. Comment it out, and reinstate the previous line.

The medium-term intent is to extend the "clever default"s for deriving
labels from names, or names from labels - so that you can achieve what
you need with the minimum amount of typing possible. Stay tuned ....
.... end of 0.2 section

Multiple components.

You can select multiple components and perform various operations on
them. Clicking on a component selects it (just as before). Ctrl-click
will add a component to the selected set, or remove it if it is
already in there.  The property window can be watched to let you know
if you are in "single-component mode" or "multiple-component mode".

If you select a number of components, and then deselect all but one of
them, you remain in multi-component mode. (NB this feels better to me
- but is certainly a candidate for later change if we think we
should.) This does save a "flash" back into single mode display, when
de-selecting and re-selecting most of a group.

If there is NO component selected, and you select the first one by
Ctrl-Click, then you enter multi-component mode immediately. The
specific reason I did this no longer applies - but I'd got used to it
by then. Again, this does save a certain amount of "flashing" between
the two modes (and their display).

Note that when in multiple-component mode, the component box in the
property window is for display only - you cannot click in that box to
(de)select components. "0.2" - fixed; in 0.1, it did allow clicking in
this box, with varied and interesting results. A related fix involving
selecting first component from this componentList in the
propertyEditor, and additional components by Ctrl-clicking also fixed.

It shows only those components which are in the
selected set. This is mostly because Pythoncard doesn't have a
multi-choice list box, but also partly because using a multi-choice list
would make it harder to see at a glance which are selected.

Once a set of components have been selected, you can mouse-down
(i.e. press and hold, no ctrl-key) WITHIN one of the selected
components; this will bring up the enclosing rectangle for the whole
set, and you can then move them around. 

They can also be moved using the arrow keys; however, this has always
been a bit flaky - sometimes the key events get captured by something
else, and used for filed-traversal-tabbing. It may be a bit more flaky
with the new display panel - see "nudge commands" below for other
options.

Note that Copy, Cut and Paste *do* work for multiple components. There
isn't yet a Delete command that works for multiple-component mode, but
you can simply Cut them in the meantime.

0.2 changes - marquee selection

Multiple component selection using rectangular "marquee"

You can select multiple components by enclosing them within a
rectangular "marquee". The basic form involves pressing the mouse
button down NOT within any component, and while holding the button
down, dragging the mouse out to surround some components. These
components will become a new multiple-component selection, replacing
any previous selection.

You can modify this by using modifier keys while doing the rectangle 
selection.

1. No modifier - define a new selection

2. shift-rectangle : add enclosed components to existing selection
   (any enclosed components already selected remain selected)

3. ctrl-rectangle : toggle the status of enclosed components (i.e. if
   already selected, remove it, if not already selected, add it)

4. shift-ctrl-rectangle : subtract from existing selection

end of this 0.2 change.




Buttons for layer changes.

A component can be moved Back/Forward using the main menu Options /
Send to Back, etc., or the shortcut keys Ctrl-1, Ctrl-2, etc.
However, these keys don't work when focus is in the property
window. Buttons have been added (below the component list box) to
allow re-layering of a component.

0.2 changes : Relayering of multiple components.

As well as the 4 buttons corresponding to the existing commands, there
are two additional ones which only take effect when there are multiple
components selected.  First, a description of what it means to
re-layer multiple components.

All the selected components are put, in the order they were selected,
together in the final order list. The base component (first one
selected) is then moved back or forward according to the given
command, with all other selected components following it.

In some cases, you will want to collect the selected components
together in the component ordering, but without changing the base
component's place in the order. The first new button "gather together"
does this.

The second new button takes a set of components and re-layers them
according to their position, in approximate "reading" order; top-left
to bottom right, in rows. Just like "Gather together", this re-ordered
set of components finish up adjacent in the layer ordering, following
the place in order of the base component.

Beware that the reading order works well if the components are
non-overlapping, but can be hard to predict when there are multiple
overlapping components selected (e.g. if you were to edit the resource
editor's own resource file, where the "single-mode" and
"multiple-mode" controls occupy the same area, and simply select all
of them, you will get a different result from what you expect or
want. This is a result of the comparison function used to sort into
"reading order" - if one component is entirely below another, the
order is clear; otherwise they are assumed to be on the same row, and
sorted according to X coord.

NB There is a definite lack of visual feedback from these
commands. I'm trying to find a good way to give this feedback - any
suggestions gratefully received.

 These command will probably go on the menu eventually.

end of this 0.2 change


Arrow keys & Buttons to 'nudge' components.

The arrow keys can be used to reposition a component, as
before. However, they now have the added feature that

 - Ctrl-arrow will move in that direction by the currently specified
    grid step, and align to the grid even if the "Align to grid"
    option is not enabled.

 - Shift-arrow will move by the grid step distance, but without
   rounding to the grid

 - Shift-Ctrl-arrow will move by the square of the grid size (and
   round to the basic grid). Good accelerator for big moves - beware
   you can jump right off the window if you're not careful.

As mentioned above, occasionally (or perhaps often), one or more of
the placed components gets in the way of key events ['buttons start
tabbing, calendar starts moving the selected date, etc.]. Therefore
there are now button on the property window to move the selected
component or components. these are in the box labelled "NUDGE" at the
bottom-left.

Clicking on each arrow button here moves the component in the obvious
direction. The number inside these buttons controls how far the
components are moved; 1 moves by 1 pixel, 2 by a grid-step, 4 by the
square of a grid-step. (3 is the same as 2 for now). These moves
always honour the Align to Grid setting.  [NB - this may change -
either to be simply pixel distance, or a drop-down choice for the 1 vs
grid vs grid*grid to allow all the choices available by the arrow
keys.]

Various operations are enabled when in multi-component mode. Remember 
that the *order* the components were selected (visible by order they are 
listed in the component box) is significant for many of these.

Align operations.

The box labelled "ALIGN" contains six buttons, which align the
components up with the first selected on. They can be aligned by left
side, right side, top, bottom (four buttons grouped to the left). Or
the centres of the components can be aligned, either vertically or
horizontally (i.e. into a column or into a row).


Distribute operations.

The box labelled "DISTRIBUTE" has four buttons; two on the left for
distributing horizontally and two on the right for vertical
distribution.

The top button on each side distributes the components "edge-to-edge";
i.e. the first component does not move, the second one is placed to
the left (or below) such that the edges line up, then the third, etc.

The lower button distributes them with even-sized gaps from
"first-to-last"; i.e. the first and last components do not move, the
others are distributed between them such that the gaps between the
edges are equal sized (or as close as possible). Note that if the
components add up to larger than the total distance between first and
last, then they will overlap (i.e. the 'gap' can be negative), but it
will still be evenly shared between them.

Equalize operations.

The box labelled "EQUALIZE" has three buttons, which set the width
(the height, or both) of all other components selected to match the
first component.

0.2 changes : Bug fixes since 0.1

1. Never save sizing handles to resource file. 

In 0.1, if you selected multiple components, and then saved the
resource file, the sizing handles were saved to the file along with
the user's components. Oops.  Fixed now.



Other changes and bug-fixes included.

1. Flaky behaviour on re-sizing a component.

Moving the cursor rapidly back inside a Textfield (or TextArea, or
...) while re-sizing it would cause it to change to almost random
size.

2. Flaky "move" - double-click.

Double-clicking within a Button component prior to moving it would
cause the mouse to become "locked" into that component. So you could
click outside the component, and it would nevertheless move with the
mouse; also you were unable to select another component, or the
menu. Could be solved by clicking in another window (though not
another window of this program), and then clicking back in this
window.

I've got a "fix" for this in place - though I don't understand why it
works. (I discovered that all subsequent mouse events were reporting
the "getEventObject() wrongly, and having a handler for doubleClick -
even one that does nothing - seems to solve it.

You shouldn't - but might - see a dialog that says
    "You double-clicked - please don't"
This means that work-around didn't work - just click OK to the dialog
and you'll be able to continue.

3. Calendar component "hops"

There is code to ensure that components with a border allow for that
when calculating moves; without this a click on the component would
"hop" it by the border width. This hadn't been done for Calendar
components, and has now.

[ Mac users - please let me know if I guessed right for the offset needed ]

4. Static line and gauges/sliders ignored layout setting.

The setting for layout (either horizontal / vertical) was being ignored.



Clearly still missing .....
1. [DONE] re-layer for multiple components
2. delete multiple components (but Cut is done already)
3. [DONE] select multiple components by rectangular marquee
4. select multiple components by regular expression
      (useful if you use systematic names, and want to pick them all ....)
5. undo (at least for the multiple-component operations).
Do be careful; you can mess up really fast with multiple component 
operations !
6. Temporary hide/show of selected components.
(Take a look at the property window in the resource editor - it's a
pain to work on because the single-component mode fields overlap the
multi-component mode buttons.



-- 
Alex Tweedly       http://www.tweedly.net



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