wxperl-users

RE: [wxperl-users] A few things + questions ..

[Marco T. <so...@so...>]

<snip>
>Since I would like to change completly from Tk to wxPerl, I would like to
>know, how stable it is in the moment.
<snip>

hello
my opinion is that wxPerl and wxWindows are at a usuable state of stability.
both have still some bugs and you have to do workarounds from time to time but
that's not that often.

here stuff that i found while programming an more or less complex application
(a MUA: http://coding.soapy.ch (download currently broken, will work again
tonight at about 20.00):

oh, before i begin: i use wxPerl 0.10 (wxWin 2.2.9) and
the things i described here are tested on win98 and redhat 7.2

i can't use the 0.11 built because of a bug (already reportet to mattia) wich i
can't do a workaround for in my application and i can't expect users of the
application to change the wxPerl lib themselve. and i don't know if the problems
described below are already fixed in 0.11 or if they are wxwindows bugs)

####################

Wx::ComboBox:

- GetCount broken on Linux, but works on Windows
- GetString "broken" on Win, but works on Linux
  not totally broken, the problem is that if you do GetString on a not existing
  index it should return nothing. on Win it returns first garbage and if you do
  it again it always returns "!"

so, this two things mean to me that if i wish to know all the content of a
ComboBox, i have to get it this way:

if($Wx::_platform == $Wx::_msw)
{
	for($i=0; $i<$this->{attachments}->GetCount; $i++)
	{
		print $this->{attachments}->GetString($i) . "\n";
	}
} elsif($Wx::_platform == $Wx::_gtk)
{
	while($string = $this->{attachments}->GetString($i++))
	{
		print $string . "\n";
	}
}

####################

Wx::Choice

"Number" and "GetString" broken on Windows, don't know about linux.
(the same problem with GetString like at ComboBox)

####################

Wx::ListBox

"Number" broken on Windows, don't know about linux

####################

Wx::MessageDialog

something wrong with linux. mattia already gave a workaround:
@Wx::GenericMessageDialog::ISA = 'Wx::MessageDialog';

####################

Wx::TreeCtrl in a Wx::Dialog:

problems with renaming on windows (there are much mails in the archive about
this). It's a wxWindows bug and not fixed till today.
someone programmed at the problem but it was never fixed properly
(my workaround: removed the feature of my application that needs this)

####################

Wx::ListCtrl

Windows:
If you insert a bold Item at the top the list, the headerlabel change to bold
too. wxWindows bug. works on linux.
"Fixed" in newer wxWindows version than  2.2.9. no more bold headerlabels
but instead of this problem there's a new: the bold item's arent handled
properly if you remove or insert another one above the bold one.
(a reason why i can only use wxPerl builts compiled against 2.2.9 and no newer)

####################

Wx::TreeCtrl

SetItemBold broken on Linux, not on Windows.
my workaround: change the background color instead of set it bold
-> generates another problem (this time with windows). the item's on whicht the
background color was changed once have an ugly yellow fontcolor if i select them
later

####################

think i found more but i reported them already to the list and forgot it now.

like i said, both (wxPerl and wxWindows) both still have bugs.
but for most of them there are workarounds.

so, if you wish to program your editor, you should expect to stumble over such
problems like i described because not every little thing in wxPerl/wxWindows is
tested on every platform (well, the users of the library are here for something
too, right?)

hope my little experience report/review helps you to decide if you'll use wxPerl
or not. I suggest you to do it, it's worth it after my opinion.
and i made the experience that mattia is always very nice and obliging if you
need a special built for some reasons.

greeting
Marco

[wxperl-users] Re: A few things + questions ..

[Marcus <li...@wo...>]

>Since I would like to change completly from Tk to wxPerl, I would like
to
>know, how stable it is in the moment.

I've been working on a larger app for the past few months and I've
found wxPerl very stable. For the few things lacking there are
workarounds, and Mattia is always very obliging should you be faced
with serious trouble.

I've developed an app in Perl/Tk as well (www.uploadaway.com), and I
have to say that I find wxWindows far better in performance and looks.
The familiarity of the native GUIs helps users accept the app more
readily also.

>I'm particulary interested in the HTML support, because I >would like
to develop a simple HTML editor

I'm working on one too and using the STC control, i.e. scintilla as the
editor. You can download the current preview version for Windows here
and take a look:

http://www.wordit.com/prima
(Btw, the website was generated by the app)

It will be commercial too, but if you want to work together on the HTML
functions I'm open to that. I have a testing version, and we could
probably create a little open source editor as a by product?

>Would it be possible to develop an editor, in
whom a user can dynamically change the text or insert >images
(drag'n'drop)?

You mean WYSIWYG?

Marcus

RE: [wxperl-users] A few things + questions ..

[<so...@bl...>]

> That's a very usable list of workarounds and bugs. I am compiling a lis=
t

> of what I'm running into while developing the wxPerl version of pVoice

> myself.

sorry, but what do you mean with "I am compiling a list..."
what do you compile?

> The idea I had was to setup a little site (wiki or something) 
> with complete documentation of everything I'm using and all expierences=


> (things that don't work and possible workarounds).

would really be great.

> I'll make a start for this soon and would like to invite everyone to 
> contribute.

i'll use it and insert everything i found/will find.

> My experience is that the wxWindows docs themselves are not 
> quite what you're looking for while building a wxPerl application, 

i really like them.

> because it's not always clear wether a function or class is implemented=


> in wxPerl or not, what parameters wxPerl expects and so on.

yeah, that's really a problem.

greeting
Marco

Re: [wxperl-users] A few things + questions ..

[Jouke V. <jo...@pv...>]

>
>
>sorry, but what do you mean with "I am compiling a list..."
>what do you compile?
>
creating a list...

>>My experience is that the wxWindows docs themselves are not 
>>quite what you're looking for while building a wxPerl application, 
>>
>
>i really like them.
>
I do like the way it's done, but I don't like the lack of wxPerl notes 
and wxPerl syntax

Jouke

Re: [wxperl-users] A few things + questions ..

[Mattia B. <mb...@ds...>]

> I'll make a start for this soon and would like to invite everyone to 
> contribute. My experience is that the wxWindows docs themselves are not 
> quite what you're looking for while building a wxPerl application, 
> because it's not always clear wether a function or class is implemented 
The "implemented class" part is not that difficult; the "implemented function"
part should be doable (automatically); which way should implemented/not
implemented classes/dunctions be marked?

> in wxPerl or not, what parameters wxPerl expects and so on.
If you could sketch some way to make parameter wxPerl expects,
or whatever, clearer, *and* if this can be made automatically
(i.e. by a script), I could incorporate this in the docs.

Regards
Mattia

Re: [wxperl-users] A few things + questions ..

[Jouke V. <jo...@pv...>]

Mattia Barbon wrote:

>>I'll make a start for this soon and would like to invite everyone to 
>>contribute. My experience is that the wxWindows docs themselves are not 
>>quite what you're looking for while building a wxPerl application, 
>>because it's not always clear wether a function or class is implemented 
>>
>The "implemented class" part is not that difficult; the "implemented function"
>part should be doable (automatically); which way should implemented/not
>implemented classes/dunctions be marked?
>
Well, a simple remark like 'wxPerl note: this function is not 
implemented'  under a function that is not implemented would do for me. 
And for the Validators: how they are implemented in wxPerl, and for 
something I stumbled into (from the top of my head, I don't have the 
code here): GetPlItemData (or something) for the Tree control, for which 
I can't find any documentation.
These are just things I can think of right now, but I'm sure there are 
more things that should be documented.

Another thing that wouldn't be a bad idea I personally think, is to have 
the possibility of having the documentation available in POD format. I 
don't have a problem with the HTML documentation, but I know there are a 
*lot* of Perl programmers who *love* POD , and would appreciate the 
availability of the docs in this format.

>>in wxPerl or not, what parameters wxPerl expects and so on.
>>
>If you could sketch some way to make parameter wxPerl expects,
>or whatever, clearer, *and* if this can be made automatically
>(i.e. by a script), I could incorporate this in the docs.
>
I have to think about this. I think of something like simply showing how 
you would call it from Perl, like:

$button = Wx::Button->new($parentid, etc etc)

Which is significantly different from how you would call the constructor 
in C++. It's all considered as common knowledge, but a starter would not 
always understand how to read the C++ docs.

Jouke

Re: [wxperl-users] A few things + questions ..

[Mattia B. <mb...@ds...>]

> Mattia Barbon wrote:
> 
> >>I'll make a start for this soon and would like to invite everyone to 
> >>contribute. My experience is that the wxWindows docs themselves are not 
> >>quite what you're looking for while building a wxPerl application, 
> >>because it's not always clear wether a function or class is implemented 
> >>
> >The "implemented class" part is not that difficult; the "implemented function"
> >part should be doable (automatically); which way should implemented/not
> >implemented classes/dunctions be marked?
> >
> Well, a simple remark like 'wxPerl note: this function is not 
> implemented'  under a function that is not implemented would do for me. 
Ok

> And for the Validators: how they are implemented in wxPerl, and for 
Hmm, yes, I forgot that

> something I stumbled into (from the top of my head, I don't have the 
> code here): GetPlItemData (or something) for the Tree control, for which 
> I can't find any documentation.
GetPlData, documented under GetItemData

> These are just things I can think of right now, but I'm sure there are 
> more things that should be documented.
> 
> Another thing that wouldn't be a bad idea I personally think, is to have 
> the possibility of having the documentation available in POD format. I 
> don't have a problem with the HTML documentation, but I know there are a 
> *lot* of Perl programmers who *love* POD , and would appreciate the 
> availability of the docs in this format.
The problem is that this is a big task; in addition it does not require
XS/C++/wxWindows knowledge, so if someone writes a TeX -> POD converter
that works for wxWindows docs, I'll probably include it in the distribution;
but *I* won't write it.

> >>in wxPerl or not, what parameters wxPerl expects and so on.
> >>
> >If you could sketch some way to make parameter wxPerl expects,
> >or whatever, clearer, *and* if this can be made automatically
> >(i.e. by a script), I could incorporate this in the docs.
> >
> I have to think about this. I think of something like simply showing how 
> you would call it from Perl, like:
> 
> $button = Wx::Button->new($parentid, etc etc)
Yes
 
> Which is significantly different from how you would call the constructor 
> in C++. It's all considered as common knowledge, but a starter would not 
> always understand how to read the C++ docs.
It would be nice to have a way to write (in a perl-programmer-friendly way)
which type each argument is, and which arguments are optional/have a default
value; but I can't think of something that is both compact and
perl-programmer-friendly

Regards
Mattia

Re: [wxperl-users] A few things + questions ..

[Jouke V. <jo...@pv...>]

> GetPlData, documented under GetItemData
My version of the documentation contains a wxPython note that they have 
GetPyData, but no wxPerl note for GetPlData...

> The problem is that this is a big task; in addition it does not require
> XS/C++/wxWindows knowledge, so if someone writes a TeX -> POD converter
> that works for wxWindows docs, I'll probably include it in the distribution;
> but *I* won't write it.
I know, I know....it's just one of the many thoughts...


> It would be nice to have a way to write (in a perl-programmer-friendly way)
> which type each argument is, and which arguments are optional/have a default
> value; but I can't think of something that is both compact and
> perl-programmer-friendly
Hmm...maybe something for the Wiki....


Jouke

Re: [wxperl-users] A few things + questions ..

[Jouke V. <jo...@pv...>]

Hi,
<snip>

>here stuff that i found while programming an more or less complex application
>(a MUA: http://coding.soapy.ch (download currently broken, will work again
>tonight at about 20.00):
>
<snip>
That's a very usable list of workarounds and bugs. I am compiling a list 
of what I'm running into while developing the wxPerl version of pVoice 
myself. The idea I had was to setup a little site (wiki or something) 
with complete documentation of everything I'm using and all expierences 
(things that don't work and possible workarounds).

I'll make a start for this soon and would like to invite everyone to 
contribute. My experience is that the wxWindows docs themselves are not 
quite what you're looking for while building a wxPerl application, 
because it's not always clear wether a function or class is implemented 
in wxPerl or not, what parameters wxPerl expects and so on.

Jouke