How to use smart docking

Revision as of 19:44, 27 August 2007 by Larryl (Talk | contribs)

  • There is a simple docking project example, is in the SVN:

https://eiffelsoftware.origo.ethz.ch/svn/es/trunk/Src/examples/docking

If you have checked out SVN codes, it's in your SVN_ROOT/examples/docking folder. After complied, it should looks like figure 1.

How to use smart docking figure 1.png


The client programmer only care about 4 classes in DOCKING LIBRARY.

  • SD_DOCKING_MANAGER

This is the class which control the whole SMART DOCKING library. Client programmer should use it like this:

manager: SD_DOCKING_MANAGER
create manager.make (a_container_for_docking_manager, a_window_for_docking_manager)

SD_CONTENT

This is the class which have the informations of client programmer want to put in the docking library. Client programmer should use it like this:

content: SD_CONTENT
create content.make (create {USER_CONTENT}, "A_unique_title")
content.set_short_title ("A short title")
content.set_long_title ("A long title")
manager.contents.extend (content)
-- You should call the following feature, otherwise the content will not visible.
content.set_top ({SD_ENUMERATION}.top)

For more information about SD_CONTENT, see How to use smart docking sd content


  • SD_ICONS_SINGLETON (deferred)

This is the class which provide docking library pixmaps for icons or dragging feedback. By default, Smart Docking library provide embedded icons which can be used directly without any changes. But if you want to customize your icons, you should inherit this class, to implement several once functions which provide EV_PIXMAPs like this:

arrow_indicator_up: EV_PIXMAP is
  once
    create Result.default_create
    Result.set_with_named_file (".\arrow.png")
  end
arrow_indicator_left: EV_PIXMAP is
  once
    create Result.default_create
    Result.set_with_named_file (".\arrow_left.png")
  end
arrow_indicator_center: EV_PIXMAP is
  once
    create Result.default_create
    Result.set_with_named_file (".\arrow_center.png")
  end
    ....

And you should call 'init' feature in SD_ICONS_SINGLETON, normally you can call it in the creation method of the SD_ICONS_SINGLETON implementation class.


  • SD_ENUMERATION

This class only contain enumerations of Smart Docking library, such as direciton eumeration, SD_CONTENT type enumeration.

For more informations about SD_ENUMERATION, see How to use smart docking sd enumeration