Dynamic Widget Guide. Options

[CSM]

Sorry, but you're out of luck. I can only include things that I understand (I have to edit it, after all). And those are both things that I don't grasp or have a very good understanding of.

I've never needed to know (I don't write widgets that use them).

I did try writing an NOAA RSS reader, but I worked around using the DOM with ".split" statements and the like.


You could try politely asking other members to write a short guide on those two. I would also include a section on RegExp statements and such.(I don't understand those either )

g6auc know a lot about this stuff, but I'd rather figure it out for myself* and he has a life too.


* And I'm too polite to ask anyone to waste huge amounts of their time to explain something to me that I could look up or will probably never get.

[D_O_M]

Thanks so much for this. I'm fairly new to javascript. I've only had a quick read but I'm going to go through the whole thing start to finish and follow all your examples when i have time. It covers some things I've been wanting to know for while! Much appreciated!

I'll post again once I've gone through it and let you know how helpful the guide was!
(probably won't be till after my exams tho - about a month away)

[CSM]

Thanks. Take a look at my Widgets MicroColors and SoundBank, as examples of the "with stoarge" section.

As my signature shows, I am trying to update this guide to include new 4.0 stuff.
The biggest change (that can be fixed right now) is to not use .addSubview(), and use the newer .appendChild()*

In the guide, I will probably not use the new one, excpet in the new sections, so that I don't introduce a new topic until I absolutely want to.
I will also continue where I left off and introduce the ID property and why it has an advantage over the name property.
This goes along with my "no storage" approach that I introduce last.
The new guide will cover DOM tree walking, like nextSibling() and such.

I used the ID property when helping revamp QuickDock (again) and MicroColors and SoundBank probably should be updated to use it, to reduce their footprint.

*I think that is what it is.

[Michael's Programming]

The biggest change (that can be fixed right now) is to not use .addSubview(), and use the newer .appendChild()*
...
*I think that is what it is.

That is it.

The new guide will cover DOM tree walking, like nextSibling() and such.

nextSibling is also a property, not a method. Look forward to the guide. (even though CD Player already uses most of the v4 specific features!)

[plooger]

Thanks for the tutorial/guidance.

Not sure if you've already incorporated it, or would even want to, but please see the following link for my end-of-tutorial js code that includes a 'setOrigin' onMouseDown function that removes the mouse leap associated with the onMouseMove-only event handling.

http://home.comcast.net/~krkweb/konfabulator/MyTutorial.zip

[CSM]

Thanks for the tutorial/guidance.

Not sure if you've already incorporated it, or would even want to, but please see the following link for my end-of-tutorial js code that includes a 'setOrigin' onMouseDown function that removes the mouse leap associated with the onMouseMove-only event handling.

http://home.comcast.net/~krkweb/konfabulator/MyTutorial.zip

Y!WE now supports onMouseDrag, and while I don't know exactly to what you are referring to in the document, my later Widgets store Points of previous locations etc to avoid "jumpiness" or "reseting".

[plooger]

... while I don't know exactly to what you are referring to in the document, my later Widgets store Points of previous locations etc to avoid "jumpiness" or "reseting".

Was referring to the following passage, from the top of page 13... "If you used my cube images, it may be noted that they drag a fair distance away from the cursor. That is due to the fact that the image is square and you are dragging an invisible upper left corner."

It sounds like you've accounted for the initial drag-jump in your later widgets. I was simply suggesting that the technique be included in the tutorial.

[CSM]

Was referring to the following passage, from the top of page 13... "If you used my cube images, it may be noted that they drag a fair distance away from the cursor. That is due to the fact that the image is square and you are dragging an invisible upper left corner."

It sounds like you've accounted for the initial drag-jump in your later widgets. I was simply suggesting that the technique be included in the tutorial.

Well, the tutorial is kinda like 4.0 transitional. It doesn't really use 4.0 features, and if I were to update it, I might go straight to 4.5. However, I need time, and between CS and promising an update to my Widget library ... Plus the initial interest in this wasn't "huge crowd" worthy, so there is no rush. Also, since then I have written a tutorial on Spawning Widgets, and put out many "simple" projects that haven't made it to the gallery that can be opened and disassembled to learn from, many of which account for the initial "drag point".

[Tobi H.]

Hey very great Document!

I read it especially for the dynamic preferences part. Was just wondering if there is also the possibility to add groups to the forms?

Because I want to provide a more complex form to the user and it should be similar to the regular prefrences form. The user will have a lot of preferences to choose, so it would make the usability a lot better!

Is it possible to do that? Or if not through the form parameter, maybe with some other functionalities within the widget engine?

Any ideas and advices are welcome!

Tobi

[CSM]

Hey very great Document!

Uh, thanks.

I read it especially for the dynamic preferences part. Was just wondering if there is also the possibility to add groups to the forms?

Well, forms do not support groups.

Because I want to provide a more complex form to the user and it should be similar to the regular prefrences form. The user will have a lot of preferences to choose, so it would make the usability a lot better!

Having too many preferences can be a bad thing. Also, making better looking, complex,* dynamic preferences is what spawned two other projects of mine. The latest and most viable one is still a work in progress, but can be found here:

* Complex in what they can do, not ease of use.

Is it possible to do that? Or if not through the form parameter, maybe with some other functionalities within the widget engine?

Not really, hence why I started those other projects. Follow their links.

Any ideas and advices are welcome!
Tobi

I gave a bunch above.