NAME

Prima::MDI - top-level window emulation

DESCRIPTION

MDI stands for Multiple Document Interface and is a Microsoft Windows user interface that consists of multiple non-top-level windows belonging to an application window. The module contains classes that provide similar functionality; sub-window widgets realize a set of operations similar to those of the real top-level windows, - iconize, maximize, cascade, etc.

The basic classes required to use the MDI are Prima::MDIOwner and Prima::MDI, which are, correspondingly, sub-window owner class and sub-window class. Prima::MDIWindowOwner is the same as Prima::MDIOwner but is a Prima::Window descendant: both owner classes are different only in the class they are derived from. Their second ascendant is the Prima::MDIMethods package that contains all the owner class functionality.

Usage of the Prima::MDI class extends beyond the multi-document paradigm. The Prima::DockManager module uses the class as a base of the dockable toolbar window class (see Prima::DockManager.

SYNOPSIS

use Prima qw(Application MDI Buttons);

my $owner = Prima::MDIWindowOwner-> new;
my $mdi   = $owner-> insert( 'Prima::MDI');
$mdi-> client-> insert( 'Prima::Button' => centered => 1 );

run Prima;

Prima::MDI

Implements MDI window functionality. A subwindow widget consists of a title bar, title bar buttons, and a client widget. The latter must be used as an insertion target for all children widgets.

A subwindow can be moved and resized, both by mouse and keyboard. These functions, along with maximize, minimize, and restore commands are accessible via the popup menu anchored to the window toolbar. The default set of commands is as follows

Close window                  - Ctrl+F4
Restore window                - Ctrl+F5 or double-click on the title bar
Maximize window               - Ctrl+F10 or double-click on the title bar
Go to the next MDI window     - Ctrl+Tab
Go to the previous MDI window - Ctrl+Shift+Tab
Invoke popup menu             - Ctrl+Space

The class mimics the API of the Prima::Window class, and to some extent, Prima::Window and this page share the same information.

Properties

borderIcons INTEGER

Manages window decorations, which are buttons on the title bar and the title bar itself. Can be 0 or a combination of the following mbi::XXX constants that are a superset of the bi::XXX constants ( see "borderIcons" in Prima::Window ) and are interchangeable.

mbi::SystemMenu  - system menu button with an icon is shown
mbi::Minimize    - minimize button
mbi::Maximize    - maximize and restore buttons 
mbi::TitleBar    - window title
mbi::Close       - close button
mbi::All         - all of the above

Default value: mbi::All

borderStyle INTEGER

One of the bs::XXX constants that define the window border style:

bs::None      - no border
bs::Single    - thin border
bs::Dialog    - thick border
bs::Sizeable  - thick border with interactive resize capabilities

The bs::Sizeable is a unique mode. If selected, the user can resize the window interactively. The other border styles disallow resizing and affect the border width and design only.

Default value: bs::Sizeable

client OBJECT

Selects the client widget at run time. When changing the client, the old client's children are not reparented to the new client. The property cannot be used to set the client during the MDI window creation; use the clientClass and clientProfile properties instead.

When setting a new client object, note that it has to be named MDIClient, and that the window will be automatically destroyed after the client is destroyed.

clientClass STRING

Assigns the client widget class.

Create-only property.

Default value: Prima::Widget

clientProfile HASH

Assigns a hash of properties passed to the client during the creation.

Create-only property.

dragMode SCALAR

A three-state variable that manages the visual feedback style when the user moves or resizes a window. If 1, the window is moved or resized simultaneously with the user's mouse or keyboard actions. If 0, a marquee rectangle is drawn, which is moved or resized as the user sends the commands; the window is only positioned and/or resized after the dragging session is successfully finished. If undef, the system-dependant dragging style is used. ( See "get_system_value" in Prima::Application ).

The dragging session can be aborted by hitting the Esc key or calling the sizemove_cancel method.

Default value: undef.

icon HANDLE

Selects a custom image to be drawn in the left corner of the toolbar. If 0, the default image ( menu button icon ) is drawn.

Default value: 0

iconMin HANDLE

Selects the minimized button image in the normal state.

iconMax HANDLE

Selects the maximized button image in the normal state.

iconClose HANDLE

Selects the close button image in the normal state.

iconRestore HANDLE

Selects the restore button image in the normal state.

iconMinPressed HANDLE

Selects the minimize button image in the pressed state.

iconMaxPressed HANDLE

Selects the maximize button image in the pressed state.

iconClosePressed HANDLE

Selects the close button image in the pressed state.

iconRestorePressed HANDLE

Selects the restore button image in the pressed state.

tileable BOOLEAN

Selects whether the window is allowed to participate in cascading and tiling auto-arrangements, performed correspondingly by the cascade and tile methods. If 0, the window position is not affected by these methods.

Default value: 1

titleHeight INTEGER

Selects the height of the title bar in pixels. If 0, the default system value is used.

Default value: 0

windowState STATE

A three-state property that manages the state of a window. STATE can be one of three ws::XXX constants:

ws::Normal
ws::Minimized
ws::Maximized

The property can be changed either by an explicit set-mode call or by the user. In either case, a WindowState notification is triggered.

The property has three convenience wrappers: maximize(), minimize(), and restore().

The ws::Fullscreen constant is not supported, and there's no corresponding fullscreen() method.

Default value: ws::Normal

See also: WindowState

Methods

arrange_icons

Arranges geometrically the minimized sibling MDI windows.

cascade

Arranges sibling MDI windows so they form a cascade-like structure: the lowest window is expanded to the full owner window inferior rectangle, the next window occupies the inferior rectangle of the first window, etc.

Only windows with the tileable property set to 1 are arranged.

client2frame X1, Y1, X2, Y2

Returns a rectangle that the window would occupy if its client rectangle is assigned to the X1, Y1, X2, Y2 rectangle.

frame2client X1, Y1, X2, Y2

Returns a rectangle that the window client would occupy if the window rectangle is assigned to the X1, Y1, X2, Y2 rectangle.

get_client_rect [ WIDTH, HEIGHT ]

Returns a rectangle in the window coordinate system that the client would occupy if the window extensions are WIDTH and HEIGHT. If WIDTH and HEIGHT are undefined, the current window size is used.

keyMove

Initiates window moving session, navigated by the keyboard.

keySize

Initiates window resizing session, navigated by the keyboard.

mdis

Returns an array of sibling MDI windows.

maximize

Maximizes the window. A shortcut for windowState(ws::Maximized).

minimize

Minimizes the window. A shortcut for windowState(ws::Minimized).

post_action STRING

Posts an action to the window; the action is deferred and executed in the next message loop. This is used to avoid unnecessary state checks when the action-executing code returns. The current implementation accepts the following string commands: min, max, restore, close.

repaint_title [ STRING = title ]

Invalidates the part of the title bar corresponding to the STRING, which can be one of the following:

left    - redraws the menu button
right   - redraws minimize, maximize, and close buttons
title   - redraws the title
restore

Restores the window to the normal state from the minimized or maximized state. A shortcut for windowState(ws::Normal).

sizemove_cancel

Cancels active moving or resizing session and returns the window to the previous state

tile

Arranges sibling MDI windows so they form a grid-like structure where all windows occupy equal space, if possible.

Only windows with the tileable property set to 1 are processed.

xy2part X, Y

Maps a point in the (X,Y) coordinates into a string corresponding to the part of the window: title bar, button, or a part of the border. The latter can be returned only if borderStyle is set to bs::Sizeable. The possible return values are:

border   - window border; the window is not sizeable
client   - client widget
caption  - title bar; the window is not movable
title    - title bar; the window is movable
close    - close button
min      - minimize button
max      - maximize button
restore  - restore button
menu     - menu button
desktop  - the point does not belong to the window

In addition, if the window is sizeable, the following constants can be returned, indicating the part of the border:

SizeN    - upper side
SizeS    - lower side
SizeW    - left side
SizeE    - right side
SizeSW   - lower left corner
SizeNW   - upper left corner
SizeSE   - lower right corner
SizeNE   - upper right corner

Events

Activate

Triggered when the user activates the window. The activation mark usually resides on the window that has the keyboard focus.

The module does not provide a dedicated activation function; the select() call can be used for this.

Deactivate

Triggered when the user deactivates the window. A window is usually marked inactive when it contains no keyboard focus.

The module does not provide a dedicated de-activation function; the deselect() call can be used instead.

WindowState STATE

Triggered when the window state is changed, either by an explicit windowState() call or by the user. STATE is the new window state, one of three ws::XXX constants.

Prima::MDIMethods

Methods

The package contains methods for MDI window owners. Add Prima::MDIMethods as a base to your class to inherit this functionality if neither Prima::MDIOwner nor Prima::MDIWindowOwner suit your needs.

mdi_activate

Repaints window titles in all children MDI windows.

mdis

Returns an array of children MDI windows.

arrange_icons

The same as Prima::MDI::arrange_icons.

cascade

The same as Prima::MDI::cascade.

tile

The same as Prima::MDI::tile.

Prima::MDIOwner

A predeclared descendant class derived from Prima::Widget and Prima::MDIMethods.

Prima::MDIWindowOwner

A pre-declared descendant class derived from Prima::Window and Prima::MDIMethods.

AUTHOR

Dmitry Karasik, <dmitry@karasik.eu.org>.

SEE ALSderived from

Prima, Prima::Widget, Prima::Window, Prima::DockManager, examples/mdi.pl