summaryrefslogtreecommitdiffstats
path: root/devel-docs/ui-framework.txt
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
Diffstat (limited to '')
-rw-r--r--devel-docs/ui-framework.txt57
1 files changed, 57 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/devel-docs/ui-framework.txt b/devel-docs/ui-framework.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed97004
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devel-docs/ui-framework.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+ GIMP UI Framework
+ =================
+
+This document describes how the GIMP UI framework functions and is
+implemented. Here, "UI framework" refers to the system that saves the
+UI layout between GIMP sessions, i.e. how docks, dockable dialogs etc
+are setup.
+
+
+ Key Classes
+ -----------
+
+GimpDockable - Represents a dockable dialog.
+GimpDockbook - A GtkNotebook of GimpDockables
+GimpDock - A columns of GimpDockbooks
+GimpToolbox - Subclasses GimpDock, contains the toolbox.
+ Dockables are added at the bottom
+GimpMenuDock - Subclasses GimpDock, contains dockables, should
+ probably be merged with GimpDock. The name
+ contains "menu" from the time when it hosted the
+ Image Selection Menu that is now in the
+ GimpDockWindow
+GimpDockColumns - A set of GimpDocks arranged side by side.
+GimpDockWindow - A toplevel window containing a GimpDockColumns.
+GimpImageWindow - A toplevel window containing images and one
+ GimpDockColumns to the left and to the right.
+GimpDialogFactory - A factory to create and position toplevel windows
+GimpSessionInfo - Contains session info for one toplevel
+GimpUIConfigurer - Configures the UI when switching between
+ single-window and multi-window mode
+
+
+ GimpDialogFactory
+ -----------------
+
+The GimpDialogFactory can be considered to solve two distinct
+problems:
+
+1. Create widgets from text, in particular from text in sessionrc
+2. Session manage toplevel windows so their position is remembered
+ across GIMP sessions
+
+One possible design adjustment would be to have GimpWidgetFactory that
+takes care of 1), and then have GimpDialogFactory inherit from
+GtkWidgetFactory and implementing 2). GimpWidgetFactory could possibly
+use GtkBuilder.
+
+
+ sessionrc
+ ---------
+When GIMP starts, the sessionrc file is parsed. This step puts
+GimpSessionInfo:s into GimpDialogFactories. Later when dialogs are
+created, the dialog factory looks up existing session info entries. If
+one exists, it uses the session info to set e.g. the position of the
+created dialog. If it doesn't exist, it creates a new session info
+object for the dialog. When GIMP exists, the current session infos are
+then written back to sessionrc.