* New version of IRM New version of the IRM, updated to Medley. * moved to docs/medley-irm as discussed
1026 lines
281 KiB
Plaintext
1026 lines
281 KiB
Plaintext
INTERLISP-D REFERENCE MANUAL
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WINDOWS AND MENUS
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"28"27. WINDOWS AND MENUS
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2
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Windows provide a means by which different programs can share a single display harmoniously. Rather than having every program directly manipulating the screen bitmap, all display input/output operations are directed towards windows, which appear as rectangular regions of the screen, with borders and titles. The Interlisp-D window system provides both interactive and programmatic constructs for creating, moving, reshaping, overlapping, and destroying windows in such a way that a program can use a window in a relatively transparent fashion (see the Windows section below). This allows existing Interlisp programs to be used without change, while providing a base for experimentation with more complex windows in new applications.
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Menus are a special type of window provided by the window system, used for displaying a set of items to the user, and having the user select one using the mouse and cursor. The window system uses menus to provide the interactive interface for manipulating windows. The menu facility also allows users to create and use menus in interactive programs (see the Menus section below).
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Sometimes, a program needs to use a number of windows, displaying related information. The attached window facility (see the Attached Windows section below) makes it easy to manipulate a group of windows as a single unit, moving and reshaping them together.
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This chapter documents the Interlisp-D window system. First, it describes the default windows and menus supplied by the window system. Then, the programmatic facilities for creating windows. Next, the functions for using menus. Finally, the attached window facility.
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Warning: The window system assumes that all programs follow certain conventions concerning control of the screen. All user programs should use perform display operations using windows and menus. In particular, user programs should not perform operate directly on the screen bitmap; otherwise the window system will not work correctly. For specialized applications that require taking complete control of the display, the window system can be turned off (and back on again) with the following function:
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(WINDOWWORLD(WINDOWWORLD (Function) NIL NIL ("28") 1) FLAG) [NoSpread Function]
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The window system is turned on if FLAG is T and off if FLAG is NIL. WINDOWWORLD returns the previous state of the window system (T or NIL). If WINDOWWORLD is given no arguments, it simply returns the current state without affecting the window system.
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Using the Window System
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1
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When Medley is initially started, the display screen lights up, showing a number of windows, including the following:
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