Re: [GITGRUB] New menu interface (implementation)

[Michal Suchanek]

2009/10/6 Bean <address@hidden>:
> On Tue, Oct 6, 2009 at 7:46 PM, Michal Suchanek <address@hidden> wrote:

>> This is an interesting feature but I was more interested in
>> controlling the border in text mode independently of graphics mode.
>>
>> For example, I would want something like:
>>  - graphics: 3px outer space, 2px border, 16px inner space
>> (unfortunately there is no character unit usable because the character
>> size is different when measured horizontally and vertically)
>>  - text: single border using the box drawing characters, inner space
>> vertical 1character
>>
>> AFAIK this is not possible.
>
> Hi,
>
> Well, to achieve that, we need some special syntax to allow users to
> skip the border bitmaps optionally in graphic mode, perhaps something
> like this:
>
> top_left = "null,,cyan/blue,#0x250F:,,green/blue,#0x2554"

Is the hex number the number of the box drawing character?

I would prefer if the border was easier to construct in text mode
without looking up which character goes where.

I think there are these common uses for borders:

- line border in graphics, box drawing char border in text
  This is the simplest case which does not require any support media.
  This should be well supported so that creating layout that just
works is easy (think fixing grub configuration, posting on pastebin,
etc)

- bitmap border, box drawing char border in text
  This seems to be the default currently if bitmap is specified
  I wonder what the semantics would be if I had bitmap only for some
borders (ie left, right)

- bitmap border, no border in text
  This is probably also common use - the bitmap only serves to add
rounded corners or something like that. No need to replicate in text
although some special characters might fit in some cases.

Adding a flat border can be done with an additional panel if desired
and is probably not common, no need for special support.

>
>>> valign, halign:
>>> Now align property control the position of current widget, instead of
>>> its children, each have four values:
>>> left/top
>>> center
>>> right/bottom
>>> extend - Extend the widget to the full width/height of parent.
>>>
>>> margin_left, margin_right, margin_top, margin_bottom
>>> This properties set the inner space reserved by the panel
>>>
>>> padding_left, padding_right, padding_top, padding_bottom
>>> This set the outbound box of the panel
>>>
>>> attach_left, attach_right, attach_top, attach_bottom
>>> Stick the widget to one of the border of parent, once this is set, the
>>> widget is no longed controlled by the layout manager and therefore can
>>> overlap with other widget.
>>>
>>
>> This sucks. Since overlap is not properly handled it should not happen.
>>
>> I am not sure what is the use of this property anyway.
>
> This can be used to implement the auto hide toolbar. We can use a
> hotkey to show/hide the bar. In this case, we definitely don't want to
> add the widget to the layout manger otherwise all widgets on screen
> would need to be resized after the show/hide operation.
>

It could be used like that if we had the ability to show/hide
individual widgets.

I know concealable toolbars are cool but do we really need them for grub?

They are cheap in a desktop environment where the windowing system is
already present and you just write an application that hides/resizes
its window.

In grub we would have to add and maintain/support features just to
support a concealable toolbar.

And what would be the use?

grub is not a windowing environment in which you stay for a prolonged
period of time. You just boot your system and are done with it.

Admittedly, concealable toolbars are somewhat useful to hold tools
which you need occasionally but which would occupy precious screen
space while you are working on something else. This is not the case in
grub, though.

All tools that are at your disposal should be clearly visible and you
don't really need to put the effort into hiding them because it should
take about the same effort to boot your system and exit grub
completely, including its toolbars.

Thanks

Michal