On Mon, 9 Feb 1998, Neil A. Carson wrote:

> I wrote:
> > 
> > This may or may not have been mentioned before, but I was wondering if it
> > was possible to change the standard gadgets that applications use for
> > scrollbars, buttons, writeable icons, menus etc.
>
> It denepds on the application. Basically, X windows allows client
> applications to draw coloured rectangles with variable width borders,
> nothing more automatically. However it does allow applications to draw
> _into_ the coloured rectanges :-) So, most drawing functionality for
> buttons, gadgets, widgets, icons (call them what you will) tends to be
> on the client side.

Hmmm - I see. It seems a bit crazy to me, but I guess there are a lot of
good reasons for this!

> Some clients will use libraries of widgets to make things easier. One
> such library (which gives xterm-like scroll bars) is called Xaw; there
> is a version called Xaw3D (I think) which one can link with instead in
> order to get better looking icons.

OK, I'm with you there. Also - assuming that all these libraries aren't
very standard API-wise, I couldn't simply change things to use Lesstif
rather than Xaw by default.

Fx: searching the web...

I see there are a few such libraries, Xaw, Xaw3d, NeXTaw, Xaw95 etx etc. I
assume these all share the same API, and as such I should simply be able
to slot in a replacement perhaps...

> SGs use Motif for most stuff. Motif is big and complex and epensive, but
> there is a free versoin called Lesstif. Applicaitions that use this will
> already look 3D. Another really cool C++ Library is called Qt which is
> like Motif, byut provides a nice class hierarchy and is more
> streamlined.

Cool, but no "standard" as such - a shame...

Thanks for the info!

Joe
 __
 _|) "My imagination is a wild and untamed thing"  - Steve Hodgson
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