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Main forum => GLBasic - en => Topic started by: CCJ on 2010-May-06

Title: resources for learning [particularly iphone] GUI programming
Post by: CCJ on 2010-May-06
Hello all,
Where can I find some good documentation/tutorials/etc. on the subject of GUI programming in GLBasic, with an emphasis on iphone GUI construction?  I downloaded the DDGui example program, but all it has is a long comment at the outset with terse explanations of commands.  Technically it won't even compile right away (it was posted several years ago and a certain command, I believe it was 'fillrect' must have changed because the compiler doesn't recognize it), so additional/updated resources would be nice.  Are there any? I know there are also a few alternatives to the DDGUI commandset floating around-- where can I find documentation on them?  Do they work at all with the iphone?  Finally, has the performance of DDGUI improved at all on the iphone recently?  Last I heard it didn't work all that well [specifically scrollbars as I recall simply failed to function, and other elements ran slowly].
Thanks,
CCJ
Title: Re: resources for learning [particularly iphone] GUI programming
Post by: Ian Price on 2010-May-06
I don't know what your actual needs are, but Sometimes you won't need a proper dedicated GUI to get a job done - it is entirely possible to create an image based GUI, where you use sprites, images and text to make it look like you are using a GUI.

I've included two .EXE examples I made in BlitzMax a while back that use no true GUI devices, other than the file dialogue boxes (but even these can be faked, as I have done in a GLBasic app I am working on). Everything else, from the menus to everything on screen was created with images and primitive drawing.

The delay at the start of MaxANSI is not down to setting up the fake GUI (MaxMapper uses a very similar display and has no delay) - it's grabbing thousands of sprites and recolouring them.

MaxANSI - http://www.iprice.remakes.org/my_stuff/MaxANSI.rar
MaxMapper - http://www.iprice.remakes.org/my_stuff/MaxMapper.rar

Both of these are abandoned WIPs (I no longer use BlitzMax), and so are unfinished and unsupported and contain bugs etc.

Although they were created in BlitzMax, there is nothing in either that cannot be re-created in GLBasic and would work on ALL possible hardware supported by GLBasic and would be fast.
Title: Re: resources for learning [particularly iphone] GUI programming
Post by: Kuron on 2010-May-06
Hands down the absolute best GUI's I have ever seen done in Blitz Max   :good:
Title: Re: resources for learning [particularly iphone] GUI programming
Post by: codegit on 2010-May-06
Not 100% sure, but I think if you write Apps (not games) for the iPhone, you have to use Apples UI frameworks. I believe if you do not adhere to their standards in this regard, they will not accept you app. Obviously, if its just GUI's(menus) for your game then NO problem.
Title: Re: resources for learning [particularly iphone] GUI programming
Post by: CCJ on 2010-May-06
@Ian Thanks for the advice/examples!  You make a good point, and I've used this approach before, but I'm interested in learning to use the GLBasic commands that are meant specifically for GUI construction with widgets.  It would be very nice if someone could create a 'visual forms builder' style WYSIWYG GUI construction tool for GLBasic...

@codegit That wouldn't surprise me in the least... anyway games are my main interest so it's sort of a non-issue.
Title: Re: resources for learning [particularly iphone] GUI programming
Post by: Kuron on 2010-May-07
QuoteGLBasic commands that are meant specifically for GUI construction with widgets
DDGUI does not support the native GUI of the target OS.  It is merely using a method similar to the one that Ian showed you.