[XWEM]: Re: Fun with frames

[Steve Youngs]

* Zajcev Evgeny <address@hidden> writes:

  > Steve Youngs <address@hidden> writes:
  >> Can I switch frames by name instead of doing multiple `H-x H-n' or
  >> `H-x H-p' until I get to the frame I want?

  > here is what i have in my xwemrc:

  >     ;; Fast frame switcher
  >     (defun my-xwem-switch-frame (key)
  >       "To be used by H-C-<digit> bindings."
  >       (interactive (list (event-key xwem-last-event)))
  >       (xwem-frame-switch-nth (- (char-to-int key) 48)))
    
  >     (define-key xwem-global-map (xwem-kbd "H-C-0") 'my-xwem-switch-frame)
  >     (define-key xwem-global-map (xwem-kbd "H-C-1") 'my-xwem-switch-frame)
  >     (define-key xwem-global-map (xwem-kbd "H-C-2") 'my-xwem-switch-frame)
  >     (define-key xwem-global-map (xwem-kbd "H-C-3") 'my-xwem-switch-frame)
  >     (define-key xwem-global-map (xwem-kbd "H-C-4") 'my-xwem-switch-frame)
  >     (define-key xwem-global-map (xwem-kbd "H-C-5") 'my-xwem-switch-frame)
  >     (define-key xwem-global-map (xwem-kbd "H-C-6") 'my-xwem-switch-frame)
  >     (define-key xwem-global-map (xwem-kbd "H-C-7") 'my-xwem-switch-frame)
  >     (define-key xwem-global-map (xwem-kbd "H-C-8") 'my-xwem-switch-frame)
  >     (define-key xwem-global-map (xwem-kbd "H-C-9") 'my-xwem-switch-frame)

Cool, works well.

  >   NOTE:

  >   After today commit, which i will performe in few hours, really big
  >   commit which even changes core things in xwem a little, so will need
  >   testing, it will be possible to write something like:

  >     (define-xwem-command my-xwem-switch-frame (name)
  >       "Switch to xwem frame named by NAME."
  >       (xwem-interactive (list (xwem-completing-read "XWEM Frame: "
  >                                 (mapcar (lambda (f) (list (xwem-frame-name 
f)))
  >                                    xwem-frames-list))))
      
  >       (let ((frame (xwem-frame-find 'name name)))
  >          (when (xwem-frame-p frame)
  >             (xwem-frame-select frame))))

This works great.  Consider it tested. :-)

  > Hehe, your investigations really great!, do you dig in code :)?  

Yes.  I may not always understand it, but that doesn't stop me. :-)

  >  *XWEM FRAMES*:

  >    General function to create frames is `xwem-make-frame-1'.  It takes
  >    all arguments needed to change any parameter of xwem frame at
  >    creation time.  Arguments are:
     
  >      o EMBEDDED-P - non-nil if creating embedded frame, i.e. which is
  >        frame and client at the same time.

I'm not sure I understand the concept of a "embedded" frame.  Would
the initial XEmacs/xwem frame be an embedded frame?  Can you give me
an example?

  >      o PARAMS     - frame's parameters.  List in form '(:token1 val1
  >        :token2 val2 ..  ), where token is one of:
  >            :name - Frame's name.
  >            :state - Frame's state.
  >            ... others not really used.

(xwem-make-frame-1 nil (list :name "foo"))

Perfect!

  >      o PROPS      - frame's properties, plist, known keys are:
  >            'inner-border-width
  >            'otter-border-width
  >            'title-height
  >            'title-thickness

Can different frames have different border/title colours?

  >         Values are numbers.

  >      o NON-SELECT - Non-nil to not select newly created frame.

Handy.

  >    Default keybindings to deal with frames:


[...]

  >       H-x 5 n         xwem-frame-set-name
  >        This answers question about renaming frame without accesing
  >        XEmacs frame.

Thank you very much.  Just what I was looking for.  And in fact I
found it earlier today with `H-x 5 H-h'.

  >  *XWEM WINDOWS*:

  >      Expectance is special window mark, which is used to manage
  >      particular clients in this window.  For example you want to start
  >      xterm application but do not want to manage it in current
  >      window.  So you install expectance in some other window and just
  >      start xterm.  xwem will catch xterm application, find window
  >      which has xterm expectance installed in manage xterm in this
  >      window.  If no such window found - manage xterm in current
  >      window.

Sounds like it could be quite useful.

  >      To show how expectances works, just try: H-o r xterm RET

Or lazy people (or people who can't spell "xterm") could do 
`H-o H-a x'  :-)

  >   Here is windows oriented keyboard bindings:

The thing that I've noticed, and really appreciate is that a lot of
the xwem key bindings mimic the equivalent XEmacs bindings, just use
hyper instead of meta or control.  I have found learning the xwem key
bindings to be quite easy because of this.  I just think "if I wanted
to do this in ordinary XEmacs what would I do... `C-x 2', lets try
`H-x 2'."

  >   Here also support for window configurations.  i.e.  if using
  >   `xwem-register' addon, here is bindings to work with window
  >   configurations:

I have never done anything with XEmacs registers, so maybe this'll
prompt me into learning.

  >   Working with window expectances:

  >     For example you have frame:4 selected, and want to launch xterm in
  >     other(than selected) frame.  Here is how it may look:

  >       (define-xwem-command my-launch-in-oframe (cmd)
  >         "Run CMD in other frame."
  >         (xwem-interactive "eMy launch other frame: ")
        
  >         (let ((frame (or (xwem-frame-other (xwem-frame-selected))
  >                          (xwem-make-frame-1 nil nil nil t))))
  >           (xwem-win-expt-inc (xwem-frame-selwin oframe) cmd)
  >           (xwem-execute-program cmd)))

I can see a hacked version of that going into my
`~/.xwem/xwemrc.el'. :-) 

  >  *XWEM CLIENTS*:

  >   xwem client is normal X application, such as xterm, xclock, etc.
  >   They manages according to entries in manage database.

Is it possible to alter the entries in the manage database?  I can't
think of a reason to do so, but you never know. :-)

  >    H-x r <cmd> RET - very generic way to create new client.

This is what I do the vast majority of the time.

  >    Once you started some applcation you can use H-x 7 2 - run copy
  >    command.  This will examine current client and try to run another
  >    instance of this application, f.i.:

  >       H-x r xterm RET .. wait client mapping .. H-x 7 2

Is there any benefit to doing that rather than just starting another
instance of the app with `H-x r' ?

  >    When some client already managed, and you have lost where it was
  >    managed, but remeber its name, you can try using `H-x 7 p' - this
  >    command will find where client managed and switch to its frame,
  >    window, and client, so it is one of fastest way to find losted
  >    client.

Hey, that's a nice command.  I'll be using that one a lot.

  >    xwem client can be marked, just like you can mark position in
  >    XEmacs buffer.  H-@ - mark current client.  Then you can switch to
  >    last marked client using H-u address@hidden

I've found that it is handy to have the main XEmacs window
marked... no matter where I am, I can always get back to it.  A
question though, how do I unmark a client?

  >    If using xwem-register addon.  You can push client to some register
  >    H-x / <reg> - push current client to register <REG>, then using
  >    H-x j <reg> - pop to client in <REG>.

What is "<reg>"?  Is it a character, a string, an integer, a symbol,
or something else?

  >  *HELP SUBSYSEM*

  >    Proposals about what should be in xwem help subsystem are very
  >    very welcome, so dont hesistate.

Sure will.
   
  > It was very short description.  

But very informative and helpful.

  > I understand that many things is pretty hard, and needs very
  > detailed description in manuals.  But I still can't have time to
  > write good doc,

And I don't think that I have met a programmer that actually likes
writing documentation. :-)

  > and also my english so ugly, that I can't understand what I wrote
  > after 7 days :(

Your English isn't _that_ bad.

  > Thanks again that you not give up fighting with xwem :).

It's much less of a fight these days. :-)

  > Really I begin to understand that everything for Xing can be done
  > in xwem environment, as everything can be done in Emacs for editing
  > :)

It just goes to prove that there really isn't a reason to leave
XEmacs. :-)

-- 
|---<Steve Youngs>---------------<GnuPG KeyID: A94B3003>---|
|              Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.               |
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