website/archived/userbenosteen.md

title	lastmodified	redirect_from
User:BenOSteen	2006-08-22	/User%3ABenOSteen/

User:BenOSteen

Hi

I'm an Oxford, UK based linux enthusiast, soon to be a Software Engineer for Oxford University Library Services (18th September 2006).

Contact me at monobosteen@maysubdivide.org

Currently working on

A sandbox page to see what reorganising and adding to the MonkeyGuide Desktop Application Development Guide would do. Is this a better structure for a new user? You tell me

Two pre-existing pages that I have added to, or re-worded: GtkSharp:_Widget_Overview GtkSharp:_Widget_Layout_and_Packing

Tutorial Proposal

I am not personally convinced that dealing with the widgets on an individual basis is a good thing. As this is how the API is already structured, newbies will probably need a little more aid.

I propose a series of tutorials, graded in difficultly. The narrative would be written to reflect the process and decisions made to get to the final product. I can write up the first tutorial to reflect what I mean soon. I am not putting this here, demanding submissions, but any help/examples using Gtk.Drawables in C# and perhaps even Mono.Cairo would be fantastic.

1. Basic example, using the following:

   • Should this be shown with Monodevelop and Stetic?
   • hboxes and vboxes for layout
     • setting properties such as homogenous, width-request, and placement
   • Label
   • Button
     • User defined at first and then replaced by a Stock button as the Better Way(tm)
   • Text Entry
   • Functionality should cover basic event handling and application initiation:
     1. User reads blurb
     2. Enters text
     3. Process text using a System.String method to introduce it
     4. If acceptable, set text entry to non-editable, and display a success message
     5. If not-acceptable, display a failure message.

2. First intermediate example, introducing the following:

   • Frames
     • setting properties such as naming, etc.
   • TextArea
   • StringBuilder
   • Dialog window Run and Dispose
   • 'using' keyword
   • Glade# design with Glade or Stetic in MonoDevelop
   • Scrollbar container
   • RegExpressions
   • Functionality:
     1. TextArea is not appended to directly, but with ToString() on a persistent StringBuilder object.
     2. Enter and handle text entry.
     3. RegExp words into other words.
     4. Dialog reports how many replacements/finds in entered text.
     5. Maintain TextEntry as a a rolling readout of responses.

3. Second intermediate example, introducing the following:

   • Tooltips
   • Progress Bars
   • Radio/Checkbuttons
   • Adjustments and Range Widgets
   • Colour adjustments to widgets
   • Responsive interface
   • Functionality:
     1. Haven't a clue yet... possibly a function plotter.

4. Third intermediate example

   • Extend the previous example, using Menu Widgets, load and save, and XML...
   • Sensible time to introduce NUnit testing? Or going even further, Test-Driven Development style of coding?