FXRuby: Create Lean and Mean GUIs with Ruby (Pragmatic Programmers)

FXRuby is a highly object-oriented toolkit for building lean, mean, cross-platform graphical user interfaces in Ruby. Since its initial release in 2001, FXRuby has become one of the most popular GUI choices for Ruby developers. This book is your best resource for rapidly learning how to develop powerful, sophisticated GUIs in your favorite programming language. If you're a newcomer to GUI programming, this book will introduce you to the basics of FXRuby programming by leading you through building a GUI application with FXRuby from start to finish. If you're an experienced software developer who just needs to get up to speed on FXRuby and what it can do for you, this book will help you put FXRuby to work in your Ruby-based applications. Along the way, you'll learn how to leverage FXRuby's vast collection of user interface elements to build visually rich user interfaces. You'll see how FXRuby uses the concept of sending messages between objects to implement event-driven applications, and how you can most effectively use layout managers to construct flexible user interfaces. Go beyond the basics with proven, practical knowledge and techniques for developing real-world GUI programs in Ruby. Contents......Page 7 Foreword......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 12 What's in This Book?......Page 13 How to Read This Book......Page 14 Where to Get Help......Page 15 A Word About Versions......Page 18 Building an FXRuby Application......Page 19 Getting Started with FXRuby......Page 20 Installing FXRuby......Page 23 Instant Gratification......Page 25 What Picture Book Does......Page 31 Application Data......Page 33 Let's Code......Page 35 Get Something Running......Page 36 Create the View......Page 37 Construct an Image from a File......Page 40 Take 2: Display an Entire Album......Page 43 Add Album View......Page 44 Display Images as Thumbnails......Page 47 Import Photos from Files......Page 50 Dynamically Reconfigure the Album View......Page 55 Make the Album View Scrollable......Page 58 Create the Album List View......Page 62 Use a Split View......Page 65 Switch Between Albums......Page 67 Add New Albums......Page 70 Serialize the Album List with YAML......Page 72 So, What Now?......Page 76 FXRuby Fundamentals......Page 78 FXRuby Under the Hood......Page 79 Event-Driven Programming......Page 80 Mouse and Keyboard Events......Page 85 Timers, Chores, Signals, and Input Events......Page 87 Syncing the User Interface with the Application Data......Page 91 Using Data Targets for GUI Update......Page 92 Responsive Applications with Delayed Layout and Repaint......Page 93 Client-Side vs. Server-Side Objects......Page 95 How Windows Work......Page 98 Building Simple Widgets......Page 100 Creating Labels and Buttons......Page 101 Editing String Data with Text Fields......Page 111 Providing Hints with Tooltips and the Status Bar......Page 113 Displaying Simple Lists with FXList......Page 115 Good Things Come in Small Packages: FXComboBox and FXListBox......Page 118 Branching Out with Tree Lists......Page 121 Displaying Tabular Data with FXTable......Page 126 Editing Text with the Text Widget......Page 133 Adding and Removing Text......Page 134 Navigating Through Text......Page 136 Searching in Text......Page 137 Applying Styles to Text......Page 139 Creating Visually Rich User Interfaces......Page 142 Using Custom Fonts......Page 143 Pointing the Way with Cursors......Page 146 Creating and Displaying Images......Page 149 Manipulating Image Data......Page 151 Creating and Displaying Icons......Page 155 One More Thing......Page 158 Managing Layouts......Page 159 Understanding the Packing Model......Page 160 Arranging Widgets in Rows and Columns with a Matrix Layout......Page 173 Dynamically Resizing Layouts with a Splitter Layout......Page 177 Managing Large Content with Scrolling Windows......Page 179 Organizing Windows with Tabbed Notebooks......Page 180 Strategies for Using Different Layout Managers Together......Page 182 Creating Cascading and Scrolling Menus......Page 188 Adding Separators, Radio Buttons, and Check Buttons to Menus......Page 191 Adding Toolbars to an Application......Page 193 Creating Floating Menu Bars and Toolbars......Page 194 Providing Support with Dialog Boxes......Page 197 Selecting Files with the File Dialog Box......Page 198 Selecting a Directory with the Directory Dialog Box......Page 199 Choosing Colors with the Color Dialog Box......Page 201 Selecting Fonts with the Font Dialog Box......Page 202 Alerting the User with Message Boxes......Page 204 Creating Custom Dialog Boxes......Page 205 Looking Ahead......Page 210 Bibliography......Page 212 F......Page 213 K......Page 214 R......Page 215 W......Page 216 Y......Page 217 Contents 7 Foreword 10 Acknowledgments 12 Introduction 13 What's in This Book? 13 Who Is This Book For? 14 How to Read This Book 14 Where to Get Help 15 A Word About Versions 18 Building an FXRuby Application 19 Getting Started with FXRuby 20 Installing FXRuby 23 Instant Gratification 25 The Picture Book Application 31 What Picture Book Does 31 Application Data 33 Let's Code 35 Take 1: Display a Single Photo 36 Get Something Running 36 Create the View 37 Construct an Image from a File 40 Take 2: Display an Entire Album 43 Add Album View 44 Display Images as Thumbnails 47 Import Photos from Files 50 Dynamically Reconfigure the Album View 55 Make the Album View Scrollable 58 Take 3: Manage Multiple Albums 62 Create the Album List View 62 Use a Split View 65 Switch Between Albums 67 Add New Albums 70 Serialize the Album List with YAML 72 So, What Now? 76 FXRuby Fundamentals 78 FXRuby Under the Hood 79 Event-Driven Programming 80 Mouse and Keyboard Events 85 Timers, Chores, Signals, and Input Events 87 Syncing the User Interface with the Application Data 91 Using Data Targets for GUI Update 92 Responsive Applications with Delayed Layout and Repaint 93 Client-Side vs. Server-Side Objects 95 How Windows Work 98 Building Simple Widgets 100 Creating Labels and Buttons 101 Editing String Data with Text Fields 111 Providing Hints with Tooltips and the Status Bar 113 Sorting Data with List and Table Widgets 115 Displaying Simple Lists with FXList 115 Good Things Come in Small Packages: FXComboBox and FXListBox 118 Branching Out with Tree Lists 121 Displaying Tabular Data with FXTable 126 Editing Text with the Text Widget 133 Adding and Removing Text 134 Navigating Through Text 136 Searching in Text 137 Applying Styles to Text 139 Creating Visually Rich User Interfaces 142 Using Custom Fonts 143 Pointing the Way with Cursors 146 Creating and Displaying Images 149 Manipulating Image Data 151 Creating and Displaying Icons 155 One More Thing 158 Managing Layouts 159 Understanding the Packing Model 160 Arranging Widgets in Rows and Columns with a Matrix Layout 173 Dynamically Resizing Layouts with a Splitter Layout 177 Managing Large Content with Scrolling Windows 179 Organizing Windows with Tabbed Notebooks 180 Strategies for Using Different Layout Managers Together 182 Advanced Menu Management 188 Creating Cascading and Scrolling Menus 188 Adding Separators, Radio Buttons, and Check Buttons to Menus 191 Adding Toolbars to an Application 193 Creating Floating Menu Bars and Toolbars 194 Providing Support with Dialog Boxes 197 Selecting Files with the File Dialog Box 198 Selecting a Directory with the Directory Dialog Box 199 Choosing Colors with the Color Dialog Box 201 Selecting Fonts with the Font Dialog Box 202 Alerting the User with Message Boxes 204 Creating Custom Dialog Boxes 205 Looking Ahead 210 Bibliography 212 Index 213 A 213 B 213 C 213 D 213 E 213 F 213 G 214 H 214 I 214 K 214 L 215 M 215 N 215 O 215 P 215 R 215 S 216 T 216 U 216 V 216 W 216 Y 217 "FXRuby is one of the most popular libraries for developing graphical user interface applications in Ruby. This book, written by FXRuby's lead developer, is the quickest and easiest way to get started using FXRuby." "With a combination of tutorial exercises and focused, technical information, FXRuby goes beyond the basics to equip you with proven, practical knowledge and techniques for developing real-world FXRuby applications. You'll quickly be writing powerful and sophisticated GUIs in your favorite programming language, Ruby."--Jacket