!DrWimpC New Application Dialogue

This dialogue provides the means for the initial creation of a new application that will use the DrWimpC library. The minimum that is required is the application name, and its storage location. The purpose, author and version data, if supplied is stored in the application's Messages file. (Called Messages), so it can be changed later by editing the Messages file accordingly. The wimp slot value is used in the *wimpslot command in the generated run file. The web site value is used in the generated application's HTML help as a URL.

To specify the storage location for the application either enter the name manually into the Location field, or set the Location field by either dragging a directory from a filer window to the dialogue, or drag the Save To icon form the dialogue to the storage location (This can include, for example, the RAMFS filer icon on the icon bar).

Then, click on the Accept button or press the Return key to save the new application. However, if you change your mind, click the Cancel button, or the close window icon instead.

When !DrWimpC has accepted the new application details the application and all its default directories and files are stored in the specified location, and the Application Details dialogue is shown for you to enter more details for the application, and pssibly to store Message, Template, Sprite and other files by dragging them to the appropriate icon in the Application Details dialogue. At this point, before adding any further information in the application details dialogue you can compile and run the minimal application created.

What gets Created

Since this manual was written the emphasis has moved to using template functions unless you decide to start using the user function interface by selecting them form the WimpLib Action and its submenus. If you do start to use them, then the defaukt user fucntion files are created with the standard ones listed below also being created the first time you select a user function or file. In addition the drwapp skeleton application and two generated files of drwUli and drwUTregfn are required and always created when you create a new application.

The Applicaton Directory prefixed by an exclamation mark, as usual.
The c source directory containing default files for the minimal application. Currently, they are
- drwapp (Top level application Skeleton)
- drwUli (Generated before each compile)
- drwUmouse (mouse events)
- drwUopenW (open window Events)
- drwUptr (Pointer entering/leaving window)
- drwUredraw (Process Window Redraw Requests)
- drwUTregfn (Template function Registration - generated each compile)
- drwUWcr (Window pre-create function)
- drwUwinit (User wimp application initialisation)
An empty h directory for user header files
A directory named with the application that contains an h directory
Default !boot, !Run, !Help obey files
A !RunD files - with a larger *wimpslot command to run a debug !RunImage
Default Make files Setup for Castle C tools
Default Include and Library lists for compiling and linking !RunImage
An o, og, or ogd directory for compiled object files
A Resources directory containing a UK territory subdirectory, along with the RESFIND program.
A documents directory with default html and text index files
Default !Sprites and !Sprties22 files with default icons
Default standard templates stdinfo and stdsave in file <appname>Tmpl
An empty distribution list - used to export files and directories.
A default application messages file with message tokens and values for the author, purpose and version if they were entered in the newapp dialogue.

Notes:

If you are making use of user functions then you will also get the drwUptr because its user functions are called by the main event handling process, and you can see how the user files listed relate to the wimp lib actions that DrWimpC expects to be present for all applicatons see the minimum wimp lib action list.

drwUli is a generated file that must be present. It has a function drw_u_lib_init that calls certain satndard library initialisation functions and optional ones depending on the user functions you use. It is (reg)generated when you use the Compile menu items 'Build' or 'Makefiles'. Similarly, to prepare for using template functions that are called automatically by the DrwimpC library the file drwUTregfn is generated and contains a function that calls other generated registation functions (one for each template file that has template functions associated with it).

The sub directory named after the application that is created with an empty header file directory because it is a convenient, generic way of accessing included header files in the FormSrce templates C source code, by means of defining the application system variable <appname$dir> and <appame$PATH> and referring to the included header file by appname/header file name. This is the same as the preferred method of referring to OSLib include files. Similarly, use the system variables DRW$dir to reference included header files for the DrWimpC library. The path variables are used in !DrwimpC when generating make files to refer to the object libraries in the link commands, and included header file paths in the include path list for the C compiler.

The default application messages file will contain at least the _Taskname message. You should always have this message in the file.

The Resources directory is to contain any territory specific files, such as template and message files. The DrWimpC library uses the path name variable <appname>res:, produced by the call to RESFIND in the !Run file, to search for territory specific resources (e.g. application messages file, template files).

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