Programming guideline of WinDom

Introduction

Windom is a tool for GEM programming. It allows you to easily handle windows and many other GEM features. This version is now available for Pure C, Sozobon C and Gnu C compiler (with 32 bits int size). WinDom works with all TOS compatible systems (all TOS Atari version, Milan TOS, MiNT, MagiC, MagicMac, MultiTOS, Naes and probably most of PC TOS emulator).

WinDom has two kinds of functions: a new set of GEM functions replacing native GEM functions and other functions realizing complex GEM operations.

Actually, the new GEM functions are very similar to their GEM homolog functions but their actions are extended. For example, using WinDom, we never call appl_init() but the new function ApplInit(). Thus, WinDom programming looks like GEM programming. Some WinDom functions are incompatible with GEM functions but not necessary. The table AES versus Windom in annex lists differences and compatibility between Windom functions and GEM functions.

The concept of WinDom is very simple: each window have a descriptor (a pointer on a C struct). This descriptor contains a set of functions attached to GEM events. The main function of WinDom (the EvntWindom() function) replaces the GEM function evnt_multi(): it intercepts GEM events and execute the right function attached to them. By default, new windows have a set of standard event functions already defined. Then, in most cases, only a small number of event functions has to be written.

Here, a non exhaustiv list of the main features of WinDom:

Windom tries to unify all AES versions: all Windom functions are available with any AES. When a function uses a special feature (like window iconification) not available on old versions of AES, the feature is emulated.
Windom has a set of new objects compatible with the famous MyDials library. These objects have a 3D-style available for all TOS, even in monochrom.
Windom can divide a window in several subwindows (called frames). Each frame is handled like a standard window.
A function can be attached to an AES message event: when EvntWindom() intercepts this message, the function is executed.

The documentation of Windom is organized as follow: a first part is devoted to a tutorial: each component of WinDom is visited with C code examples, a second part lists all Windom functions grouped by theme. The folder \EXAMPLE of the Windom distribution containts some examples of WinDom programming.