9 DUIM-Frames Library

9.1 Overview

The DUIM-Frames library contains interfaces that define a wide variety of frames for use in your GUI applications, as well as the necessary functions, generic functions, and macros for creating and manipulating them. The library contains a single module, duim-frames, from which all the interfaces described in this chapter are exposed. Section 9.4 on page 705 contains complete reference entries for each exposed interface.

Frames are the basic components used to display DUIM objects on-screen. An instance of type <frame> is an object representing some state in a user application, plus the sheets in its interface. Frames control the overall appearance of the entire window, allowing you to distinguish, for example, between a normal window and a dialog box, or allowing you to specify modal or modeless dialog boxes, and might include such things as a menu bar, a tool bar, and a status bar.

Frames exist on windows and contain sheets, which can be instances of <layout> or <gadget>, or any of their subclasses, and an event loop. The event loop associated with a frame is represented by an instance of a subclass of <event>. An overview of these subclasses is provided in Section 9.2.3 on page 704.