Add docs for SetMin and SetMax
[wxWidgets.git] / interface / wx / msgout.h
1 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
2 // Name: wx/msgout.h
3 // Purpose: interface of wxMessageOutput and derived classes
4 // Author: Vadim Zeitlin
5 // RCS-ID: $Id$
6 // Copyright: (c) 2009 Vadim Zeitlin
7 // Licence: wxWindows licence
8 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
9
10 /**
11 Simple class allowing to write strings to various output channels.
12
13 wxMessageOutput is a low-level class and doesn't provide any of the
14 conveniences of wxLog. It simply allows to write a message to some output
15 channel: usually file or standard error but possibly also a message box.
16 While use of wxLog and related functions is preferable in many cases
17 sometimes this simple interface may be more convenient.
18
19 This class itself is an abstract base class for various concrete derived
20 classes:
21 - wxMessageOutputStderr
22 - wxMessageOutputBest
23 - wxMessageOutputMessageBox
24 - wxMessageOutputLog
25
26 It also provides access to the global message output object which is
27 created by wxAppTraits::CreateMessageOutput() which creates an object of
28 class wxMessageOutputStderr in console applications and wxMessageOutputBest
29 in the GUI ones but may be overridden in user-defined traits class.
30
31 Example of using this class:
32 @code
33 wxMessageOutputDebug().Printf("name=%s, preparing to greet...", name);
34 wxMessageOutput::Get()->Printf("Hello, %s!", name);
35 @endcode
36
37 @library{wxbase}
38 @category{logging}
39 */
40 class wxMessageOutput
41 {
42 public:
43 /**
44 Return the global message output object.
45
46 This object is never @NULL while the program is running but may be
47 @NULL during initialization (before wxApp object is instantiated) or
48 shutdown.(after wxApp destruction).
49
50 @see wxAppTraits::CreateMessageOutput()
51 */
52 static wxMessageOutput* Get();
53
54 /**
55 Sets the global message output object.
56
57 Using this function may be a simpler alternative to changing the
58 message output object used for your program than overriding
59 wxAppTraits::CreateMessageOutput().
60
61 Remember to delete the returned pointer or restore it later with
62 another call to Set().
63 */
64 static wxMessageOutput* Set(wxMessageOutput* msgout);
65
66 /**
67 Output a message.
68
69 This function uses the same conventions as standard @c printf().
70 */
71 void Printf(const wxString& format, ...);
72
73 /**
74 Method called by Printf() to really output the text.
75
76 This method is overridden in various derived classes and is also the
77 one you should override if you implement a custom message output
78 object.
79
80 It may also be called directly instead of Printf(). This is especially
81 useful when outputting a user-defined string because it can be simply
82 called with this string instead of using
83 @code
84 msgout.Printf("%s", str);
85 @endcode
86 (notice that passing user-defined string to Printf() directly is, of
87 course, a security risk).
88 */
89 virtual void Output(const wxString& str) = 0;
90 };
91
92 /**
93 Output messages to stderr or another STDIO file stream.
94
95 Implements wxMessageOutput by using stderr or specified file.
96
97 @library{wxbase}
98 @category{logging}
99 */
100 class wxMessageOutputStderr : public wxMessageOutput
101 {
102 public:
103 /**
104 Create a new message output object associated with standard error
105 stream by default.
106
107 @param fp
108 Non-null STDIO file stream. Notice that this object does @e not
109 take ownership of this pointer, i.e. the caller is responsible for
110 both ensuring that its life-time is great er than life-time of this
111 object and for deleting it if necessary.
112 */
113 wxMessageOutputStderr(FILE *fp = stderr);
114 };
115
116 /**
117 Flags used with wxMessageOutputBest.
118
119 See wxMessageOutputBest::wxMessageOutputBest().
120 */
121 enum wxMessageOutputFlags
122 {
123 wxMSGOUT_PREFER_STDERR = 0, ///< use stderr if available (this is the default)
124 wxMSGOUT_PREFER_MSGBOX = 1 ///< always use message box if available
125 };
126
127 /**
128 Output messages in the best possible way.
129
130 Some systems (e.g. MSW) are capable of showing message boxes even from
131 console programs. If this is the case, this class will use message box if
132 standard error stream is not available (e.g. running console program not
133 from console under Windows) or possibly even always, depending on the value
134 of flags constructor argument.
135
136 @library{wxbase}
137 @category{logging}
138 */
139 class wxMessageOutputBest : public wxMessageOutputStderr
140 {
141 public:
142 /**
143 Create a new message output object.
144
145 @param flags
146 May be either @c wxMSGOUT_PREFER_STDERR (default) meaning that
147 standard error will be used if it's available (e.g. program is
148 being run from console under Windows) or @c wxMSGOUT_PREFER_MSGBOX
149 meaning that a message box will always be used if the current
150 system supports showing message boxes from console programs
151 (currently only Windows does).
152 */
153 wxMessageOutputBest(wxMessageOutputFlags flags = wxMSGOUT_PREFER_STDERR);
154 };
155
156 /**
157 Output messages to the system debug output channel.
158
159 Under MSW this class outputs messages to the so called debug output. Under
160 the other systems it simply uses the standard error stream.
161
162 @library{wxbase}
163 @category{logging}
164 */
165 class wxMessageOutputDebug : public wxMessageOutputStderr
166 {
167 public:
168 /// Default constructor.
169 wxMessageOutputDebug();
170 };
171
172 /**
173 Output messages by showing them in a message box.
174
175 This class is only available to GUI applications, unlike all the other
176 wxMessageOutput-derived classes.
177
178 @library{wxcore}
179 @category{logging}
180 */
181 class wxMessageOutputMessageBox : public wxMessageOutput
182 {
183 public:
184 /// Default constructor.
185 wxMessageOutputMessageBox();
186 };