docs/latex/wx/txrc.tex

   1 \section{XML-based resource system overview}\label{xrcoverview}
   2
   3 Classes: \helpref{wxXmlResource}{wxxmlresource}, \helpref{wxXmlResourceHandler}{wxxmlresourcehandler}
   4
   5 {\bf IMPORTANT NOTE:} XRC is not yet a part of the core wxWindows library, so
   6 please see the next section for how to compile and link it. Otherwise if you
   7 try to use it, you will get link errors.
   8
   9 The XML-based resource system, known as XRC, allows user interface elements such as
  10 dialogs, menu bars and toolbars, to be stored in text files and loaded into
  11 the application at run-time. XRC files can also be compiled into binary XRS files or C++
  12 code (the former makes it possible to store all resources in since file and the latter
  13 is useful when you want to embed the resources into the executable).
  14
  15 There are several advantages to using XRC resources.
  16
  17 \begin{itemize}\itemsep=0pt
  18 \item Recompiling and linking an application is not necessary if the
  19 resources change.
  20 \item If you use a dialog designers that generates C++ code, it can be hard
  21 to reintegrate this into existing C++ code. Separation of resources and code
  22 is a more elegant solution.
  23 \item You can choose between different alternative resource files at run time, if necessary.
  24 \item The XRC format uses sizers for flexibility, allowing dialogs to be resizable
  25 and highly portable.
  26 \item The XRC format is a wxWindows standard,
  27 and can be generated or postprocessed by any program that understands it. As it is based
  28 on the XML standard, existing XML editors can be used for simple editing purposes.
  29 \end{itemize}
  30
  31 XRC was written by Vaclav Slavik.
  32
  33 \subsection{Compiling and using XRC}\label{compilingxrc}
  34
  35 XRC can be found under the 'contrib' hierarchy, in the following directories:
  36
  37 \begin{verbatim}
  38   contrib/src/xrc           ; XRC source
  39   contrib/include/wx/xrc    ; XRC headers
  40   contrib/samples/xrc       ; XRC sample
  41   contrib/utils/wxrc        ; XRC resource compiler
  42   contrib/utils/wxrcedit    ; XRC editor (in progress)
  43 \end{verbatim}
  44
  45 To compile XRC:
  46
  47 \begin{itemize}\itemsep=0pt
  48 \item Under Windows using VC++, open the contrib/src/xrc/XrcVC.dsw project
  49 and compile. Also compile contrib/utils/wxrc using wxBase if you wish to compile
  50 resource files.
  51 \item Under Unix, XRC should be configured when you configured
  52 wxWindows. Make XRC by changing directory to contrib/src/xrc and
  53 type 'make'.  Similarly compile contrib/utils/wxrc using wxBase if you wish to compile
  54 resource files. {\bf Note:} there is currently a
  55 problem with the wxWindows build system that means that
  56 only the static version of library can be built at present.
  57 \end{itemize}
  58
  59 To use XRC:
  60
  61 \begin{itemize}\itemsep=0pt
  62 \item Under Windows using VC++, link with wxxrc[d].lib.
  63 \item Under Unix, link with libwxxrc[d].a.
  64 \end{itemize}
  65
  66 \subsection{XRC concepts}\label{xrcconcepts}
  67
  68 These are the typical steps for using XRC files in your application.
  69
  70 \begin{itemize}\itemsep=0pt
  71 \item Include the appropriate headers: normally "wx/xrc/xmlres.h" will suffice;
  72 \item If you are going to use \helpref{XRS files}{binaryresourcefiles}, install
  73 wxFileSystem ZIP handler first with {\tt wxFileSystem::AddHandler(new wxZipFSHandler);}
  74 \item call {\tt wxXmlResource::Get()->InitAllHandlers()} from your wxApp::OnInit function,
  75 and then call {\tt wxXmlResource::Get()->Load("myfile.xrc")} to load the resource file;
  76 \item to create a dialog from a resource, create it using the default constructor, and then
  77 load using for example {\tt wxXmlResource::Get()->LoadDialog(\&dlg, this, "dlg1");}
  78 \item set up event tables as usual but use the {\tt XRCID(str)} macro to translate from XRC string names
  79 to a suitable integer identifier, for example {\tt EVT\_MENU(XRCID("quit"), MyFrame::OnQuit)}.
  80 \end{itemize}
  81
  82 To create an XRC file, use one of the following methods.
  83
  84 \begin{itemize}\itemsep=0pt
  85 \item Create the file by hand;
  86 \item use \urlref{wxDesigner}{http://www.roebling.de}, a commercial dialog designer/RAD tool;
  87 \item use \urlref{XRCed}{http://www.mema.ucl.ac.be/~rolinsky/xrced/}, a wxPython-based
  88 dialog editor that you can find in the {\tt wxPython/tools} subdirectory of the wxWindows
  89 CVS archive;
  90 \item use \urlref{wxWorkshop}{http://wxworkshop.sourceforge.net} (under development);
  91 \item use wxrcedit ({\tt utils/contrib/wxrcedit}) (under development);
  92 \item convert WIN32 RC files to XRC with the tool in {\tt contrib/utils/convertrc}.
  93 \end{itemize}
  94
  95 It is highly recommended that you use a tool such as wxDesigner, since it's fiddly writing
  96 XRC files by hand.
  97
  98 You can use \helpref{wxXmlResource::Load}{wxxmlresourceload} in a number of ways.
  99 You can pass an XRC file (XML-based text resource file)
 100 or a \helpref{zip-compressed file}{binaryresourcefiles} (extension ZIP or XRS) containing other XRC.
 101
 102 You can also use \helpref{embedded C++ resources}{embeddedresource}
 103
 104 \subsection{Using binary resource files}\label{binaryresourcefiles}
 105
 106 To compile binary resource files, use the command-line wxrc utility. It takes one or more file parameters
 107 (the input XRC files) and the following switches and options:
 108 \begin{itemize}\itemsep=0pt
 109 \item -h (--help): show a help message
 110 \item -v (--verbose): show verbose logging information
 111 \item -c (--cpp-code): write C++ source rather than a XRS file
 112 \item -u (--uncompressed): do not compress XML files (C++ only)
 113 \item -g (--gettext): output .po catalog (to stdout, or a file if -o is used)
 114 \item -n (--function) <name>: specify C++ function name (use with -c)
 115 \item -o (--output) <filename>: specify the output file, such as resource.xrs or resource.cpp
 116 \item -l (--list-of-handlers) <filename>: output a list of necessary handlers to this file
 117 \end{itemize}
 118
 119 For example:
 120 \begin{verbatim}
 121   % wxrc resource.wrc
 122   % wxrc resource.wrc -o resource.wrs
 123   % wxrc resource.wrc -v -c -o resource.cpp
 124 \end{verbatim}
 125
 126 \wxheading{Note}
 127
 128 XRS file is esentially a renamed ZIP archive which means that you can manipulate
 129 it with standard ZIP tools. Note that if you are using XRS files, you have
 130 to initialize \helpref{wxFileSystem}{wxfilesystem} ZIP handler first! It is a simple
 131 thing to do:
 132 \begin{verbatim}
 133   #include <wx/filesys.h>
 134   #include <wx/fs_zip.h>
 135   ...
 136   wxFileSystem::AddHandler(new wxZipFSHandler);
 137 \end{verbatim}
 138
 139 \subsection{Using embedded resources}\label{embeddedresource}
 140
 141 It is sometimes useful to embed resources in the executable itself instead
 142 of loading external file (e.g. when your app is small and consists only of one
 143 exe file). XRC provides means to convert resources into regular C++ file that
 144 can be compiled and included in the executable.
 145
 146 Use the {\tt -c} switch to
 147 {\tt wxrc} utility to produce C++ file with embedded resources. This file will
 148 contain a function called {\it InitXmlResource} (unless you override this with
 149 a command line switch). Use it to load the resource:
 150 \begin{verbatim}
 151   extern void InitXMLResource(); // defined in generated file
 152   ...
 153   wxXmlResource::Get()->InitAllHandlers();
 154   InitXmlResource();
 155   ...
 156 \end{verbatim}
 157
 158 \subsection{XRC C++ sample}\label{xrccppsample}
 159
 160 This is the C++ source file (xrcdemo.cpp) for the XRC sample.
 161
 162 \begin{verbatim}
 163 #include "wx/wx.h"
 164 #include "wx/image.h"
 165 #include "wx/xrc/xmlres.h"
 166
 167 // the application icon
 168 #if defined(__WXGTK__) || defined(__WXMOTIF__) || defined(__WXMAC__)
 169     #include "rc/appicon.xpm"
 170 #endif
 171
 172 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 173 // private classes
 174 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 175
 176 // Define a new application type, each program should derive a class from wxApp
 177 class MyApp : public wxApp
 178 {
 179 public:
 180     // override base class virtuals
 181     // ----------------------------
 182
 183     // this one is called on application startup and is a good place for the app
 184     // initialization (doing it here and not in the ctor allows to have an error
 185     // return: if OnInit() returns false, the application terminates)
 186     virtual bool OnInit();
 187 };
 188
 189 // Define a new frame type: this is going to be our main frame
 190 class MyFrame : public wxFrame
 191 {
 192 public:
 193     // ctor(s)
 194     MyFrame(const wxString& title, const wxPoint& pos, const wxSize& size);
 195
 196     // event handlers (these functions should _not_ be virtual)
 197     void OnQuit(wxCommandEvent& event);
 198     void OnAbout(wxCommandEvent& event);
 199     void OnDlg1(wxCommandEvent& event);
 200     void OnDlg2(wxCommandEvent& event);
 201
 202 private:
 203     // any class wishing to process wxWindows events must use this macro
 204     DECLARE_EVENT_TABLE()
 205 };
 206
 207 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 208 // event tables and other macros for wxWindows
 209 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 210
 211 BEGIN_EVENT_TABLE(MyFrame, wxFrame)
 212     EVT_MENU(XRCID("menu_quit"),  MyFrame::OnQuit)
 213     EVT_MENU(XRCID("menu_about"), MyFrame::OnAbout)
 214     EVT_MENU(XRCID("menu_dlg1"), MyFrame::OnDlg1)
 215     EVT_MENU(XRCID("menu_dlg2"), MyFrame::OnDlg2)
 216 END_EVENT_TABLE()
 217
 218 IMPLEMENT_APP(MyApp)
 219
 220 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 221 // the application class
 222 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 223
 224 // 'Main program' equivalent: the program execution "starts" here
 225 bool MyApp::OnInit()
 226 {
 227     wxImage::AddHandler(new wxGIFHandler);
 228     wxXmlResource::Get()->InitAllHandlers();
 229     wxXmlResource::Get()->Load("rc/resource.xrc");
 230
 231     MyFrame *frame = new MyFrame("XML resources demo",
 232                                  wxPoint(50, 50), wxSize(450, 340));
 233     frame->Show(true);
 234     return true;
 235 }
 236
 237 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 238 // main frame
 239 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 240
 241 // frame constructor
 242 MyFrame::MyFrame(const wxString& title, const wxPoint& pos, const wxSize& size)
 243        : wxFrame((wxFrame *)NULL, -1, title, pos, size)
 244 {
 245     SetIcon(wxICON(appicon));
 246
 247     SetMenuBar(wxXmlResource::Get()->LoadMenuBar("mainmenu"));
 248     SetToolBar(wxXmlResource::Get()->LoadToolBar(this, "toolbar"));
 249 }
 250
 251 // event handlers
 252 void MyFrame::OnQuit(wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event))
 253 {
 254     // true is to force the frame to close
 255     Close(true);
 256 }
 257
 258 void MyFrame::OnAbout(wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event))
 259 {
 260     wxString msg;
 261     msg.Printf( _T("This is the about dialog of XML resources demo.\n")
 262                 _T("Welcome to %s"), wxVERSION_STRING);
 263
 264     wxMessageBox(msg, "About XML resources demo", wxOK | wxICON_INFORMATION, this);
 265 }
 266
 267 void MyFrame::OnDlg1(wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event))
 268 {
 269     wxDialog dlg;
 270     wxXmlResource::Get()->LoadDialog(&dlg, this, "dlg1");
 271     dlg.ShowModal();
 272 }
 273
 274 void MyFrame::OnDlg2(wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event))
 275 {
 276     wxDialog dlg;
 277     wxXmlResource::Get()->LoadDialog(&dlg, this, "dlg2");
 278     dlg.ShowModal();
 279 }
 280 \end{verbatim}
 281
 282 \subsection{XRC resource file sample}\label{xrcsample}
 283
 284 This is the XML file (resource.xrc) for the XRC sample.
 285
 286 \begin{verbatim}
 287 <?xml version="1.0"?>
 288 <resource version="2.3.0.1">
 289   <object class="wxMenuBar" name="mainmenu">
 290     <style>wxMB_DOCKABLE</style>
 291     <object class="wxMenu" name="menu_file">
 292       <label>_File</label>
 293       <style>wxMENU_TEAROFF</style>
 294       <object class="wxMenuItem" name="menu_about">
 295         <label>_About...</label>
 296         <bitmap>filesave.gif</bitmap>
 297       </object>
 298       <object class="separator"/>
 299       <object class="wxMenuItem" name="menu_dlg1">
 300         <label>Dialog 1</label>
 301       </object>
 302       <object class="wxMenuItem" name="menu_dlg2">
 303         <label>Dialog 2</label>
 304       </object>
 305       <object class="separator"/>
 306       <object class="wxMenuItem" name="menu_quit">
 307         <label>E_xit\tAlt-X</label>
 308       </object>
 309     </object>
 310   </object>
 311   <object class="wxToolBar" name="toolbar">
 312     <style>wxTB_FLAT|wxTB_DOCKABLE</style>
 313     <margins>2,2</margins>
 314     <object class="tool" name="menu_open">
 315       <bitmap>fileopen.gif</bitmap>
 316       <tooltip>Open catalog</tooltip>
 317     </object>
 318     <object class="tool" name="menu_save">
 319       <bitmap>filesave.gif</bitmap>
 320       <tooltip>Save catalog</tooltip>
 321     </object>
 322     <object class="tool" name="menu_update">
 323       <bitmap>update.gif</bitmap>
 324       <tooltip>Update catalog - synchronize it with sources</tooltip>
 325     </object>
 326     <separator/>
 327     <object class="tool" name="menu_quotes">
 328       <bitmap>quotes.gif</bitmap>
 329       <toggle>1</toggle>
 330       <tooltip>Display quotes around the string?</tooltip>
 331     </object>
 332     <object class="separator"/>
 333     <object class="tool" name="menu_fuzzy">
 334       <bitmap>fuzzy.gif</bitmap>
 335       <tooltip>Toggled if selected string is fuzzy translation</tooltip>
 336       <toggle>1</toggle>
 337     </object>
 338   </object>
 339   <object class="wxDialog" name="dlg1">
 340     <object class="wxBoxSizer">
 341       <object class="sizeritem">
 342         <object class="wxBitmapButton">
 343           <bitmap>fuzzy.gif</bitmap>
 344           <focus>fileopen.gif</focus>
 345         </object>
 346       </object>
 347       <object class="sizeritem">
 348         <object class="wxPanel">
 349           <object class="wxStaticText">
 350             <label>fdgdfgdfgdfg</label>
 351           </object>
 352           <style>wxSUNKEN_BORDER</style>
 353         </object>
 354         <flag>wxALIGN_CENTER</flag>
 355       </object>
 356       <object class="sizeritem">
 357         <object class="wxButton">
 358           <label>Buttonek</label>
 359         </object>
 360         <border>10d</border>
 361         <flag>wxALL</flag>
 362       </object>
 363       <object class="sizeritem">
 364         <object class="wxHtmlWindow">
 365           <htmlcode>&lt;h1&gt;Hi,&lt;/h1&gt;man</htmlcode>
 366           <size>100,45d</size>
 367         </object>
 368       </object>
 369       <object class="sizeritem">
 370         <object class="wxNotebook">
 371           <object class="notebookpage">
 372             <object class="wxPanel">
 373               <object class="wxBoxSizer">
 374                 <object class="sizeritem">
 375                   <object class="wxHtmlWindow">
 376                     <htmlcode>Hello, we are inside a &lt;u&gt;NOTEBOOK&lt;/u&gt;...</htmlcode>
 377                     <size>50,50d</size>
 378                   </object>
 379                   <option>1</option>
 380                 </object>
 381               </object>
 382             </object>
 383             <label>Page</label>
 384           </object>
 385           <object class="notebookpage">
 386             <object class="wxPanel">
 387               <object class="wxBoxSizer">
 388                 <object class="sizeritem">
 389                   <object class="wxHtmlWindow">
 390                     <htmlcode>Hello, we are inside a &lt;u&gt;NOTEBOOK&lt;/u&gt;...</htmlcode>
 391                     <size>50,50d</size>
 392                   </object>
 393                 </object>
 394               </object>
 395             </object>
 396             <label>Page 2</label>
 397           </object>
 398           <usenotebooksizer>1</usenotebooksizer>
 399         </object>
 400         <flag>wxEXPAND</flag>
 401       </object>
 402       <orient>wxVERTICAL</orient>
 403     </object>
 404   </object>
 405   <object class="wxDialog" name="dlg2">
 406     <object class="wxBoxSizer">
 407       <orient>wxVERTICAL</orient>
 408       <object class="sizeritem" name="dfgdfg">
 409         <object class="wxTextCtrl">
 410           <size>200,200d</size>
 411           <style>wxTE_MULTILINE|wxSUNKEN_BORDER</style>
 412           <value>Hello, this is an ordinary multiline\n         textctrl....</value>
 413         </object>
 414         <option>1</option>
 415         <flag>wxEXPAND|wxALL</flag>
 416         <border>10</border>
 417       </object>
 418       <object class="sizeritem">
 419         <object class="wxBoxSizer">
 420           <object class="sizeritem">
 421             <object class="wxButton" name="wxID_OK">
 422               <label>Ok</label>
 423               <default>1</default>
 424             </object>
 425           </object>
 426           <object class="sizeritem">
 427             <object class="wxButton" name="wxID_CANCEL">
 428               <label>Cancel</label>
 429             </object>
 430             <border>10</border>
 431             <flag>wxLEFT</flag>
 432           </object>
 433         </object>
 434         <flag>wxLEFT|wxRIGHT|wxBOTTOM|wxALIGN_RIGHT</flag>
 435         <border>10</border>
 436       </object>
 437     </object>
 438     <title>Second testing dialog</title>
 439   </object>
 440 </resource>
 441 \end{verbatim}
 442
 443 \subsection{XRC file format}\label{xrcfileformat}
 444
 445 Please see Technical Note 14 (docs/tech/tn0014.txt) in your wxWindows
 446 distribution.
 447
 448 \subsection{Adding new resource handlers}\label{newresourcehandlers}
 449
 450 Coming soon.
 451