- How to add new bitmaps to wxWindows UI elements
+ How to add new bitmaps to wxWidgets UI elements
===============================================
0. Introduction
---------------
-Since the introduction of wxArtProvider class, it is no longer desired to hardcode
-art resources (e.g. icons and toolbar or button bitmaps) into the code. This was
-previously done either by including the bitmap in win32 resource file
-(include/wx/msw/wx.rc) or by including XPM files in the code.
+Since the introduction of wxArtProvider class, it is no longer desired to
+hardcode art resources (e.g. icons and toolbar or button bitmaps) into the
+code. This was previously done either by including the bitmap in win32
+resource file (include/wx/msw/wx.rc) or by including XPM files in the code.
-wxArtProvider should be used instead, to allow users to customize the look of their
-wxWindows app. This technote is a detailed description of steps needed when adding
-new bitmap/icon.
+wxArtProvider should be used instead, to allow users to customize the look of
+their wxWidgets app. This technote is a detailed description of steps needed
+when adding new bitmap/icon.
1. Adding new resource
----------------------
-(Please see wxArtProvider reference documentation for explanation of "art ID" and
-"art client" terms.)
-
-First of all, you have to add new wxArtID constant to include/wx/artprov.h. Look for
-"Art IDs" and add new definition to the list, e.g.
- #define wxART_MY_BITMAP _T("my_bitmap")
-
-It may happen that the intended use of the new resource doesn't fit into any of defined
-client categories (search for "Art clients" in the header). In case the new resource is
-part of a larger category, you need to define a new client. Just add it to the list of
-existing clients:
- #define wxART_MY_CLIENT _T("my_client_C")
-(Note that you *have* to add the trailing "_C"!)
-
-Alternatively, you may use wxART_OTHER when accessing the resource if the bitmap is
-standalone.
-
-Once the header is updated, it's time to add XPM file with the bitmap to $(wx)/art. Add
-it to $(wx)/art if it is platform-independent or to $(wx)/art/$(toolkit) if it is
-something specific to one of the toolkits. Note that "specific to one of the toolkits"
-doesn't mean that the bitmap is *used* by only one toolkit, but that it doesn't make
-sense for any of the others! For example, a GTK wxART_WARNING icon
-($(wx)/art/gtk/warning.xpm) is specific to wxGTK, but new_dir.xpm makes sense even under
-wxMSW even though it is currently only used by the generic file dialog. Remember that
-wxArtProvider can be used by users, not only the library.
-
-Finally, wxDefaultArtProvider in $(wx)/src/common/artstd.cpp must be updated. This
-consists of two steps:
-
- a) add #include line for your XPM file, e.g.
- #include "../../art/my_bmp.xpm"
- b) add ART(...) line to wxDefaultArtProvider::CreateBitmap(). The first argument
- is wxArtID, the other is XPM file name (w/o extension), e.g.
- ART(wxART_MY_BITMAP, my_bmp)
+(Please see wxArtProvider reference documentation for explanation of "art ID"
+ and "art client" terms.)
+
+First of all, you have to add new wxArtID constant to include/wx/artprov.h.
+Look for "Art IDs" and add new definition to the list, e.g.
+ #define wxART_MY_BITMAP wxART_MAKE_ART_ID(wxART_MY_BITMAP)
+
+Add it to interface/wx/artprov.h, too.
+
+It may happen that the intended use of the new resource doesn't fit into any
+of defined client categories (search for "Art clients" in the header). In case
+the new resource is part of a larger category, you need to define a new
+client. Just add it to the list of existing clients (and don't forget to
+update artprov.tex):
+ #define wxART_MY_CLIENT wxART_MAKE_CLIENT_ID(wxART_MY_CLIENT)
+
+Alternatively, you may use wxART_OTHER when accessing the resource if the
+bitmap is standalone.
+
+Once the header is updated, it's time to add XPM file with the bitmap to
+$(wx)/art. Add it to $(wx)/art if it is platform-independent or to
+$(wx)/art/$(toolkit) if it is something specific to one of the toolkits. Note
+that "specific to one of the toolkits" doesn't mean that the bitmap is *used*
+by only one toolkit, but that it doesn't make sense for any of the others! For
+example, a GTK wxART_WARNING icon ($(wx)/art/gtk/warning.xpm) is specific to
+wxGTK, but new_dir.xpm makes sense even under wxMSW even though it is
+currently only used by the generic file dialog. Remember that wxArtProvider
+can be used by users, not only the library.
+
+Finally, wxDefaultArtProvider in $(wx)/src/common/artstd.cpp must be updated.
+This consists of two steps:
+
+ a) add #include line for your XPM file, e.g. #include "../../art/my_bmp.xpm"
+ b) add ART(...) line to wxDefaultArtProvider::CreateBitmap(). The first
+ argument is wxArtID, the other is XPM file name (w/o extension), e.g.
+ ART(wxART_MY_BITMAP, my_bmp)
That's all. The bitmap is now available to wxArtProvider users.
-Note: there's no difference between icons and bitmaps, always treat them as bitmaps
- inside wx(Default)ArtProvider.
+Note: there's no difference between icons and bitmaps, always treat them as
+bitmaps inside wx(Default)ArtProvider.
+
+1b. Adding Tango version of the resource.
+-----------------------------------------
+
+While all the bitmaps are provided in XPM format so that they are available in
+all builds of wxWidgets, we also provide most of them in PNG format with full
+transparency support that is not available in XPM. Another advantage of the PNG
+versions is that the icons used are those of the Tango project and so have the
+consistent look, unlike the XPM ones.
+
+So if you an icon exists in http://tango.freedesktop.org/Tango_Icon_Gallery you
+should add it too. For this you need to:
+
+1. Convert the PNG to a C array of bytes suitable for inclusion in the code.
+ This is done using misc/scripts/png2c.py script, e.g. if the variable "f"
+ contains the name of the icon you want to add and you have installed Tango
+ icons in a standard location under a Linux system:
+
+ ./misc/scripts/png2c.py -s /usr/share/icons/Tango/{16x16,24x24}/*/$f.png >
+ art/tango/${f//-/_}.h
+
+ Of course, the same command may be ran with different paths under Windows.
+ Just remember to add both 16 and 24 pixel versions of the bitmap to the
+ header and use the "-s" option to embed the image size in its array name.
+
+2. Add #include for the newly created file to src/common/arttango.cpp.
+
+3. Add an entry to s_allBitmaps array in the same file.
+
2. Accessing the resource
-------------------------
-The file that will use the bitmap needs to include "wx/artprov.h". The code to access
-the bitmap (or icon) is trivial:
+The file that will use the bitmap needs to include "wx/artprov.h". The code to
+access the bitmap (or icon) is trivial:
wxBitmap bmp = wxArtProvider::GetBitmap(wxART_MY_BITMAP, wxART_MY_CLIENT);
// this would be "wxBitmap bmp(my_bmp_xpm);" before
wxIcon icon = wxArtProvider::GetIcon(wxART_MY_ICON, wxART_MY_CLIENT);
-Substitute wxART_MY_CLIENT in the example with a suitable client ID. If the client
-is wxART_OTHER you may write only wxArtProvider::GetBitmap(wxART_MY_BITMAP).
+Substitute wxART_MY_CLIENT in the example with a suitable client ID. If the
+client is wxART_OTHER you may write only
+
+ wxArtProvider::GetBitmap(wxART_MY_BITMAP).
3. Providing a demo
-------------------
-It is highly desirable to let the users know what stock bitmaps are available in
-wxWindows. The "artprov" sample serves this purpose: it contains a browser dialog
-that displays all available art resources.
+It is highly desirable to let the users know what stock bitmaps are available
+in wxWidgets. The "artprov" sample serves this purpose: it contains a browser
+dialog that displays all available art resources.
-It has to be updated to accomodate for new bitmaps. Fortunately, this is trivial:
-open $(wx)/samples/artprov/artbrows.cpp in text editor and
- ART_ICON(wxART_MY_BITMAP)
-line to the FillBitmaps() function.
+It has to be updated to accommodate for new bitmaps. Fortunately, this is
+trivial: open $(wx)/samples/artprov/artbrows.cpp in text editor and
+ART_ICON(wxART_MY_BITMAP) line to the FillBitmaps() function.
Similarly, if you add a new client, please update FillClients() by adding new
client to the end of the list.
projects / wxWidgets.git / blobdiff