Aug 94 Tips
Volume Number: 10
Issue Number: 8
Column Tag: Tips &Tidbits
Tips &Tidbits 
By Scott T Boyd, Editor
Note: Source code files accompanying article are located on MacTech CD-ROM orsource code disks.
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Tip Of The Month
TCL 2.0 Startup Splash Screen
Version 2.0 of the TCL introduced a new method in CApplication called
ShowSplashScreen(). This method is called at startup in CApplication::DoRun(),
prior to the program handling any AppleEvents. Although the Visual Architect can be
used to create the code neccessary for a splash screen, it is much simpler for you to
write your own by hand, e specially if all you want to do is display a PICT resource for
a number of seconds. This is e specially true if you want to add a splash screen to
projects you are converting from 1.1.3.
To use the code below, override ShowSplashScreen() in your own CApplication
derived class, and then make sure the source file contains all of the code outlined
below. Features of the code are: TCL 2.0 use of constructors with default arguments;
moving the window offscreen prior to calling Select() & Prepare(), thus pr eventing
the user at staring at a blank window for a second before the CPicture object can be
drawn; ‘paranoid’ memory cleanup to make absolutely certain there are no memory
leaks.
/* 1 */
// TCL INCLUDES
#include
#include
#include
// EXTERN GLOBALS
extern CDecorator *gDecorator;
void myCApplication::ShowSplashScreen(void)
{
const short kProcID = dBoxProc, // Window Manager window
type = 1
kPicResID = 2000, // PICT resource ID
kPICTx = 250, // Width of PICT in pixels
kPICTy = 130; // Height
const long kDuration = 120; // Delay for @ 2 secs ( = 120/60 )
CDirector *myDir = NULL; Û// TCL based object pointers...
CWindow *myWindow = NULL;
CPicture *myPicture = NULL;
Rect aRect = {0, 0, kPICTy, kPICTx};
long finalTick = 0;
myDir = new CDirector(this); // Create Bureaucrat & Window
myWindow = new CWindow(&aRect, false, kProcID, false, false, myDir);
myPicture = new CPicture(myWindow, myDir); // Create CPicture
object
myPicture->FitToEnclFrame(true, true);
::SetRect(&aRect, 2, 2, -2, -2); // Shrink enclosure by 2 pixels
myPicture->ChangeSize(&aRect, false);
myPicture->UsePICT(kPicResID); // Grab PICT from resource
myWindow->MoveOffScreen(); // Get ready for drawing
myWindow->Select();
myPicture->Prepare();
gDecorator->CenterWindow(myWindow);// Need window on screen to draw
myPicture->Draw(&aRect); // Rect param is not really needed
::Delay(kDuration, &finalTick); /* Delay long enough for user to
read screen */
myDir->CloseWind(myWindow); // Close window & tidy up memory
TCLForgetObject(myDir);
if (myPicture != NULL)
TCLForgetObject(myPicture);
}
- Andrew Nemeth, Warrimoo Australia
Drop Everything
AppMaker (from Bowers Development) is a great development tool, but you can
only drop AppMaker files on AppMaker (with System 7). You can change AppMaker
drop other files (such as ResEdit and Resorcerer files) onto AppMaker’s icon to open
them:
1) Open AppMaker with a resource tool, such as ResEdit.
2) Open the FREF resource, and open resource ID 203.
3) Change the file type from '????' to '****'.
4) Save your changes, and rebuild your desktop.
That’s it. You should be able to now drop any file onto AppMaker’s icon, and
AppMaker will open it. If it doesn’t work, double-check the FREF (and possibly the
BNDL) resources.
- Bill Modesitt, Maui Software
Referenced by (2):