Section: User Contributed Perl Documentation (3)Updated: 2009-02-24Local indexUp
NAME
Prima::TextView - rich text browser widget
DESCRIPTION
Prima::TextView accepts blocks of formatted text, and provides
basic functionality - scrolling and user selection. The text strings
are stored as one large text chunk, available by the "::text" and "::textRef" properties.
A block of a formatted text is an array with fixed-length header and
the following instructions.
A special package "tb::" provides the block constants and simple functions
for text block access.
Capabilities
Prima::TextView is mainly the text block functions and helpers. It provides
function for wrapping text block, calculating block dimensions, drawing
and converting coordinates from (X,Y) to a block position. Prima::TextView
is centered around the text functionality, and although any custom graphic of
arbitrary complexity can be embedded in a text block, the internal coordinate
system is used ( TEXT_OFFSET, BLOCK ), where TEXT_OFFSET is a text offset from
the beginning of a block and BLOCK is an index of a block.
The functionality does not imply any text layout - this is up to the class
descendants, they must provide they own layout policy. The only policy
Prima::TextView requires is that blocks' BLK_TEXT_OFFSET field must be
strictly increasing, and the block text chunks must not overlap. The text gaps
are allowed though.
A text block basic drawing function includes change of color, backColor and font,
and the painting of text strings. Other types of graphics can be achieved by
supplying custom code.
Block header
A block's fixed header consists of "tb::BLK_START - 1" integer scalars,
each of those is accessible via the corresponding "tb::BLK_XXX" constant.
The constants are separated into two logical groups:
The second group is enclosed in "tb::BLK_DATA_START" - "tb::BLK_DATA_END"
range, like the whole header is contained in 0 - "tb::BLK_START - 1" range.
This is done for the backward compatibility, if the future development changes
the length of the header.
The first group fields define the text block dimension, aperture position
and text offset ( remember, the text is stored as one big chunk ). The second
defines the initial color and font settings. Prima::TextView needs all fields
of every block to be initialized before displaying. block_wrap method
can be used for automated assigning of these fields.
Block parameters
The scalars, beginning from "tb::BLK_START", represent the commands to the renderer.
These commands have their own parameters, that follow the command. The length of
a command is located in @oplen array, and must not be changed. The basic command
set includes "OP_TEXT", "OP_COLOR", "OP_FONT", "OP_TRANSPOSE", and "OP_CODE".
The additional codes are "OP_WRAP" and "OP_MARK", not used in drawing but are
special commands to block_wrap.
OP_TEXT - TEXT_OFFSET, TEXT_LENGTH, TEXT_WIDTH
"OP_TEXT" commands to draw a string, from offset "tb::BLK_TEXT_OFFSET + TEXT_OFFSET",
with a length TEXT_LENGTH. The third parameter TEXT_WIDTH contains the width of the text
in pixels. Such the two-part offset scheme is made for simplification or an imaginary code,
that would alter ( insert to, or delete part of ) the big text chunk; the updating procedure
would not need to traverse all commands, but just the block headers.
Relative to: "tb::BLK_TEXT_OFFSET".
OP_COLOR - COLOR
"OP_COLOR" sets foreground or background color. To set the background,
COLOR must be or-ed with "tb::BACKCOLOR_FLAG" value. In addition to the
two toolkit supported color values ( RRGGBB and system color index ),
COLOR can also be or-ed with "tb::COLOR_INDEX" flags, in such case it is
an index in "::colormap" property array.
Relative to: "tb::BLK_COLOR", "tb::BLK_BACKCOLOR".
OP_FONT - KEY, VALUE
As the font is a complex property, that itself includes font name, size,
direction, etc keys, "OP_FONT" KEY represents one of the three
parameters - "tb::F_ID", "tb::F_SIZE", "tb::F_STYLE". All three
have different VALUE meaning.
Relative to: "tb::BLK_FONT_ID", "tb::BLK_FONT_SIZE", "tb::BLK_FONT_STYLE".
F_STYLE
Contains a combination of "fs::XXX" constants, such as "fs::Bold", "fs::Italic" etc.
Default value: 0
F_SIZE
Contains the relative font size. The size is relative to the current widget's font
size. As such, 0 is a default value, and -2 is the widget's default font decreased by
2 points. Prima::TextView provides no range checking ( but the toolkit does ), so
while it is o.k. to set the negative "F_SIZE" values larger than the default font size,
one must be vary when relying on the combined font size value .
If "F_SIZE" value is added to a "F_HEIGHT" constant, then it is treated as a font height
in pixels rather than font size in points. The macros for these opcodes are named respectively
"tb::fontSize" and "tb::fontHeight", while the opcode is the same.
F_ID
All other font properties are collected under an 'ID'. ID is a index in
the "::fontPalette" property array, which contains font hashes with the other
font keys initialized - name, encoding, and pitch. These three are minimal required
set, and the other font keys can be also selected.
OP_TRANSPOSE X, Y, FLAGS
Contains a mark for an empty space. The space is extended to the relative coordinates (X,Y),
so the block extension algorithms take this opcode in the account. If FLAGS does not contain
"tb::X_EXTEND", then in addition to the block expansion, current coordinate is also
moved to (X,Y). In this regard, "(OP_TRANSPOSE,0,0,0)" and "(OP_TRANSPOSE,0,0,X_EXTEND)" are
identical and are empty operators.
There are formatting-only flags,in effect with block_wrap function.
"X_DIMENSION_FONT_HEIGHT" indicates that (X,Y) values must be multiplied to
the current font height. Another flag "X_DIMENSION_POINT" does the same but
multiplies by current value of resolution property divided by 72 (
basically, treats X and Y not as pixel but point values).
"OP_TRANSPOSE" can be used for customized graphics, in conjunction with "OP_CODE"
to assign a space, so the rendering
algorithms do not need to be re-written every time the new graphic is invented. As
an example, see how Prima::PodView deals with the images.
OP_CODE - SUB, PARAMETER
Contains a custom code pointer SUB with a parameter PARAMETER, passed when
a block is about to be drawn. SUB is called with the following format:
$font_and_color_state ( or $state, through the code ) contains the state of
font and color commands in effect, and is changed as the rendering algorithm advances through a block.
The format of the state is the same as of text block, so one may notice that for readability
F_ID, F_SIZE, F_STYLE constants are paired to BLK_FONT_ID, BLK_FONT_SIZE and BLK_FONT_STYLE.
The SUB code is executed only when the block is about to draw.
OP_WRAP ON_OFF
"OP_WRAP" is only in effect in block_wrap method. ON_OFF is a boolean flag,
selecting if the wrapping is turned on or off. block_wrap does not support
stacking for the wrap commands, so the "(OP_WRAP,1,OP_WRAP,1,OP_WRAP,0)" has
same effect as "(OP_WRAP,0)". If ON_OFF is 1, wrapping is disabled - all following
commands treated an non-wrapable until "(OP_WRAP,0)" is met.
OP_MARK PARAMETER, X, Y
"OP_MARK" is only in effect in block_wrap method and is a user command.
block_wrap only sets (!) X and Y to the current coordinates when the command is met.
Thus, "OP_MARK" can be used for arbitrary reasons, easy marking the geometrical positions
that undergo the block wrapping.
As can be noticed, these opcodes are far not enough for the full-weight rich text
viewer. However, the new opcodes can be created using "tb::opcode", that accepts
the opcode length and returns the new opcode value.
Rendering methods
block_wrap
"block_wrap" is the function, that is used to wrap a block into a given width.
It returns one or more text blocks with fully assigned headers. The returned blocks
are located one below another, providing an illusion that the text itself is wrapped.
It does not only traverses the opcodes and sees if the command fit or not in the given width;
it also splits the text strings if these do not fit.
By default the wrapping can occur either on a command boundary or by the spaces or tab characters
in the text strings. The unsolicited wrapping can be prevented by using "OP_WRAP"
command brackets. The commands inside these brackets are not wrapped; "OP_WRAP" commands
are removed from the output blocks.
In general, "block_wrap" copies all commands and their parameters as is, ( as it is supposed
to do ), but some commands are treated especially:
- "OP_TEXT"'s third parameter, "TEXT_WIDTH", is disregarded, and is recalculated for every
"OP_TEXT" met.
- If "OP_TRANSPOSE"'s third parameter, "X_FLAGS" contains "X_DIMENSION_FONT_HEIGHT" flag,
the command coordinates X and Y are multiplied to the current font height and the flag is
cleared in the output block.
- "OP_MARK"'s second and third parameters assigned to the current (X,Y) coordinates.
- "OP_WRAP" removed from the output.
block_draw CANVAS, BLOCK, X, Y
The "block_draw" draws BLOCK onto CANVAS in screen coordinates (X,Y).
It can not only be used for drawing inside begin_paint/end_paint brackets;
CANVAS can be an arbitrary "Prima::Drawable" descendant.
Coordinate system methods
Prima::TextView employs two its own coordinate systems:
(X,Y)-document and (TEXT_OFFSET,BLOCK)-block.
The document coordinate system is isometric and measured in pixels. Its origin is located
into the imaginary point of the beginning of the document ( not of the first block! ),
in the upper-left point. X increases to the right, Y increases downwards.
The block header values BLK_X and BLK_Y are in document coordinates, and
the widget's pane extents ( regulated by "::paneSize", "::paneWidth" and
"::paneHeight" properties ) are also in document coordinates.
The block coordinate system in an-isometric - its second axis, BLOCK, is an index
of a text block in the widget's blocks storage, "$self->{blocks}", and
its first axis, TEXT_OFFSET is a text offset from the beginning of the block.
Below described different coordinate system converters
screen2point X, Y
Accepts (X,Y) in the screen coordinates ( O is a lower left widget corner ),
returns (X,Y) in document coordinates ( O is upper left corner of a document ).
xy2info X, Y
Accepts (X,Y) is document coordinates, returns (TEXT_OFFSET,BLOCK) coordinates,
where TEXT_OFFSET is text offset from the beginning of a block ( not related
to the big text chunk ) , and BLOCK is an index of a block.
info2xy TEXT_OFFSET, BLOCK
Accepts (TEXT_OFFSET,BLOCK) coordinates, and returns (X,Y) in document coordinates
of a block.
text2xoffset TEXT_OFFSET, BLOCK
Returns X coordinate where TEXT_OFFSET begins in a BLOCK index.
info2text_offset
Accepts (TEXT_OFFSET,BLOCK) coordinates and returns the text offset
with regard to the big text chunk.
text_offset2info TEXT_OFFSET
Accepts big text offset and returns (TEXT_OFFSET,BLOCK) coordinates
text_offset2block TEXT_OFFSET
Accepts big text offset and returns BLOCK coordinate.
Text selection
The text selection is performed automatically when the user selects the
region with a mouse. The selection is stored in (TEXT_OFFSET,BLOCK)
coordinate pair, and is accessible via the "::selection" property.
If its value is assigned to (-1,-1,-1,-1) this indicates that there is
no selection. For convenience the "has_selection" method is introduced.
Also, "get_selected_text" returns the text within the selection
(or undef with no selection ), and "copy" copies automatically
the selected text into the clipboard. The latter action is bound to
"Ctrl+Insert" key combination.
Event rectangles
Partly as an option for future development, partly as a hack a
concept of 'event rectangles' was introduced. Currently, "{contents}"
private variable points to an array of objects, equipped with
"on_mousedown", "on_mousemove", and "on_mouseup" methods. These
are called within the widget's mouse events, so the overloaded classes
can define the interactive content without overloading the actual
mouse events ( which is although easy but is dependent on Prima::TextView
own mouse reactions ).
As an example Prima::PodView uses the event rectangles to catch
the mouse events over the document links. Theoretically, every 'content'
is to be bound with a separate logical layer; when the concept was designed,
a html-browser was in mind, so such layers can be thought as
( in the html world ) links, image maps, layers, external widgets.
Currently, "Prima::TextView::EventRectangles" class is provided
for such usage. Its property "::rectangles" contains an array of
rectangles, and the "contains" method returns an integer value, whether
the passed coordinates are inside one of its rectangles or not; in the first
case it is the rectangle index.