Trouble writing a GLUT-like API
Post: #1
So, I normally wouldn't bother doing this in the first place, but a friend wants to introduce his kid to C, and wants a (very) simple drawing API. E.g., a window and simple C calls to DrawBox, DrawCircle, etc from basic callbacks.
Now, I pushed him towards PyGame and SDL, but he wants the simplest thing possible, and I've written it. It's dirt simple and works as needed. The trouble is I want it to be easy to build, not just to write.
That is to say, I want to be able to build one of these apps on the command line like so:
# gcc -o demo -framework SimpleDraw demo.c
(SimpleDraw is my framework)
Right now, if I do this I get a window but no menu, it doesn't play well with OSX. User input doesn't work, I can't command-tab to it, etc etc.
If on the other hand, I use Xcode to make a single-window Cocoa app, delete the nib, link against SImpleDraw and add 'demo.c' it works just like I want -- I get a window, keyboard & mouse input work, it shows up on the dock, etc.
I want a simple build system because the goal here is for this to be as easy to a child as it was back when we were kids writing BASIC and the like.
Trouble is that while I'm a Cocoa guy, I've never tried to subvert Cocoa like this. Normally I'm happy to just use Interface Builder and move on.
Here's how I start the application:
The int main() function looks like so:
And the code for SDApplication ( an NSApplication subclass ) is too long to post here, so here's a link: http://pastie.textmate.org/496433
( It was loosely inspired by OSC's GameShell )
So, for the TL;DR crowd:
1) It works for .app bundle cocoa apps
2) It does not work for command-line apps
Somehow GLUT pulls this off; I'm looking over Apple's GLUT sourcecode, but I haven't figured out what Apple's doing that I'm not doing...
P.S. I want to re-iterate that I've already suggested stuff like PyGame. My friend wants a clean C api, and that's what I've made. I just want it to be easy to compile on the command line.
Now, I pushed him towards PyGame and SDL, but he wants the simplest thing possible, and I've written it. It's dirt simple and works as needed. The trouble is I want it to be easy to build, not just to write.
That is to say, I want to be able to build one of these apps on the command line like so:
# gcc -o demo -framework SimpleDraw demo.c
(SimpleDraw is my framework)
Right now, if I do this I get a window but no menu, it doesn't play well with OSX. User input doesn't work, I can't command-tab to it, etc etc.
If on the other hand, I use Xcode to make a single-window Cocoa app, delete the nib, link against SImpleDraw and add 'demo.c' it works just like I want -- I get a window, keyboard & mouse input work, it shows up on the dock, etc.
I want a simple build system because the goal here is for this to be as easy to a child as it was back when we were kids writing BASIC and the like.
Trouble is that while I'm a Cocoa guy, I've never tried to subvert Cocoa like this. Normally I'm happy to just use Interface Builder and move on.
Here's how I start the application:
Code:
int SDApplicationMain( SDContextDelegate delegate, const char *appName, int argc, const char *argv[] )
{
//
// I'm ignoring argc/argv -- but perhaps someday I'll make use of it
//
NSAutoreleasePool* pool = [[NSAutoreleasePool alloc] init];
{
NSApp = SDApp = (SDApplication*)[SDApplication sharedApplication];
unsigned int mask = NSClosableWindowMask | NSMiniaturizableWindowMask | NSResizableWindowMask;
NSBackingStoreType type = NSBackingStoreBuffered;
NSRect winRect = [NSWindow frameRectForContentRect: NSMakeRect(0, 0, delegate.windowWidth, delegate.windowHeight ) styleMask:mask];
winRect.origin.x = 0;
winRect.origin.y = 0;
SDView *view = [[SDView alloc] initWithFrame: winRect];
[SDApp setDisplayName: [NSString stringWithUTF8String:appName]];
[SDApp setContextDelegate: delegate];
[SDApp setDrawingView: view];
NSWindow *window = [[NSWindow alloc] initWithContentRect:winRect styleMask:mask backing:type defer:NO];
[window setTitle: [NSString stringWithUTF8String: appName ]];
[window setContentView: view];
[NSApp awakeFromNib];
}
[pool release];
//
// enter the application main event loop.
//
[NSApp run];
return 0;
}The int main() function looks like so:
Code:
int main(int argc, const char *argv[])
{
SDContextDelegate delegate = SDCreateContextDelegate( 500, 400 );
delegate.onResize = Resize;
delegate.onDisplay = Display;
delegate.onKeyPress = KeyPressed;
delegate.onKeyRelease = KeyReleased;
delegate.onMouseButtonPress = MouseButtonPressed;
delegate.onMouseButtonRelease = MouseButtonReleased;
delegate.onMouseMove = MouseMoved;
delegate.onMouseScroll = MouseScroll;
return SDApplicationMain( delegate, "Hello SimpleDraw", argc, argv );
}And the code for SDApplication ( an NSApplication subclass ) is too long to post here, so here's a link: http://pastie.textmate.org/496433
( It was loosely inspired by OSC's GameShell )
So, for the TL;DR crowd:
1) It works for .app bundle cocoa apps
2) It does not work for command-line apps
Somehow GLUT pulls this off; I'm looking over Apple's GLUT sourcecode, but I haven't figured out what Apple's doing that I'm not doing...
P.S. I want to re-iterate that I've already suggested stuff like PyGame. My friend wants a clean C api, and that's what I've made. I just want it to be easy to compile on the command line.
Post: #2Code:
ProcessSerialNumber psn;
GetCurrentProcess(&psn);
TransformProcessType(&psn, kProcessTransformToForegroundApplication);
Post: #3OneSadCookie Wrote:Code:
ProcessSerialNumber psn;
GetCurrentProcess(&psn);
TransformProcessType(&psn, kProcessTransformToForegroundApplication);
Holy smokes! It worked -- thanks, OSC.
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