itk User Commands - itk






NAME

     itk - framework for building mega-widgets in Tcl/Tk





DESCRIPTION

     Mega-widgets are high-level  widgets  that  are  constructed
     using  Tk  widgets as component parts, usually without any C
     code.  A fileselectionbox, for example, may have a few list-
     boxes,  some  entry widgets and some control buttons.  These
     individual widgets are put together in a way that makes them
     act like one big widget.  A fileselectionbox mega-widget can
     be created with a command like:

         fileselectionbox .fsb -background blue -foreground white

     Once it has been created, it can be reconfigured with a com-
     mand like:

         .fsb configure -background green -foreground black

     and all of its internal components will change color.   Each
     mega-widget has a set of methods that can be used to manipu-
     late it.  For example, the current selection can be  queried
     from a fileselectionbox like this:

         set fileName [.fsb get]

     In effect, a mega-widget looks and acts exactly  like  a  Tk
     widget, but is considerably easier to implement.

     [incr Tk] is a framework for building mega-widgets.  It uses
     [incr Tcl]  to  support  the  object paradigm, and adds base
     classes which provide default widget behaviors.

     All [incr Tk] widgets are derived from  the  Archetype  base
     class.   This  class manages internal component widgets, and
     provides methods like "configure" and "cget" to access  con-
     figuration options.

     The Widget base class inherits  everything  from  Archetype,
     and  adds a Tk frame which acts as a container for the mega-
     widget.  It is used to build mega-widgets that sit inside of
     other  frames  and  toplevels.  Derived classes create other
     internal components and pack  them  into  the  "hull"  frame
     created by the Widget base class.

     The Toplevel base class inherits everything from  Archetype,
     but  adds  a  Tk  toplevel which acts as a container for the
     mega-widget.  It is used  to  build  mega-widgets,  such  as
     dialog  boxes, that have their own toplevel window.  Derived
     classes create other internal components and pack them  into
     the "hull" toplevel created by the Toplevel base class.



[incr Widgets] LIBRARY

     [incr Widgets]  is  a  mega-widget   library   built   using
     [incr Tk].   It  can  be used right out of the box, and con-
     tains more than 30 different widget classes, including:

     -    fileselectiondialog

     -    tabnotebook

     -    panedwindow

     -    combobox

     -    optionmenu

     -    scrolledlistbox

     -    scrolledframe

     -    messagedialog

     -    and many others...

     The catalog demo in the "iwidgets/demos" directory shows all
     of  the  available widgets in action.  Each widget class has
     its own man page describing the features available.



KEYWORDS

     class, object, object-oriented, mega-widget