xref: /haiku/docs/user/interface/LayoutItem.dox (revision 7a74a5df454197933bc6e80a542102362ee98703)
1/*
2 * Copyright 2010, Haiku, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
3 * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
4 *
5 * Documentation by:
6 *   Alex Wilson <yourpalal2@gmail.com>
7 * Corresponds to:
8 *   /trunk/headers/os/interface/LayoutItem.h  rev 38207
9 *   /trunk/src/kits/interface/LayoutItem.cpp  rev 38207
10 */
11
12
13/*!
14	\file LayoutItem.h
15	Describes the BLayoutItem class
16*/
17
18
19/*!
20	\class BLayoutItem
21	\ingroup interface
22	\ingroup layout
23	\ingroup libbe
24
25	\brief Abstract class representing things that are positionable and
26		resizable by objects of the BLayout class.
27
28	The BLayoutItem class provides an interface that is meant to be used almost
29	exclusively by objects of the BLayout class. Despite this, there are some
30	methods that are provided for other users of the class.
31
32	\warning This class is not yet finalized, if you use it in your software
33	assume that it will break some time in the future.
34*/
35
36
37/*!
38	\fn BLayoutItem::BLayoutItem(BMessage* archive)
39	\brief Archive constructor.
40
41	Creates a BLayoutItem from the \a archive message.
42*/
43
44
45/*!
46	\fn BLayout* BLayoutItem::Layout() const
47	\brief Returns the BLayout this BLayoutItem resides in.
48*/
49
50
51/*!
52	\fn BLayout::~BLayout()
53	\brief Destructor method.
54
55	Standard Destructor.
56*/
57
58
59/*!
60	\name Reporting size and alignment constraints to a BLayout
61*/
62
63
64//! @{
65
66
67/*!
68	\fn BSize BLayoutItem::MinSize() = 0
69	\brief Returns the minimum desirable size for this item.
70*/
71
72
73/*!
74	\fn BSize BLayoutItem::MaxSize() = 0
75	\brief Returns the maximum desirable size for this item.
76*/
77
78
79/*!
80	\fn BSize BLayoutItem::PreferredSize() = 0
81	\brief Returns the preferred size for this item.
82*/
83
84
85/*!
86	\fn BAlignment BLayoutItem::Alignment() = 0
87	\brief Returns the requested alignment for this item.
88
89	The value returned from this method is used in BLayoutItem::AlignInFrame(),
90	which BLayouts use to position and resize items. In a vertical BGroupLayout,
91	for example, although each item recieves the same horizontal area, each item
92	can use that area differently, aligning to the left, right or center for
93	example.
94*/
95
96
97/*!
98	\fn bool BLayoutItem::HasHeightForWidth()
99	\brief Returns whether or not this BLayoutItem&apos;s height constraints are
100		dependent on its width.
101
102	\note By default, this method returns \c false.
103*/
104
105
106/*!
107	\fn void BLayoutItem::GetHeightForWidth(float width, float* min,
108		float* max, float* preferred)
109	\brief Get this BLayoutItem&apos;s height constraints for a given \a width.
110
111	If a BLayoutItem does not have height for width constraints
112	(HasHeightForWidth() returns \c false) it does not need to implement this
113	method.
114
115	\note It is prudent to compare \a min, \a max, \a preferred to \c NULL
116	before dereferencing them.
117*/
118
119
120//! @}
121
122
123/*!
124	\name Overriding size constraints and alignment.
125
126	Although the explicit constraints placed on an item are not enforced by the
127	BLayoutItem class, all Haiku BLayoutItem subclasses will use the
128	BLayoutUtils::ComposeSize() or BLayoutUtils::ComposeAlignment() functions
129	in when reporting these constraints. It is recommended that all subclasses
130	do this as well, the BAbstractLayoutItem class provides any easy way to
131	include this behaviour in your class.
132*/
133
134
135//! @{
136
137
138/*!
139	\fn void BLayoutItem::SetExplicitMinSize(BSize size) = 0
140	\brief Set this item's explicit min size, to be used in MinSize().
141*/
142
143
144/*!
145	\fn void BLayoutItem::SetExplicitMaxSize(BSize size) = 0
146	\brief Set this item's explicit max size, to be used in MaxSize().
147*/
148
149
150/*!
151	\fn void BLayoutItem::SetExplicitPreferredSize(BSize size) = 0
152	\brief Set this item's explicit preferred size, to be used in
153		PreferredSize().
154*/
155
156
157/*!
158	\fn void BLayoutItem::SetExplicitAlignment(BAlignment alignment) = 0
159	\brief Set this item's explicit alignment, to be used in Alignment().
160*/
161
162
163//! @}
164
165
166/*!
167	\name Getting and setting the visiblity of a BLayoutItem.
168
169	These methods take into account only the local visibility of this
170	item, not the visibility of its ancestors. \n
171*/
172
173
174//! @{
175
176
177/*!
178	\fn bool BLayoutItem::IsVisible() = 0
179	\brief Return the current local visibility of this item. If an item is not
180		visible, it will not be given space by the BLayout it resides in.
181
182	A simple implementation would return the last thing passed to SetVisible().
183	A more complex implementation may deal with a BView that could
184	be hidden in any number of ways.
185*/
186
187
188/*!
189	\fn void BLayoutItem::SetVisible(bool visible) = 0
190	\brief Set the local visibility of this item.
191*/
192
193
194//! @}
195
196
197/*!
198	\name Getting and setting the current on-screen positioning of a BLayoutItem.
199*/
200
201
202//! @{
203
204
205/*!
206	\fn void BLayoutItem::AlignInFrame(BRect frame)
207	\brief Position this BLayoutItem within \a frame, given the value returned
208		by Alignment(), and the size constraints for this item.
209*/
210
211
212/*!
213	\fn BRect BLayoutItem::Frame() = 0
214	\brief Return the bounding frame of this item.
215
216	The returned BRect is in the coordinate system of the target view of the
217	BLayout this item belongs to.
218*/
219
220
221/*!
222	\fn void BLayoutItem::SetFrame(BRect frame) = 0
223	\brief Set the bounding frame of this item.
224
225	\a frame is in the coordinate system of the target view of the BLayout
226		that this item belongs to.
227*/
228
229
230//! @}
231
232
233/*!
234	\fn BView* BLayoutItem::View()
235	\brief Return the BView this item is representing, or \c NULL if it does not
236		represent any view.
237
238	When a BLayoutItem is added to a BLayout, this method is called, and the
239	returned BView will be added to the BLayout&apos;s target view.
240*/
241
242
243/*!
244	\name Layout events and requests.
245
246	\brief These methods represent events or requests originating from a
247	BLayout. In some implementations they may be handled directly by this
248	BLayoutItem, but many implementations will forward these events to
249	another object.
250*/
251
252
253//! @{
254
255
256/*!
257	\fn void BLayoutItem::InvalidateLayout(bool children = false)
258	\brief Invalidate the layout of this item, or the object it represents.
259	\param children Whether or not to invalidate children of this object.
260
261	Although this method is virtual, you should not override it in your classes,
262	override LayoutInvalidated() instead. This method will take care of calling
263	the InvalidateLayout() methods of affected views/layouts/items. However, if
264	there is an object that is somehow connected to this one by means other than
265	the standard mechanisms provided by the Haiku API, you should use
266	the LayoutInvalidated() hook to do this.
267*/
268
269
270/*!
271	\fn void BLayoutItem::Relayout(bool immediate = false)
272	\brief Relayout any children or onscreen data this item contains. Often
273		this request is forwarded to another object.
274
275	The default implementation of this method will likely be sufficient in
276	most cases. Assuming \c this->View() doesn't return \c NULL, the default
277	implementation calls Relayout() or Layout() on the value returned
278	by View().
279*/
280
281
282//! @}
283
284
285/*!
286	\name Utility methods for BLayout subclasses
287	\brief Utility methods for the BLayout class to attach and retrieve
288		arbitrary data for a BLayoutItem.
289*/
290
291
292//! @{
293
294
295/*!
296	\fn void* BLayoutItem::LayoutData() const
297	\brief Retrieve arbitrary data attached to this BLayoutItem.
298
299	\note This method should only be called by a BLayout subclass.
300*/
301
302
303/*!
304	\fn void BLayoutItem::SetLayoutData(void* data)
305	\brief Attach arbitrary data to this BLayoutItem.
306
307	\note This method should only be called by a BLayout subclass.
308*/
309
310
311//! @}
312
313
314/*!
315	\name Hook methods
316*/
317
318
319//! @{
320
321
322/*!
323	\fn void BLayoutItem::LayoutInvalidated(bool children)
324	\brief Hook called from InvalidateLayout().
325
326	Override this method to clean out an cached layout info. It is good
327	practice to recreate such info only on demand, eg when MinSize() or friends
328	are called.
329
330	If \a children is \c true, then you should invalidate any information on
331	child objects as well, and propagate the invalidation to them.
332*/
333
334
335/*!
336	\fn void BLayoutItem::AttachedToLayout()
337	\brief Hook called when this object is attached to a BLayout (via
338		BLayout::AddItem())
339
340	\note You can find the BLayout you've been attached to with the Layout()
341		method.
342*/
343
344
345/*!
346	\fn void BLayoutItem::DetachedFromLayout(BLayout* layout)
347	\brief Hook called when this object is attached to a BLayout (via
348		BLayout::RemoveItem())
349
350	\warning You should not use this hook to reattach \c this to \a BLayout,
351		doing so will cause undefined behaviour (probably a crash).
352
353	\param layout The BLayout you were previously attached to.
354*/
355
356
357/*!
358	\fn void BLayoutItem::AncestorVisibilityChanged(bool shown)
359	\brief Hook called when this BLayoutItem&apos;s ancestors change visibility,
360		effectively hiding or showing this item.
361
362	Implementations of this method should alter the onscreen visibility of this
363	item. I.E. if \a shown is \c false, nothing should be drawn to represent
364	this item.
365
366	\note This method should not effect the value returned by this object's
367		IsVisible() method.
368
369	\param shown \c true to show, \c false to hide.
370*/
371
372
373//! @}
374