REALBasic: TDG, 2nd Edition

Chapter 9. Windows

This chapter describes REALbasic’s built-in Window class and explains the details of its use.

Figure 9-1 shows some of the standard types of window that REALbasic creates. At the left is the fundamental common or garden type of window, which REALbasic calls a document window, where the user would typically work. This one has all the standard window features: a titlebar with a close button, a zoom button, and a Mac OS X minimize button, plus a grow box at the lower right. Next comes a floating window; this is a utility window, and the user can work in the document window even though the floating window is layered in front of it. Finally, at the right, there’s a movable modal window; while present, it prevents the user from working in any of the other windows.

Figure 9-1. Three of the standard REALbasic window types

Certain window-related events and properties are described elsewhere in connection with their topic: on the KeyDown event, see Chapter 13 and Chapter 19; on the DropObject event and on methods relating to drag-and-drop, see Chapter 24; on the EnableMenuItems event, see Chapter 6; on the Paint event, see Chapter 11 (though there is some discussion of it in this chapter as well); on the MouseCursor and BalloonHelp properties, see Chapter 20.

Windows were absolutely revolutionary when they were developed at Xerox PARC during the late 1960s, and it was an ...