fpGUI Toolkit v0.7 (final release) for FPC 2.4

[leocda]

In my opinion, if you develop from scratch, you are losing a big chance to make something different and new.

This Windows look and feel is easy to draw, but it's out-of-date nowadays.

You should try to create a GUI with an innovative appearance. Allowing themes is a nice idea, but having a new, modern, default style is priceless.

It's possible to make eye catching screen components with very low rendering overhead.

[vvzh]

fpGUI really needs unicode text input. I couldnt see that in release notes.  IMHO If fpGUI supports Unicode it may gain much more attention.

Unicode text input was implemented in fpGUI about two years ago It seems the item in features you are talking about just gone unnoticed by developers and survived the changes.

[hinst]

Graeme: ::IMHO:: I like it, thx 

[Leledumbo]

Graeme, are you also the person responsible for LCL-fpGUI interface? If yes, how's its status with this release?

[Martin V]

Graeme,

is it possible to use DocView in LCL applications? If yes, which archive file do I need?

Martin

[DelphiFreak]

Thank you for your efforts.

You might want to update also this
http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/Roadmap

or do you think it's better to remove fpGUI from that Link ?

[JuhaManninen]

Graeme, are you also the person responsible for LCL-fpGUI interface? If yes, how's its status with this release?

Graeme does not maintain the LCL-fpGUI interface.
There was activity with it on May, r25390, Paul Ishenin committed changes from José Mejuto.
I don't know if there are more improvements coming. I would like to see it working.

Juha

[Graeme]

Unicode text input was implemented in fpGUI about two years ago

Correct. In the last two years (since the v0.6 release), a LOT of things have been added to fpGUI - simply too much to mention in a release notes document. That's why the release note mentions "a summary of new features".

To be 100% fair to the original poster, under X11 there are cases where Unicode input doesn't work. I have already tracked down the problem - I simply need to figure out how to interface with the XLib API to resolve that specific case. But it most cases, Unicode input does work.

I am also working on another "cross platform" unicode input system like what Gnome has. In any Gnome application you can press Ctrl+Shift+u, the input cursor changes and you can then enter the unicode hex value and press enter. I quite like this, and would like it in fpGUI, on all platforms - so expect this feature soon. I also plan to extend the 'Insert via Character Map' dialog (found in popup menus on edit components) to support Unicode. 

[Graeme]

Graeme, are you also the person responsible for LCL-fpGUI interface? If yes, how's its status with this release?

I used to work on it, but not any more. Recently somebody else start working on it again. As far as I know all the components on the IDE Standard tab are now working.

[Graeme]

is it possible to use DocView in LCL applications? If yes, which archive file do I need?

Yes it should be possible. As far as I know you simply need to implement Application.OnHelp event handler and call DocView from there with the correct parameters. DocView also works with Lazarus IDE (via the External Tools menu) and gives context sensitive help for RTL, FCL, LCL and includes help for Object Pascal language reference. I have been working this week on fpdoc to improve the INF help output for use with DocView. I should be releasing binaries for DocView and pre-build INF help which users can download from fpGUI's SourceForge Download page.

Included with the binary release, I'll make available the open source cross-platform IPF Compiler which you use to compile IPF (help source files) into binary HLP or INF help files - for use with DocView.

I'm also redesigning the fpGUI website as we speak. The new website will have sections on how to use and integrate DocView with various IDE's and GUI toolkits.

[Graeme]

You might want to update also this
http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/Roadmap
or do you think it's better to remove fpGUI from that Link ?

That page is very deceiving and most people don't understand what in lists. Please note the comment on that page:

These are for LCL wrapped components only, not for the specific GUI toolkit features itself.

That table does not lists the features of each individual GUI toolkit, but rather the "LCL wrapped features" implemented for LCL only. fpGUI Toolkit has support for most, if not all, the section listed, it is simply the wrapper toolkit (LCL-fpGUI) that hasn't got all the features wrapped for Lazarus LCL usage.

[DelphiFreak]

Ok, so you suggest then to remove it from the roadmap?

[Leledumbo]

As far as I know all the components on the IDE Standard tab are now working.

Glad to hear that. I'll try some of my simple projects with fpgui.

[Graeme]

Ok, so you suggest then to remove it from the roadmap?

No, because LCL-fpGUI widgetset is being worked on - though at a slow place. And the widgetset is part of Lazarus source tree.

I'm simply saying that maybe a more prominent notice (maybe better wording or column titles) needs to be placed so users viewing that page actually knows what it means, that in ONLY refers to the LCL "wrapped" features, and not the underlying GUI toolkit of each column in the grid.

[Graeme]

Glad to hear that. I'll try some of my simple projects with fpgui.

For the "full effect" with all features available, I would also suggest you try fpGUI Toolkit directly. fpGUI includes lots of small and feature specific demos to get one started. The learning curve from LCL or VCL to fpGUI is not steep at all.