Dock widgets

[Matt Rogers]

On Monday 21 February 2005 03:28 pm, Alexander Dymo wrote:
> Hi!
> Despite of the mdi modes we choose to implement, we need a working
> dockwidget. I mean that we _do_ need a replacement for KDockWidget. If you
> didn't look at it before, please do and prepare to be frightened ;)
>
> If seriously, KDockWidget has following problems:
> 1) placement inside dock area is broken
> 2) positions/sizes inside and outside the dock area are not saved
> 3) only one row of dock widgets inside one area is possible
>
> Can we solve those problems by improving KDockWidget?
> I answer no because it will take no less time than a complete rewrite.
> The quality of KDockWidget code is too low.
>

Keep in mind that if KDockWidget were to be fixed, KMdi, and the apps that use 
it would not be the only ones to benefit from such a fixing.

> Will those problems be finished in Qt4 in QDockWindow class?
> Now I don't have the answer. QDockWindow behaves really cool
> but it doesn't provide an API to modify dock header thus making
> kmdi implementation difficult.
> I sent a mail to TT with the explanation of our potential problems and
> now I'm waiting for the next Qt4 beta to see what happens.
>
> Ok, let's now imagine we won't get necessary API for QDockWindow in Qt4.
> What to do next? Fork QDockWindow or create our own implementation.
>

or rewrite KDockWidget and friends, which i was already semi-prepared to do 
anyways.

> Several months ago I took a look at dockwidget problems and wrote some
> experimental code which you can find in the attachment.
> It probably doesn't work correctly but you should have an idea about the
> API we want from dockwidget classes.
> Please take a look at Ideal::DockSplitter class and it's test example under
> src4. An example uses QTextEdit widgets instead of dock widgets but
> should give an idea on how an ideal dock area should behave.
> It should be always possible to add dock widgets to arbitrary resizable
> cell inside the dock area and testsplitter example shows how can that
> be done.
>
> What to do now? I'd prefer to wait until next Qt4 beta in March and see
> what happens with QDockWindow and whether we can use it.
> If not, I'll continue to work on dock widget stuff again.

Sounds good. I'll also see what I can come up with in the meantime.

Matt
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