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https://github.com/finanalyst/p6-inform


https://github.com/finanalyst/p6-inform

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README 

        
# Inform Module



Provides a GTK dialog box from a Raku program. It is easy to add buttons and simple entry widgets to the box. Information is returned to a capture object.



The module is a stripped down version of the gtk-simple module minus all the unused widgets.



On Linux distributions, the GTK library is almost guaranteed, but there will be an error

unless the `dev` library (something like `libgtk-dev`) is installed.



On Windows, GTK is likely not installed. A build check is incorporated. If it fails, the GTK

library has not been found. A place to look for installation help is the [GTK project](https://www.gtk.org/docs/installations/windows/)

installation page.



The example uses the inform procedural style subroutine, but the object based style can be seen by looking at inform.



For example



```perl6

#!/usr/bin/env raku

use v6.c;

use Informative;

=comment

  Show a box with some information on screen, has a destructor x on window, but removes itself after 10s.

  Notice that there is a countdown time for information.

  The string can be marked up with pango markup. 

  

inform( 'This is blue and red information'  );

=comment

  The label shown in the box is 'This is blue and red information' (with colours).

  The default title is 'Inform'



=comment 

  New title and for a shorter time (5s), note that a timer of 0 is forever.

  

my $popup = inform( 'Shorter time span for me', :timer(5), :title );

=comment

  The title of the window is now 'More'.

  The C subroutine returning an instance of the C class, which is then shown.



=comment 

  The C object in $popup can be reused with changes in message, countdown and timer.

  The title, buttons and entries are only allowed when creating a new C object.

  The C method is available in the C object.

  

$popup.show( 'See no countdown, but timer is unchanged', :!show-countdown );

=comment

  The timer is now no longer showing



=comment

  The colour (in USA color) of the countdown can be changed from the default 'red' to any colour accepted by Pango.



$popup = inform( 'I prefer the blues', :timer(5), :countdown-colour );



=comment

  Oops blues originated in the USA



$popup = inform( 'The blues spread in the movies', :timer(5), :countdown-color<#9c5d7c> );



=comment

  Add some buttons

  

my $gui-response = inform( 'Do you want to continue?', 

    :buttons( OK=>'OK',b2=>'Not on your life', 'Cancel'=> "I don't want to")

    ); 

say "We have {$gui-response.response} ";

=comment

  The box contains the label 'Do you want to continue' and has three buttons 

  with labels 'OK', 'Not on your life' and "I don't want to"

  The name of the button clicked (OK, b2, Cancel) is printed



=comment

  Access response 

  

say 'Ok continuing' if $gui-response.response eq 'OK';

=comment

  Check other responses

  

say 'I am heedful of your desires' if $gui-response.response ~~ any ;

=comment

  Check whether the destruct x was clicked

  

say 'So you don\'t like the options I gave you, huh?' if $gui-response.response eq '_destruct';



=comment

  Add an entry widget and some buttons

  Note that if an entry widget is requested, but no buttons are requested, then

  Cancel and OK are added automatically. 

  An entry widget without buttons is not allowed (design decision)

  

my $data = inform('Give me some things to clean',

    :buttons(Cancel => 'None today', :Response('Here you go')),

    :entries( Laundry => 'Enter your laundry list',)

    );

=comment

  The box contains a label, then one or more entry widgets, then a row of boxes.

  The formatting will depend on gtk defaults.

  NOTE: 'buttons' and 'entries' each expect a list of pairs, not a hash. So the comma

  after '...laundry list' and before the bracket is essential to force a list. With

  two elements, as in the buttons expression, a list already forms. 



if $data.response eq 'Cancel' { say 'Great, more free time for me' }

elsif $data.response eq 'Response' {

  for $data.data.comb(/\w+/) { say "I will clean your $_" }

}



=comment

    An entry widget can mask input, as in password requests, by adding _pw or -pw onto the

    name of the entry.



my $login = inform('Please supply your username and password', 

    :entries(un => 'User name', pw_pw => 'Password')

    );



if $login.response eq 'OK' { say "user name is \<{$login.data}> and password is \<{$login.data}>" };

```



A design goal his to keep the module as simple and small as possible, and to result in a popup that is intuitive to the user. Hence:

- A buttonless lable has a countdown timer to show when it is disappearing.

- Entries are not permitted without buttons. In principle, gtk_entry has an Activate signal that could be attached to an Entry widget (when text is ended with a Return key). However, a dialog box with only an entry form with no obvious way to respond would be difficult to understand.

- All Buttons act in the same way: if Entry widgets are present, the text is stored in the data attribute, and the dialog box is closed. It is for the user to determine how to handle the data.

- A dialog box that is destroy by clicking on the x will not store Entry data.



There are no limits in the module on the number of buttons or entry widgets that can be added. However, in practice, the reliance on gtk default formating will probably quickly make the inform box look ugly.



If more sophisticated button behaviours, different widgets or formatting are required, look at the Gtk::Simple module.