com.ribs
Class Ribs

java.lang.Object
  com.ribs.Ribs

public class Ribs

extends java.lang.Object

This class helps to load and manage panels and windows of GUI components in the form of a rib file, which is a simple XML description of UI controls. A simple app might just do the following: RJPanel ui = Ribs.getRib(this); ui.setWindowVisible(true); ui.reset(this); This code will load a UI panel from a rib file called '.rib', create a window for it and make it visible and then have us reset all of the controls contained there in with our resetUI() method. Copyright (c) 2004 ReportMill Software, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Contact ReportMill .

Nested Class Summary

static class

Ribs.EventListener An interface for objects that want notification about event processing.

Field Summary

static java.lang.Object

_lastControl

Constructor Summary

Ribs()

Method Summary

static void	addEventListener(Ribs.EventListener aListener) Adds an Ribs.EventListener to the RibsEventQueue.
static RJAction	getAction() Returns the last RJAction associated with the last control change (and resulting sendAction() call).
static byte[]	getBytes(java.lang.String aName, java.lang.Object anOwner) Returns a byte array for the given name and owner (tries to load from owner class resource dir or current dir).
static java.lang.String	getCurrentDirectory() Returns the current Ribs directory.
static RJHelper	getHelper(java.lang.Object anObj) Returns the Ribs Helper object for a given object.
static java.awt.Image	getImage(java.lang.String aName) Returns the named image - tries to load from last owner class resource directory or current directory.
static java.awt.Image	getImage(java.lang.String aName, java.lang.Object anOwner) Returns the named image - tries to load from given owner class resource directory or current directory.
static javax.swing.ImageIcon	getImageIcon(java.lang.String aName) Returns the named imageIcon - tries to load from last owner class resource directory or current directory.
static javax.swing.ImageIcon	getImageIcon(java.lang.String aName, java.lang.Object anOwner) Returns the named imageIcon - tries to load from given owner class resource directory or current directory.
static java.io.InputStream	getInputStream(java.lang.String aName, java.lang.Object anOwner) Returns an input stream for the given name - tries to load from given owner class resource dir or current dir.
static java.awt.AWTEvent	getLastEvent() Returns the last event Ribs has seens.
static RJPanel	getRib(java.lang.Object anOwner) This method tries to find, load and return a rib file using the name of the given owner's class.
static RJPanel	getRib(java.lang.Object anOwner, java.lang.Class aClass, java.lang.Object aSource) This method tries to load a rib file from aSource.
static boolean	getValueIsAdjusting() This method returns whether the last action sent by the last control was in the midst of a series of changes, like inside a mouse loop (or the dragging of the knob on a slider).
static boolean	isAltDown() Returns whether the alt key is down for the current input event.
static boolean	isLoadingRibsDocument() Returns whether Ribs is currently loading a document.
static boolean	isMetaDown() Returns whether the meta key is down for the current input event.
static boolean	isMouseDown() Returns whehter mouse is down in mouse drag loop.
static boolean	isSendActionDisabled() Returns whether Ribs' send action facility is disabled (so controls can be updated without triggering response).
static void	reset(java.lang.Object aTarget) This method registers the given object to be called "reset" at the end of the current event (using invokeLater).
static void	resetImmediately(java.lang.Object aTarget) This method simply invokes the resetUI() method of aTarget (immediately).
static void	sendAction(javax.swing.JComponent aComponent, RJAction anAction) Conevenience to tell a component (via its helper) to fire its action.
static void	sendAction(java.lang.Object anOwner, java.lang.String aCallback, javax.swing.JComponent aComponent, RJAction anAction) This method sends a callback to the owner of a component, on behalf of that component.
static void	setCurrentDirectory(java.lang.String aString) Sets the current Ribs directory.
static void	setLoadingRibsDocument(boolean aValue) Sets whether Ribs is currently loading a document.
static boolean	setSendActionDisabled(boolean aFlag) Sets whether Ribs' send action facility is disabled (so controls can be updated without triggering response).

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

equals, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Field Detail

_lastControl

public static java.lang.Object _lastControl

Constructor Detail

Ribs

public Ribs()

Method Detail

getRib

public static RJPanel getRib(java.lang.Object anOwner)

This method tries to find, load and return a rib file using the name of the given owner's class. For instance, calling Ribs.getRib(whatever), where whatever is of class Whatever.class, would essentially call getRib(whatever.getClass().getResource("Whatever.rib"). Once loaded, anOwner is set as the owner of the returned RJPanel (and its child components).

getRib

public static RJPanel getRib(java.lang.Object anOwner,
                             java.lang.Class aClass,
                             java.lang.Object aSource)

This method tries to load a rib file from aSource. ASource can be a File, a String path, an InputStream or even a byte array. Once loaded, anOwner is set as the owner of the returned RJPanel (and its child components).

getHelper

public static RJHelper getHelper(java.lang.Object anObj)

Returns the Ribs Helper object for a given object.

getCurrentDirectory

public static java.lang.String getCurrentDirectory()

Returns the current Ribs directory.

setCurrentDirectory

public static void setCurrentDirectory(java.lang.String aString)

Sets the current Ribs directory.

isLoadingRibsDocument

public static boolean isLoadingRibsDocument()

Returns whether Ribs is currently loading a document.

setLoadingRibsDocument

public static void setLoadingRibsDocument(boolean aValue)

Sets whether Ribs is currently loading a document.

getBytes

public static byte[] getBytes(java.lang.String aName,
                              java.lang.Object anOwner)

Returns a byte array for the given name and owner (tries to load from owner class resource dir or current dir).

getInputStream

public static java.io.InputStream getInputStream(java.lang.String aName,
                                                 java.lang.Object anOwner)

Returns an input stream for the given name - tries to load from given owner class resource dir or current dir.

getImage

public static java.awt.Image getImage(java.lang.String aName)

Returns the named image - tries to load from last owner class resource directory or current directory.

getImage

public static java.awt.Image getImage(java.lang.String aName,
                                      java.lang.Object anOwner)

Returns the named image - tries to load from given owner class resource directory or current directory.

getImageIcon

public static javax.swing.ImageIcon getImageIcon(java.lang.String aName)

Returns the named imageIcon - tries to load from last owner class resource directory or current directory.

getImageIcon

public static javax.swing.ImageIcon getImageIcon(java.lang.String aName,
                                                 java.lang.Object anOwner)

Returns the named imageIcon - tries to load from given owner class resource directory or current directory.

reset

public static void reset(java.lang.Object aTarget)

This method registers the given object to be called "reset" at the end of the current event (using invokeLater). This method coalesces multiple calls with the same target, so that they result in a single call to its reset method. This method uses resetImmediately() to actually send the reset message to currently registered targets.

resetImmediately

public static void resetImmediately(java.lang.Object aTarget)

This method simply invokes the resetUI() method of aTarget (immediately). It also disables Ribs.sendAction() so that the resetting of the UI controls won't result in any sent actions.

sendAction

public static void sendAction(javax.swing.JComponent aComponent,
                              RJAction anAction)

Conevenience to tell a component (via its helper) to fire its action.

sendAction

public static void sendAction(java.lang.Object anOwner,
                              java.lang.String aCallback,
                              javax.swing.JComponent aComponent,
                              RJAction anAction)

This method sends a callback to the owner of a component, on behalf of that component. It conveniently disables sendAction() while doing its thing, so that any changes to other components, due to the current component's change won't result in them sending their actions (and a nasty cascade effect). This is mostly an internal method called by RJHelper.

isSendActionDisabled

public static boolean isSendActionDisabled()

Returns whether Ribs' send action facility is disabled (so controls can be updated without triggering response).

setSendActionDisabled

public static boolean setSendActionDisabled(boolean aFlag)

Sets whether Ribs' send action facility is disabled (so controls can be updated without triggering response).

getAction

public static RJAction getAction()

Returns the last RJAction associated with the last control change (and resulting sendAction() call).

getValueIsAdjusting

public static boolean getValueIsAdjusting()

This method returns whether the last action sent by the last control was in the midst of a series of changes, like inside a mouse loop (or the dragging of the knob on a slider).

isAltDown

public static boolean isAltDown()

Returns whether the alt key is down for the current input event.

isMetaDown

public static boolean isMetaDown()

Returns whether the meta key is down for the current input event.

isMouseDown

public static boolean isMouseDown()

Returns whehter mouse is down in mouse drag loop.

getLastEvent

public static java.awt.AWTEvent getLastEvent()

Returns the last event Ribs has seens.

addEventListener

public static void addEventListener(Ribs.EventListener aListener)

Adds an Ribs.EventListener to the RibsEventQueue.