[FR-devel] README for FreeRIDE 0.0.4 is Checked In

[Curt Hibbs]

I thought I would send the contents of the README so you can see it before
you get things out of CVS.

BTW, the commands that are implemented in this release are:

* File>Open
* File>Exit
* Edit>Cut
* Edit>Copy
* Edit>Paste
* Help>About

the commands:

* File>Save
* File>Close

appear on the file menu but are not implemented.

Curt

===================================================

Release Notes -- FreeRide 0.0.4

This is the first internal developer release of FreeRIDE. While it is not
yet
usable, it does demonstrate a working editing pane and provides the general
architecture of FreeRIDE's GUI framework.

This release was developed and tested under Windows using Ruby 1.7.2 (mswin
build)and FXRuby 1.0.10.

== Components ==

This release includes basic implementations of the following components:

* Commands  -- objects that can be executed to perform actions.
* MenuPanes -- displays a list of commands from which on can be chosen
               for execution.
* MenuBars  -- displays titles that "drop down" a MenuPane when clicked.
* EditPanes -- a basic code editing windows (uses FXScintilla).
* AppFrames -- the main FreeRUDE window.

== Subsystems ==

This release contains three new FreeRIDE subsystems (a subsystem is a set
of related plugins that reside in a common directory tree):

* System_Commands     -- currently, this contains the implementation of
                         all commands.
* System_GuiCore      -- implements the core GUI components.
* System_GuiRenderFox -- renders GUI components using FXRuby.

== HACKS ==

There are a few temporary hacks in the code that will, eventually, be
removed
and are clearly marked in the code. For example, the code that instantiates
and
renders and EditPane is one such hack -- only one EditPane may be currently
be
created.

== Services ==

The GUI Framework expects to find a number of common services to be
available
through the databus. For example the MessageBox service is used to display
a dialog box with the specified message-text and a single OK button.

FreeRIDE currently uses services published at the following databus
locations:

* /system/ui/services/FileOpenDialog
* /system/ui/services/MessageBox
* /system/ui/services/Shutdown

The Fox rendering subsystem contains a file, FoxServices.rb, that implements
these services using Fox.

== Where to Start ==

The file /freeride/plugins/System_GuiCore/GuiSetup.rb contains the startup
code for the FreeRIDE GUI.

GuiSetup.rb also defines the class that manages component pools. FreeRIDE
currently creates and uses the following component pools:

* /system/ui/components/AppFrame
* /system/ui/components/EditPane
* /system/ui/components/MenuPane

Each component pool has the following path structure:

  /system/ui/components/<pool-name>/pool

each child of the above path represents a single component, and the path:

  /system/ui/components/<pool-name>/renderer

contais a single instance of a class that will be used to render that
component.

* /system/ui/commands/AppCommands
* /system/ui/commands/EditCommands

[TODO: write more -- curt]