Browser Placement in BYOND Discussion

ID:134315
 
Nov 14 2006, 10:44 pm
A little feature that would be nice would be the ability to place a browser anywhere on somebodies screen, the value would probably be best as a integer between 0-100, and would be a percentage, with differ in monitor size and all, it would allow more flexibility with the browsers, having them pop up in the same place every time isn't very nice in my opinion, for systems that use more then one browser at a time it would be nice to have them appear next to each other instead of on top.
#1 Nov 14 2006, 10:56 pm
This functionality will probably be possible in BYOND 4.0.
#2 Nov 16 2006, 1:34 am
In response to Android Data (#1)
Can't you do this with a little help from javascript?
#3 Nov 16 2006, 10:13 am
In response to CaptFalcon33035 (#2)
CaptFalcon33035 wrote:
Can't you do this with a little help from javascript?

as far as i know, you cannot move BYOND's HTML popup windows with javascript.

this will move an IE window, but not a popup window in BYOND. well, it kinda moves the popup in BYOND just not how you'd like it to.

<input type="button" value="test" disabledclick="window.moveTo(100,100);">
#4 Nov 16 2006, 12:47 pm
Lifehunter wrote:
A little feature that would be nice would be the ability to place a browser anywhere on somebodies screen

Shadowdarke is currently developing a library for this, and even has a nifty proof-of-concept demo on his blog. Some functionality may turn out hard-coded into 4.0, but it seems that with Shadowdarke's library, the Staffies intend to use merely a soft-coded library that probably involves so many hacky browser controls that it will cause computers to well-up in tears of pain.

Hiead
#5 Nov 16 2006, 1:20 pm
In response to Hiead (#4)
Hiead wrote:
Some functionality may turn out hard-coded into 4.0

I hope so!

but it seems that with Shadowdarke's library, the Staffies intend to use merely a soft-coded library

No, this library has nothing to do with the 4.0 controls. Indeed, the reason I didn't work more on this lib back in March is because I expected 4.0 to make it obsolete within a month or two.

I'm not in on the complete capabilities of 4.0's interface customization. Only Tom has all the info. My work on BYOND has been with the transitional stuff like FMOD and OpenGL that is slowly working it's way into 3.5. I do know we'll be able to position componants wherever we want in the client, but I don't know how flexible it will be in the first release.

With all these unknowns, I figured I might as well finish this up and give people something they can work with for now. When 4.x makes it obsolete then all I have to say about it is, "YAY!" :)

that probably involves so many hacky browser controls that it will cause computers to well-up in tears of pain.

My apologies to all your weeping computers! >.<
#6 Nov 16 2006, 1:24 pm
In response to Shadowdarke (#5)
Shadowdarke wrote:
Indeed, the reason I didn't work more on this lib back in March is because I expected 4.0 to make it obsolete within a month or two.

Oops!

I'm not in on the complete capabilities of 4.0's interface customization. Only Tom has all the info.

4.0 has a bunch of different control types that you can embed in windows. You can then position, size, and popup these windows however you'd want. So to replicate the popup browser, you'd embed a "browse" control in a window and display that as needed.
#7 Nov 16 2006, 1:32 pm
In response to Tom (#6)
Tom wrote:
4.0 has a bunch of different control types that you can embed in windows. You can then position, size, and popup these windows however you'd want. So to replicate the popup browser, you'd embed a "browse" control in a window and display that as needed.

Screenshots, details (how is it coded), ...?
#8 Nov 16 2006, 1:40 pm
In response to Tom (#6)
Tom wrote:
4.0 has a bunch of different control types that you can embed in windows. You can then position, size, and popup these windows however you'd want. So to replicate the popup browser, you'd embed a "browse" control in a window and display that as needed.

Hm, would this be anything like the window datum that I recently requested? It sounds something like it, albeit much more functional (I was randomly throwing code in as a sort of shoot-and-miss demonstration; the src<<browse() line actually made me laugh when I just re-read it :]). Basically what I'm asking, I suppose, is if one would define certain classes of a /window as he or she would any other typical /mob, /obj, or other datum-descendant?

Hiead
#9 Nov 16 2006, 1:48 pm
In response to Hiead (#8)
It's done almost entirely on the front-end. You define your interface in a simple file-format, similar to .dms. You can define as many window, menu, and macro sets as you'd like and display them as needed. We have an editor to generate those files from DreamMaker.

On the backend, there are a couple of commands to modify the interface elements (that's the winset/winget), as well as display/hide them at runtime.

That's about it. It should be pretty powerful, though. The most difficult part is actually implementing the old-style interface in the new system...
#10 Nov 16 2006, 2:08 pm
In response to Tom (#9)
Tom wrote:
The most difficult part is actually implementing the old-style interface in the new system...

Then don't. Mark a brand new era, where all previous versions of BYOND are NOT supported. :)
#11 Nov 16 2006, 2:10 pm
In response to Android Data (#10)
Android Data wrote:
Then don't. Mark a brand new era, where all previous versions of BYOND are NOT supported. :)

Ok, but I'm going to direct any complaints we get to you.
#12 Nov 16 2006, 2:14 pm
In response to Tom (#11)
Tom wrote:
Ok, but I'm going to direct any complaints we get to you.

Deal! =P
But seriously. Couldn't you just add a "old_dreamseeker.exe" file that is used to run the old files? The pager utility would check the .dmb if it's new or old, and use the appropirate DS to execute it. Or perhaps have a list of "old releases" which can be downloaded so you can host zee old game.
#13 Nov 16 2006, 2:17 pm
In response to Android Data (#12)
Android Data wrote:
Tom wrote:
Ok, but I'm going to direct any complaints we get to you.

Deal! =P
But seriously. Couldn't you just add a "old_dreamseeker.exe" file that is used to run the old files? The pager utility would check the .dmb if it's new or old, and use the appropirate DS to execute it. Or perhaps have a list of "old releases" which can be downloaded so you can host zee old game.

Yeah, that's how I was initially doing it, but there are a variety of boring reasons why that's problematic. Anyway, no worries, we'll come up with something.
#14 Nov 16 2006, 2:28 pm
In response to Tom (#13)
Ok. To end this little chat, may I point you towards "Bug Reports"? I posted a bug; DreamSeeker crashes whenever I try to host something, regardless of what game it is.