Re: GUI in one package or several child packages?

[Jacob Sparre Andersen <sparre@nbi.dk>]

Preben Randhol wrote:

> If one use glade to make GtkAda GUI one get all the gui in one
> package for the whole program. If we now don't include dialogs
> etc... but only look at a case with a main window and a lot of
> different features:
> 
>    What are the arguments to keep the whole GUI in one package.
>    What are the arguments to split it up into child packages belong
>    to the different featuers.

I have made it a habit to use GLADE for prototyping.  Once I have a
part of the GUI looking about right, I try to organise it in sensible
packages.  Things which seem to be reusable are named as child
packages of GtkAda, while more specific parts are kept in packages
related to the project.

I find it hard to see any arguments for keeping the whole GUI in one
package.  As far as I can see, there is nothing that makes the GUI
part of a program sufficiently different from other parts of a
program, to make it sensible to ignore the general rule of separating
code out in units with well-defined (and minimal) interactions with
the remainder of the program.

Jacob
-- 
CHRES(1)                                            CHRES(1)

NAME
       chres - change response strategy

SYNOPSIS
       chres MODE

OPTIONS

       -b, --bitter
              only answers to exactly what was asked

       -f, --friendly
              tells people what they need to know

       -p, --politician
              tells people what they should know