GIMP UI Framework
This document describes how the GIMP UI framework functions and is implemented. Here, “UI framework” refers to the system that saves the UI layout between GIMP sessions, i.e. how docks, dockable dialogs etc are setup.
Key Classes
GimpDockable- Represents a dockable dialog.GimpDockbook- A GtkNotebook of GimpDockablesGimpDock- A columns of GimpDockbooksGimpToolbox- Subclasses GimpDock, contains the toolbox. Dockables are added at the bottomGimpMenuDock- Subclasses GimpDock, contains dockables, should probably be merged with GimpDock. The name contains “menu” from the time when it hosted the Image Selection Menu that is now in the GimpDockWindowGimpDockColumns- A set of GimpDocks arranged side by side.GimpDockWindow- A toplevel window containing a GimpDockColumns.GimpImageWindow- A toplevel window containing images and one GimpDockColumns to the left and to the right.GimpDialogFactory- A factory to create and position toplevel windowsGimpSessionInfo- Contains session info for one toplevelGimpUIConfigurer- Configures the UI when switching between single-window and multi-window mode
GimpDialogFactory
The GimpDialogFactory can be considered to solve two distinct problems:
- Create widgets from text, in particular from text in sessionrc
- Session manage toplevel windows so their position is remembered across GIMP sessions
One possible design adjustment would be to have GimpWidgetFactory that takes care of 1), and then have GimpDialogFactory inherit from GtkWidgetFactory and implementing 2). GimpWidgetFactory could possibly use GtkBuilder.
sessionrc
When GIMP starts, the sessionrc file is parsed. This step puts GimpSessionInfo:s into GimpDialogFactories. Later when dialogs are created, the dialog factory looks up existing session info entries. If one exists, it uses the session info to set e.g. the position of the created dialog. If it doesn’t exist, it creates a new session info object for the dialog. When GIMP exists, the current session infos are then written back to sessionrc.