[UI8] UI8Application

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[UI8] UI8Application

UI8Application is a base class for building applications with UI8.
An application instance provide access to the tools needed to change the state of a system during a medium/long period of time.

An application can open UI elements (see WI8) to let the user inspect and/or modify the system.
It is not required for an application to open views. It can modify the system without user interaction.

An application can open one or more "top" windows to present multiple tools to the user. In case of one or more windows, there is one called the mainWindow (see MainView), that it is expected to expose controls on the application itself (other windows are frequently secondary tools).

Applications are frequently implemented by subclassing.
An Application coordinates multiple objects during the lifetime of the instance.
We define lifetime (of application instance) here, as the time between messages #open and #close are sent to the instance.

By default one application has a mainView that is instantiated on demand during #open and is shown to the user during application lifetime.

An application control the access to tools and objects of the system, guiding the user through time, while the system evolves. The tools and UI elements are managed by view managers in discrete/controlled periods of time. The application control the access to the tools and is responsible for the creation of work contexts (to manage multiple objects of the system in realtime).

UI8Application Sample

[UI8] UI8Application Sample - Hello

Implements:

(class side) #open
#open #close #isOpen
#prompt:default:doing:
management of views embedded in the "mainView".
(private)management of resources
- (class side) #tool:doing:
- (class side) #newImage:
- (class side) #titleFor:

Triggered events

#aboutToOpen	Triggerd when just received the #open message
#opened	Triggered at end of the #open process. At this point in time, the receiver is open (mainView just opened) and ready for interaction with the user.
#initialized	Triggered just after contents of the receiver is set, and before opening the mainView.
#aboutToClose	Triggered when the receiver is preparing to be closed.
#closed	Triggered when the receiver has been closed (mainView has been closed).
#needsMainView	Must return an initialized mainView.

Hierarchy

UI8Application inherits from UI8Object (an EventManager) and is the superclass of: