The presentation subsystem in “Longhorn” (code-named “Avalon”) provides powerful new APIs for input. This article gives an overview of these APIs: What services are provided to applications, the architecture of the input system, and how new input devices can be supported.
The “Avalon” Input System
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
What, no “event MouseButtonEventHandler MouseMiddleButtonDown;”?
Yay, no more
addMouseListener(new MouseAdapter() {
public static void buttonPressed(MouseEvent me) {
doSomething();
}
});
I really hate inner classes!
static MouseButtonState MiddleButton { get; }
what’s wrong with that?
except for test code, you’d have to be crazy to use action Listeners for all your actionlisteners.
Use Actions instead of the ActionListener pattern. It’s much better.
They talk about ‘commands’ at the end of the article. Sounds a lot like java’s Actions to me.
Seems to me a lot of code to manage for a simple user interface.
Things really get non-innovational when the naming gets into play.
http://avalon.apache.org/
Not exactly a new project. Hopefully, Mike Rowe isn’t contributing to the Apache Avalon project, or things just might get a little rough…
Seems to me a lot of code to manage for a simple user interface.
If you bother to read the article, you’ll see Avalon’s version of creating that interface is the shortest of the three methods shown.
How dare they abuse this honourable name?
I’m apalled. What’s next, Windows Shakespeare?
Why get locked into yet another MS way of doing things. I’ll use Qt by trolltech for my programming needs. Oh and you will have 2+ years to learn this API before you can actually use the stupid thing. I like to try as I learn. Reading code on how to do something that non of us can use is instersting but by no means that usefull.
You bash MS because they provide API’s for the OS so far in advance?
I bet if they didn’t provide these API’s you would be bashing them for that also.
I think I don’t want Linux to succeed becasue I don’t like many Linux users and I don’t want them to get their way.
I think the OS is way over rated anyway.
This is great. I work with .NET every day and really enjoy it.
But it’s not exactly a new idea. It’s almost exactly the same as the responder chain in Cocoa.
“You bash MS because they provide API’s for the OS so far in advance?
I bet if they didn’t provide these API’s you would be bashing them for that also.
I think I don’t want Linux to succeed becasue I don’t like many Linux users and I don’t want them to get their way.
I think the OS is way over rated anyway.”
Thats exactaly how I feel too. Hearing mindless Linux zealot bashing against Microsoft just makes me root for them even more. I hope that when Longhorn comes out, it puts out all the Linux hype going around right now. Linux isnt a bad OS, and it certainly has its place. If only many of the users grew up and realized that Microsoft is just another business (though to the jealousy of many, very successful working to make some money. I guess it is pretty far fetched… A business working to make as much money as they can. Imagine that!
i don’t know much about GUI programming, i only completed my first ever GUI in the last week but I found it useful to create one ActionListener class inside my program and just add it to all my components, then just use e.getSource() to know what button has been hit. It made things way simpler and neater
To the following two:
Todd (IP: —.buf.adelphia.net) – Posted on 2004-03-16 19:49:37
Anonymous (IP: —.29.3.30-rb.vcr.centurytel.net) – Posted on 2004-03-16 20:11:05
————————
Bob never said he uses Linux, he said he’d program using Qt, which I might add is a cross-platform toolkit…so don’t be bashing him until you get your facts straight!
Michael Lauzon, Founder
The Quill Society
http://www.quillsociety.org/
[email protected]
“You bash MS because they provide API’s for the OS so far in advance?
I bet if they didn’t provide these API’s you would be bashing them for that also.
I think I don’t want Linux to succeed becasue I don’t like many Linux users and I don’t want them to get their way.
I think the OS is way over rated anyway.”
Thats exactaly how I feel too. Hearing mindless Linux zealot bashing against Microsoft just makes me root for them even more. I hope that when Longhorn comes out, it puts out all the Linux hype going around right now. Linux isnt a bad OS, and it certainly has its place. If only many of the users grew up and realized that Microsoft is just another business (though to the jealousy of many, very successful working to make some money. I guess it is pretty far fetched… A business working to make as much money as they can. Imagine that!
Its even worse when a M$ child troll comes on the net spewing the same boring rehtoric over and over again!
Personaly people who bitch about linux users then complain about the latest “fill in stupid hole here,” deserve to get shit on!
One good thing is, if there is people to buy M$ after all they have done, there will always be the same people sho buy into the FUD no matter what it is. Thats marketing.
It’s good to see that MS is at least changing the GUI system in windows, and with a new shell Aero if I remember righ, then it should be a good step forword. Some people might knock it but i’d rather see a new rewrite of code then stick with the same subsystem since Windows 95.
This is something that Linux can benifit from, and what I mean is that it’s time to choalk Xfree86 and go with something newer, lighter and faster. anyone who’s used linux with Xfree86 4.x.x or even the older 3.3.6 knows that it’s gotten pretty bloated and messy. I think that even Explorer is faster and smoother then Xfree86 4.1.0.
It’s also good to get API’s out as soon as you can, some say that they can’t use these now, but I think that some of them can be used already in the developer builds MS released at their PDC back in Nov. I’ve come accross a few applications that are done up to look like a mix of webpages and client side programs. Like that Amazon.com program that was shown off a few months ago. and some other videos ahve hit the web also showing other things.
All in all I like the changes being done.
I do use Microsoft OS’s by the way(at work and to play games at home what else is it good for-jab jab kick). I also use Linux and FreeBSD. And I can nag about something on each one because they all have faults or areas that could be improved like everything in life.
I don’t see issues releaseing the API ahead of time for all the geeks to drule and pant over. I just am saying I wish there was something to actually put to use while learning the API.
My personal view as a developer is I don’t want to be locked into spending 6 months writing something for a MS OS, Linux OS, FreeBSD OS, MAC OS, etc and have it locked into a MS OS. Times are different and cross platform development is becomeing more important than ever.There are more tools that allow you to write cross platform applications today then ever. How do you know MS will have 90% market share in 5 to 10 years? You don’t, plus that is not really the point of cross platform development. The point is there will and are OS’s that real people use today that are not Windows. If your market is MS only great. Leaves more customers for me on the other OS’s.
If you think I’m a Linux Zealot just by that post you are so brain washed by MS you should splash some cold water in your face. By your definition of Zealot I could call you a MS Zealot by your reply.
line saying
and have it locked into a MS OS
should read
and have it locked into one OS
A very good point. Cross platform is the way to go!