C H A P T E R 4
NewtApp Applications
4-4
About the NewtApp Framework
Note
This drawing does not depict the protos as they would appear in a
Newton Toolkit layout window.
Newton Toolkit layout window.
The basic NewtApp protos are defined here in very general terms. Note that unlike
Figure 4-1, this list includes the proto for storing data, which does not have a visual
representation in a layout file.
Figure 4-1, this list includes the proto for storing data, which does not have a visual
representation in a layout file.
The
newtApplication
proto is the application's base view. As in
nonframework applications, the base view proto either contains or has
references to all the other application parts.
references to all the other application parts.
The
newtSoup
proto is used to create and manage the data storage soup for
your application; it is not displayed.
The
newtLayout
protos govern the overall look of your data.
The
newtEntryView
protos is the view associated with current soup entry and
is contained in the default layout view. A
newtEntryView
proto does not
display on the screen, but instead manages operations on a soup.
The slot views are a category of protos used to edit and/or display data from the
slots in your application's soup entry frames.
slots in your application's soup entry frames.
About newtApplication
4
The
newtApplication
proto serves as the base view for your application; it
contains all other application protos. The
allSoups
slot of this proto is where you
set up the application soup (based on the
newtSoup
proto).
The functionality defined in this proto layer manages application-wide functions,
events, and globals. For example, the functionality for opening and registering
soups, dispatching events, and maintaining state information and application
globals is implemented in this proto layer.
events, and globals. For example, the functionality for opening and registering
soups, dispatching events, and maintaining state information and application
globals is implemented in this proto layer.
Also managed by this proto layer are the application-wide user interface elements.
Application-wide Controls
4
Several control protos affect the entire application. Because of this, the protos are
generally placed in the
generally placed in the
newtApplication
base view layer. The buttons include
the standard Information and Action buttons, as well as the New and Show
stationery buttons. Stationery buttons, which you can use to tie viewDefs and
dataDefs into your application, are defined in Chapter 5, "Stationery." The
NewtApp controls that should be in the
stationery buttons. Stationery buttons, which you can use to tie viewDefs and
dataDefs into your application, are defined in Chapter 5, "Stationery." The
NewtApp controls that should be in the
newtApplication
base view include the
standard status bar, the folder tab, and the A-Z alphabet tabs.