Ensemble Graphics Toolkit: Static Grid

Introduction

In this training, you will construct a StaticGrid class to set the size and position of child widgets on the window of the WVGA Display. You will learn how to add a new button widget to a cell of the StaticGrid.

Steps:


Prerequisites

You have prepared the Host PC with all the development software tools and Ensemble Graphics Toolkit source code as explained in:

You have installed and prepared the Eclipse IDE for C/C++ Developers as explained in:


Create a New Source File

In this section you will be creating a new grid.cpp source file that you will build in later sections demonstrating the StaticGrid class.

In this training topic you will use EgtProject and its settings you entered in the training topic: Ensemble Graphics Toolkit -- First Application using Eclipse IDE

1

Start the Eclipse IDE

Eclipse will ask you to select a directory for your workspace. Accept the default directory and click on the Launch button.

eclipse_ide_launcher.png

Eclipse will launch the previous workspace you configured.

eclipse_previous_workspace.png

2

You will be adding a new source file with the name: grid.cpp. If you have a *.cpp source file from a previous Ensemble Graphics Toolkit training topic, perform the following steps:

a

Right-click in the *.cpp window and select Resource Configurations > Exclude from Build…

The Exclude from build window will open:

eclipse_exclude_from_build.png

b

Select Debug and Release and click on the OK button.

The selected *.cpp will be excluded from the build.

3

Right-click on EgtProject and select Clean Project.

4

Right-click on EgtProject and select New > Source File.

The New Source File window will open:

grid_new_source_file.png

5

Enter grid.cpp into the Source file: text box. Click on the Finish button.

A new source file tab grid.cpp is created within the EgtProject.

6

Enter the following source code to the grid.cpp window pane:

7

Save your program by selecting File > Save. You may also save by typing CTRL+S.

You have completed adding a new source file to EgtProject.


Construct a Static Grid

1

To build the project, hover over EgtProject, right-click and select Build Project from the menu. Or you can click on the Build icon.

The Console window (bottom pane) will display the build progress.

2

To set run properties, hover over EgtProject, right-click and select Run As > Run Configurations… from the menu.

3

In the left-hand pane, select EgtProject Debug (under C/C++ Remote Application).

grid_debug_configuration.png

4

In the Run Configurations window, enter the following in the Remote Absolute File Path for C/C++ Application: text box:

/root/grid

You may see the previous program /root/???? here. Replace with /root/grid.

This is the location the grid.cpp executable will be loaded and run on the target.

5

Click on the Apply button.

6

Click on the Run button.

7

Observe the WVGA Display on the target:

The grid.cpp executable is running remotely on the target.

Observe a static grid with 7 buttons arranged with 3 rows and 3 columns. The buttons will expand to the width and height of its cell.

grid_01.png

StaticGrid class

From ~/egt/docs/html/annotated.html, click on the StaticGrid class. All the functions, attributes and constructor associated with the class are documented here.

8

To stop the program, press the Stop button (upper left hand, just below the menu bar).

Before you start another session, be sure to stop the current session.


Add a New Button

In this section, you will modify the grid.cpp source code to add a new button to a specific cell in the grid.

1

Modify the grid.cpp source code by adding the following lines of code as shown below:

2

Save your program by selecting File > Save. You may also save by pressing CTRL + S.

3

To build the project, hover over EgtProject, right-click and select Build Project from the menu. Or you can click on the Build icon.

The Console window (bottom pane) will display the build progress.

4

Click on the Run button.

5

Observe the WVGA Display on the target:

The grid.cpp executable is running remotely on the target.

Observe a new button widget added to the cell (0, 3) in a static grid with eight buttons arranged with four rows and three columns. The buttons will expand to the width and height of its cell.

grid_02.png

6

To stop the program, press the Stop button (upper left hand, just below the menu bar).

Before you start another session, be sure to stop the current session.


Summary

In this training, you explored the construction of the StaticGrid class to size and position of child widgets on the window of the WVGA Display. You also learned how to add a new Button widget to a cell.


What’s Next?

There’s plenty more to learn. Here are some additional Ensemble Graphics Toolkit training resources to help you gain more knowledge and skills:

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