Re: Patching the menu manager

[David.Empson@bbs.actrix.gen.nz]

In article <Bzozy1.Ixu@CAM.ORG> vandry@CAM.ORG (Phillip Vandry) writes:
> 
> But, elaborating on your suggestion, I would need to know a few things first.
> I read up on how the event manager treats custom pointing devices, and it is
> indeed very well done.
> 
> But I also noticed that, when using a custom pointing device, you never
> actually tell the event manager "Okay, I'm using my custom routine now" and
> "Okay, I'm disabling my deivce. Put the mouse back in".
> 
> There must be a way so that the event manager knows when to abandon the mouse
> in favor of the alternate device.... Unless they are both active at the same
> time, which would be very chaotic.

Nope, they both work at the same time.  I've written an event manager
custom pointing device driver for an EdMark TouchWindow, and I can
either touch the touchwindow to move the cursor to a particular point,
or use the mouse as normal.

As far as I can tell, the event manager is completely unaware of your
custom driver until you call FakeMouse.  There is no mechanism to
attach or remove your driver (you can just stop calling FakeMouse),
and the so-called header seems to serve no purpose.

> And do the mouse routines in the Misc Tool set automatically use whatever
> custom pointing device the event manager is using? If not I'm not sure this
> would work for custom menus.

Hm, not sure about the misc toolset calls.

> Finally, assuming I get this thing working, what do you think would
> be the best way to handle conflicts (eg OA-S for Save and OA-S to
> open "Special" menu). Use the option key instead? Control?

Don't fiddle with the Open-apple key.  The option key isn't a good
idea either - it is normally used for special characters.  Nor can you
use both of them at once.  Some programs (notably HyperCard IIgs) use
Apple-Option combinations for several operations.

I really can't see any unique key combination that won't interfere with
something.
-- 
David Empson

Internet: David.Empson@bbs.actrix.gen.nz    EMPSON_D@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand