gtk2/docs/reference/gtk/tmpl/gtkdialog.sgml

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GtkDialog

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create popup windows.

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<para>
Dialog boxes are a convenient way to prompt the user for a small amount of
input, eg. to display
a message, ask a question, or anything else that does not require extensive
effort on the user's part.
</para>
<para>
Gtk+ treats a dialog as a window split horizontally. The top section is a
#GtkVBox, and is where widgets such as a #GtkLabel or a #GtkEntry should be
packed. The second area is known as the <structfield>action_area</structfield>. This is generally used
for packing buttons into the dialog which may perform functions such as cancel, ok, or apply. The two
areas are separated by a #GtkHSeparator.
</para>
<para>
#GtkDialog boxes are created with a call to gtk_dialog_new().
</para>
<para>
If 'dialog' is a newly created dialog, the two primary areas of the window 
can be accessed as GTK_DIALOG(dialog)->vbox and GTK_DIALOG(dialog)->action_area,
as can be seen from the example, below.
</para>
<para>
A 'modal' dialog (that is, one which freezes the rest of the application
from user input), can be created by calling gtk_window_set_modal() on the dialog. Use the
GTK_WINDOW() macro to cast the widget returned from gtk_dialog_new() into a
#GtkWindow.
</para>
<para>
<example>
<title>Using a #GtkDialog to keep the user informed.</title>
<programlisting>

/* Function to open a dialog box displaying the message provided. */

void quick_message(#gchar *message) {

   #GtkWidget *dialog, *label, *okay_button;
   
   /* Create the widgets */
   
   dialog = gtk_dialog_new();
   label = gtk_label_new (message);
   okay_button = gtk_button_new_with_label("Okay");
   
   /* Ensure that the dialog box is destroyed when the user clicks ok. */
   
   gtk_signal_connect_object (GTK_OBJECT (okay_button), "clicked",
                              GTK_SIGNAL_FUNC (gtk_widget_destroy), dialog);
   gtk_container_add (GTK_CONTAINER (GTK_DIALOG(dialog)->action_area),
                      okay_button);

   /* Add the label, and show everything we've added to the dialog. */

   gtk_container_add (GTK_CONTAINER (GTK_DIALOG(dialog)->vbox),
                      label);
   gtk_widget_show_all (dialog);
}

</programlisting>
</example>
</para>

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<para>
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term>#GtkVBox</term>
<listitem><para>Pack widgets vertically.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>#GtkWindow</term>
<listitem><para>Alter the properties of your dialog box.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>#GtkButton</term>
<listitem><para>Add them to the <structfield>action_area</structfield> to get a
response from the user.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</para>

<!-- ##### STRUCT GtkDialog ##### -->
<para>
<structfield>window</structfield> is a #GtkWindow, but should not be
modified directly, (use the functions provided, such as
gtk_window_set_title(). See the #GtkWindow section for more).
</para>
<para>
<structfield>vbox</structfield> is a #GtkVBox - the main part of the dialog box.
</para>
<para>
<structfield>action_area</structfield> is a #GtkHBox packed below the dividing #GtkHSeparator in the dialog. It is treated exactly the same as any other #GtkHBox.
</para>


<!-- ##### STRUCT GtkDialogButton ##### -->
<para>
Deprecated.
</para>


<!-- ##### FUNCTION gtk_dialog_new ##### -->
<para>
Creates a new dialog box. Widgets should not be packed into this #GtkWindow
directly, but into the vbox and action_area, as described above. 
</para>

@Returns: a #GtkWidget - the newly created dialog box.