Which Resource/Interface Editor should be used?

In article , neele
wrote:

 > Here are most common i heard n i tried Interface Builder and ResEdit
 > 1) ResEdit
 > 2) Resorcerer
 > 3) Interface Builder (Max OS X)
 >
 > Currently I am using CodeWarrior pro v9 on mac os 10.2
 > My User Interface has to be usable on OS 9 and OS X.

You didn't mention Constructor, which is what you'd use if you use the
PowerPlant framework.
 >> Stay informed about: Which Resource/Interface Editor should be used? 

ya i know of "constructor" by name mainly.
Know nothing much about it. And I am not using
powerplant. It seem I might not be using powerplant.

Actually i am having many "Question Marks" over mac, codewarrior, c/c++
I am working on photoshop plugin.

So I tried interface builder with project builder initially. But seem it
cannot compile those photoshop sample. Finally got hold of
CodeWarrior as IDE ( in mid of purchasing) follow by
using ResEdit.

I need to know which interface editor to help me create UI.
Especially with the coding..handling the event etc. ;o

I am new to mac, codewarrior and have basis of C only.
So would like some Clear "suggestion" which way should i
choose. It seem rather tough. ...to move on ...

Suggestions, any idea?? Thanks

--
Best Regards
Eleen
"James W. Walker" wrote in message



 >
  > > Here are most common i heard n i tried Interface Builder and ResEdit
  > > 1) ResEdit
  > > 2) Resorcerer
  > > 3) Interface Builder (Max OS X)
  > >
  > > Currently I am using CodeWarrior pro v9 on mac os 10.2
  > > My User Interface has to be usable on OS 9 and OS X.
 >
 > You didn't mention Constructor, which is what you'd use if you use the
 > PowerPlant framework.
 >> Stay informed about: Which Resource/Interface Editor should be used? 

In article ,
"neele" <eleen.TakeThisOut@kikuze.com> wrote:

 >So I tried interface builder with project builder initially. But seem it
 >cannot compile those photoshop sample. Finally got hold of
 >CodeWarrior as IDE ( in mid of purchasing) follow by
 >using ResEdit.


Meeroh has given you an excellent answer and his descriptions of the
various resource options are outstanding.

I just wanted to point out that with CodeWarrior all of your resource
options are available. You can use Interface Builder with CodeWarrior
as well as the other options.

Ron

--
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CodeTEST for analyzing running software
The two halves a whole.
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 >> Stay informed about: Which Resource/Interface Editor should be used? 

 >I would start with Interface Builder and compiled .r files until you find
 > something that neither it good for (which may take a while, or it may
never even
 > happen).

What do you mean by compiled .r file?
I thought IB produce *.nib file??...How to get .r??

thanks



--
Best Regards
Eleen
"Miro Jurisic" wrote in message



 > wrote:
 >
  > > I am having headache which resource editor I
  > > should be using. Is it a Preference thing or there
  > > is some significant advantage over one another?
 >
 > Yes. :-)
 >
  > > Here are most common i heard n i tried Interface Builder and ResEdit
  > > 1) ResEdit
 >
 > ResEdit is free, buggy, old, and doesn't support many resource types used
by
 > recent versions of Mac OS 9.
 >
  > > 2) Resorcerer
 >
 > Resorcerer is relatively expensive, not very actively maintained, but very
solid.
 >
  > > 3) Interface Builder (Max OS X)
 >
 > Interface Builder is free, but only does a subset of things you are going
to
 > need in a Mac OS 9 application. However, most of the things that IB
doesn't
 > support can be conveniently expressed as text and compiled using the
Resource
 > compile in either Project Builder or CodeWarrior.
 >
  > > Can anyone give some advices? As I have no idea which to pick.
 >
 > I would start with Interface Builder and compiled .r files until you find
 > something that neither it good for (which may take a while, or it may
never even
 > happen).
 >
 > hth
 >
 > meeroh
 >
 > --
 > If this message helped you, consider buying an item
 > from my wish list: <http://web.meeroh.org/wishlist>
 >
 >> Stay informed about: Which Resource/Interface Editor should be used? 

In article , "neele"
wrote:

  > >I would start with Interface Builder and compiled .r files until you find
  > > something that neither it good for (which may take a while, or it may never
  > > even happen).
 >
 > What do you mean by compiled .r file? I thought IB produce *.nib file??...How
 > to get .r??

IB produces .nib files, which describe menus, windows, and dialogs.

Resources are used for more than just UI elements on Mac OS 9. There are two
ways to generate resources: one is by editing a .rsrc file, which gets merged in
to your application. This is what ResEdit and Resorcerer do. The other way is to
describe the resources in a text file (commonly named something.r). That file
then gets compiled by the resource compiler (aka Rez), and the resulting
resources are merged into your application.

For some purposes, a visual editing tool is superior, and so you want to use
rsrc with ResEdit or resorcerer. For some purposes, a textual editing tool is
superior, so you want to use a text editor and the resource compiler.

To summarize:

Dialogs, windows, and menus can be in nibs and in resources
Some other things can only be in resources
Interface Builder edits nibs
ResEdit and Resorcerer edit resorcerer
CW and PB have a resource compiler which compiler text files into resources

Now, the observation that I was trying to make is that most of the things that
you'd want a visual resource editor for can be loaded from nibs as well as
resources. That means that there are really three interesting kinds of resources:

1. Resources that are more suitable for visual editing, and can be stored in nibs
2. Resources that are more suitable for visual editing, but can't be stored in
nibs
3. Resources that are more suitable for textual editing.

#1 is easily taken care of by Interface Builder. #3 is easily taken care of with
a resource compiler. #2 is where the problem lies, because you really want to
use a visual editor for those, but IB doesn't support them, ResEdit sucks, and
Resorcerer costs money. Fortunately for you, category #2 is very small, and
chances are good that you will never even run into it.

Therefore, my recommendation is that you start by using Interface Builder for
the visual elements, and .r files for other resources, and worry about ResEdit
vs. Resorcerer when (and if) you ever need to edit a graphical resource that IB
doesn't support.

Makes sense?

hth

meeroh

--
If this message helped you, consider buying an item
from my wish list: <http://web.meeroh.org/wishlist>
 >> Stay informed about: Which Resource/Interface Editor should be used? 

Hello..

Part 1
============
Thanks for your reply. actually i got a little confuse with
some..explanation you gave.
Maybe due to that I am not really familiar with Mac as yet.

so sorry. I don't really know the different...
 > Some other things can only be in resources, Interface Builder edits nibs
ResEdit and Resorcerer edit resorcerer

What do you mean by
 > you'd want a visual resource editor for can be loaded from nibs as well as
resources

Lastly..why do I need those UI to be stored in nib 1)?? 3) textual editing
as in?? editing using code or?
 > 1. Resources that are more suitable for visual editing, and can be stored
in nibs
 > 2. Resources that are more suitable for visual editing, but can't be
stored in
 > nibs
 > 3. Resources that are more suitable for textual editing.

Can u clear my doubts again. thanks..

Part 2
==========
I guess i forget to mention 1 impt thing too.
I am actually working on Photoshop Plug-in...
which some other reply to me that for photoshop plugin
I need or is better to use ResEdit/Resorcerer.

Any comments??

--
Best Regards
Eleen
"Miro Jurisic" wrote in message


 > wrote:
 >
   > > >I would start with Interface Builder and compiled .r files until you
find
   > > > something that neither it good for (which may take a while, or it may
never
   > > > even happen).
  > >
  > > What do you mean by compiled .r file? I thought IB produce *.nib
file??...How
  > > to get .r??
 >
 > IB produces .nib files, which describe menus, windows, and dialogs.
 >
 > Resources are used for more than just UI elements on Mac OS 9. There are
two
 > ways to generate resources: one is by editing a .rsrc file, which gets
merged in
 > to your application. This is what ResEdit and Resorcerer do. The other way
is to
 > describe the resources in a text file (commonly named something.r). That
file
 > then gets compiled by the resource compiler (aka Rez), and the resulting
 > resources are merged into your application.
 >
 > For some purposes, a visual editing tool is superior, and so you want to
use
 > rsrc with ResEdit or resorcerer. For some purposes, a textual editing tool
is
 > superior, so you want to use a text editor and the resource compiler.
 >
 > To summarize:
 >
 > Dialogs, windows, and menus can be in nibs and in resources
 > Some other things can only be in resources
 > Interface Builder edits nibs
 > ResEdit and Resorcerer edit resorcerer
 > CW and PB have a resource compiler which compiler text files into
resources
 >
 > Now, the observation that I was trying to make is that most of the things
that
 > you'd want a visual resource editor for can be loaded from nibs as well as
 > resources. That means that there are really three interesting kinds of
resources:
 >
 > 1. Resources that are more suitable for visual editing, and can be stored
in nibs
 > 2. Resources that are more suitable for visual editing, but can't be
stored in
 > nibs
 > 3. Resources that are more suitable for textual editing.
 >
 > #1 is easily taken care of by Interface Builder. #3 is easily taken care
of with
 > a resource compiler. #2 is where the problem lies, because you really want
to
 > use a visual editor for those, but IB doesn't support them, ResEdit sucks,
and
 > Resorcerer costs money. Fortunately for you, category #2 is very small,
and
 > chances are good that you will never even run into it.
 >
 > Therefore, my recommendation is that you start by using Interface Builder
for
 > the visual elements, and .r files for other resources, and worry about
ResEdit
 > vs. Resorcerer when (and if) you ever need to edit a graphical resource
that IB
 > doesn't support.
 >
 > Makes sense?
 >
 > hth
 >
 > meeroh
 >
 > --
 > If this message helped you, consider buying an item
 > from my wish list: <http://web.meeroh.org/wishlist>
 >
 >> Stay informed about: Which Resource/Interface Editor should be used? 

In article , "neele"
wrote:

 > Hello..
 >
 > Part 1
 > ============
 > Thanks for your reply. actually i got a little confuse with
 > some..explanation you gave.
 > Maybe due to that I am not really familiar with Mac as yet.
 >
 > so sorry. I don't really know the different...
  > > Some other things can only be in resources, Interface Builder edits nibs
 > ResEdit and Resorcerer edit resorcerer

"RedEdit and Resorcerer edit resources" is what I meant

 > What do you mean by
  > > you'd want a visual resource editor for can be loaded from nibs as well as
 > resources

Geez. It was late when I was writing this:

"Most of the things for which you'd want a visual resource editor can be loaded
from nibs as well as resources.


 > Lastly..why do I need those UI to be stored in nib 1)??

Using nibs lets you use Interface Builder, which saves you the trouble of
worrying about whether to use ResEdit or Resorcerer. Interface Builder is much
nicer than either ResEdit or Resorcerer.

 > 3) textual editing as in?? editing using code or?

Yes, using code. This is a trivial example of a string resource:

resource 'STR ' (256, "version", purgeable) {
"My App 2.1"
};

 > I guess i forget to mention 1 impt thing too.
 > I am actually working on Photoshop Plug-in...
 > which some other reply to me that for photoshop plugin
 > I need or is better to use ResEdit/Resorcerer.
 >
 > Any comments??

I am familiar with details of Photoshop plugin development, but I would be
surprised to find out that in developing a Photoshop plugin you'd need more than
InterfaceBuilder for the UI, and compiled .r files for everything else.

hth

meeroh

--
If this message helped you, consider buying an item
from my wish list: <http://web.meeroh.org/wishlist>
 >> Stay informed about: Which Resource/Interface Editor should be used? 

In article , neele
wrote:

 > Actually i am having many "Question Marks" over mac, codewarrior, c/c++
 > I am working on photoshop plugin.

Perhaps your firm should outsource the project to a company that has
experience doing Macintosh development. It'd probably go a lot faster
and result in a much better product.

There are companies with experience doing Macintosh development -- and
development of Photoshop plug-ins for the Mac -- all over the world.
(Real experience too, not just claimed experience.)

-- Chris

--
Chris Hanson
bDistributed.com, Inc.
Outsourcing Vendor Evaluation
Custom Mac OS X Development
Cocoa Developer Training
 >> Stay informed about: Which Resource/Interface Editor should be used?