Welcome to the HMG Forum!

[Roberto Lopez]

Hi All,

Welcome to the HMG Forum!

At first, a big thanks to Rathinagiri who had created this site for us.

Currently I have a little free time to be here, but I'll try to do my best
to, at least, read the forums daily and eventually do some posts.


What is HMG ?

Well.. for the new people approaching HMG I can say that this is a mix
between one of the best programming and data manipulation languages ever
created (xBase) and the VB/RapidQ GUI handling style.

All GUI object are public and can be created and managed with very simple
code.

The basic components of HMG are:

- Harbour Compiler (generates C code from xBase code).

- Harbour MiniGUI library (functions and preprocessor directives
to handle GUI).

- MingW Compiler.

- Harbour MiniGUI IDE (Optional tool for two-way visual design).


What are the main project goals ?


To keep the GUI handling as easy, elegant and clean as possible and the
library core as compact, stable and reliable as we can.

It implies, that the changes to the core will be subject to very strict test
prior tag a specific build as 'stable'.

Other of the main goals is to hide the complexities associated with the
operating system internals, allowing to the programmer, focus on his
application, instead OS technical things.


So, what is the place for experimentation and exciting new 'things' ?

The User components interface, of course.

I've created to let to any HMG user to add fully new GUI elements, or add
properties and events to existing ones.


Where is the HMG site ?

http://harbourminigui.googlepages.com


Where can I download HMG ?

http://harbourminigui.googlepages.com


Why Roberto doesn't answer my messages ?

I have a very little free time for HMG right now. Anyway I'm reading
and answering the Sorceforge's HMG bug tracker and Wish tracker,
almost daily, please use it.


Does HMG will be 'real' OOP some day in the future ?

Who knows


That's all ?

Yes, but will be more in the future!

Regards,

Roberto.

[Rathinagiri]

It gives me great pleasure to be here.

Yes! An exclusive forum for HMG lovers. :)

I sincerely thank Roberto Lopez, HMG Founder.

Let us share our views, contributions, ideas regarding HMG here.

[esgici]

Hi to all

For a very long time I am waiting this.

Many thanks Rathinagiri !

Bicahi Esgici

[andijahja]

Glad to see MiniGui now has this forum.
PF for the MiniGui Team.

--
Andi

[luisvasquezcl]

Hola Roberto,
no sabes el placer que es saludarte y volver a saber de ti.
Me sumo a los comentarios de rathinagiri y sin equivocarme el de todos los usuarios de HMG y originalmente Minigui, simplemente un gran trabajo.
Un abrazo desde Chile.
Luis Vasquez.

[Roberto Lopez]

A little more welcome statement....


What about user contributions?

I've noticed about comments like "Roberto does not accept code contributions
anymore".

This is true, but need some clarification.

In 2005 I've decided to change the way I work on minigui.

From that moment I do all modifications to the library personally, but I still receiving comments, suggestions ideas and wishes from the users.

The reason for this, is that I want to keep the control of the code included in the library, to assure that it remains compact, fast, stable, reliable and backwards compatible, keeping and eye on general project goals (enumerated in the previous message).

An example of this, is the recent Activex addition.

I've noticed that this feature was incorporated to the Freewin project.

I've analyzed the code, learned how it works ant then rewrote it
from the scratch to suit minigui library needs.

This way, I'm not incorporating a 'black box' to the library that
could be difficult or impossible to fix or modify. I'm incorporating
code that is simple and easy to maintain.

I can make mistakes and write buggy code (of course) but there is a big possibility that I'm be able to fix it, since I've wrote it.

So, You can send to me (to HMG wish tracker at SourceForge) sample code with your propossed addition. I'll take a look at it.


What about other MiniGUI based projects... ?
Why do not all MiniGUIs guys unite and work together ?


I'll could add another question:

Why the humanity does not unite and work together?

Well... I apreciate and respect a lot to Grigory, Jacek and Janusz from MiniGUI Extended and to Ciro and Vicente from OOHG. All of them are doing a great work, but simply we have different opinions about of what MiniGUI has to be. Thats all.

This is very good for users, since they have three alternatives to choice.

I feel very honored because two new projects emerged from my original work.


Why do not add to library a nice widget that do something... ? it could be good for my application that needs it.

I could write now a long explanation about the need that the features added to the core library must be generic, designed to fill the needs of most common programming situations and not to solve a specific user's problem.

Fortunately you could get the Simpsons episode 7F16

In this episode Homer designs a car to suit his own needs. Of course,
the car was a monstrosity very expensive and (of course) a complete failure.

Perhaps there is no need to watch the episode to get the idea, maybe that this image be enough:



If the idea is not clear enough yet, here is a little explanation:

Adding lot of things, designed to suit specific (very unusual situations) to the library core, will give us a fat, slow, buggy and difficult to learn GUI system. I'll avoid it as much as I can.


More to come...

Roberto.

[Roberto Lopez]

Hi to all

For a very long time I am waiting this.

Many thanks Rathinagiri !

Bicahi Esgici

I'm glad to have you here!!!

Regards,

ROberto.

[Roberto Lopez]

Hola Roberto,
no sabes el placer que es saludarte y volver a saber de ti.
Me sumo a los comentarios de rathinagiri y sin equivocarme el de todos los usuarios de HMG y originalmente Minigui, simplemente un gran trabajo.
Un abrazo desde Chile.
Luis Vasquez.

También es un placer el tenerte auí.

Muchas Gracias.

Saludos,

Roberto.

[esgici]

I'm glad to have you here!!!

Regards,

Roberto.

Thanks Roberto.

All we are here because of you !

Best Regards.
esgici

[Rathinagiri]

A very nice explanation.

Thank you Roberto.

This forum may be a right platform to contribute the code for specific needs so that, they can be included as a small module or function for those who require.

I had created two such modules grid2print and grid2pdf to easily print the data in any grid having any number of rows and columns. After having a thorough fixing I will contribute which may be useful for somebody here.