wxruby users - Jul 2004 - Problems using network code and trying to add a GUI

Hi folks, I''m new to wxRuby, but I''ve heard so many great
things about
wx that I wanted to try it for a program I''m trying to write.

What I want is this:

I have an application (server) that will accept connections from
clients through TCP, which then play a game through it.  As things
change in the game (players coming and going, games being won and
lost), I want things to update in the GUI.  I am trying to do this in
such a way that I can use a text mode or curses mode if I want.
Basically I have a bunch of hooks that get called in the server to a
generic "output object" and I want my GUI to be one of those objects.

Here''s the problem:

Every time I try something like this, be it curses or graphically
based, I have problems with things updating.  Nothing wants to update
on my GUI unless I''m moving my mouse around over it, (or in curses
unless I''m hitting keys).

What does this mean?  Am I not getting some fundamental concept of GUI
programming?  What approach should I take?  Why is GUI programming so
hard for me in any language other than Java/Swing?

Thanks,

Kurt

Does your main loop yield at all to the GUI object, or does it block on 
waiting for TCP messages? I''m pretty sure wxWidgets runs within the
same
thread as your main loop, which would mean if you''re blocked on I/O
that
you''re not updating the GUI.

My 2 cents.

Nick

Kurt Dresner wrote:
>Hi folks, I''m new to wxRuby, but I''ve heard so many great
things about
>wx that I wanted to try it for a program I''m trying to write.
>
>What I want is this:
>
>I have an application (server) that will accept connections from
>clients through TCP, which then play a game through it.  As things
>change in the game (players coming and going, games being won and
>lost), I want things to update in the GUI.  I am trying to do this in
>such a way that I can use a text mode or curses mode if I want.
>Basically I have a bunch of hooks that get called in the server to a
>generic "output object" and I want my GUI to be one of those
objects.
>
>Here''s the problem:
>
>Every time I try something like this, be it curses or graphically
>based, I have problems with things updating.  Nothing wants to update
>on my GUI unless I''m moving my mouse around over it, (or in curses
>unless I''m hitting keys).
>
>What does this mean?  Am I not getting some fundamental concept of GUI
>programming?  What approach should I take?  Why is GUI programming so
>hard for me in any language other than Java/Swing?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Kurt
>_______________________________________________
>wxruby-users mailing list
>wxruby-users@rubyforge.org
>http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/wxruby-users
>
>
>
>  
>

I spawn a separate thread for dealing with all the communication
stuff.  It''s the GUI that seems to freeze up unless I''m moving
the
mouse around over it.

-Kurt

On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 08:18:14 -0500, Nick <devel@nicreations.com>
wrote:
> 
> Does your main loop yield at all to the GUI object, or does it block on
> waiting for TCP messages? I''m pretty sure wxWidgets runs within
the same
> thread as your main loop, which would mean if you''re blocked on
I/O that
> you''re not updating the GUI.
> 
> My 2 cents.
> 
> Nick
> 
> 
> 
> Kurt Dresner wrote:
> 
> >Hi folks, I''m new to wxRuby, but I''ve heard so many
great things about
> >wx that I wanted to try it for a program I''m trying to write.
> >
> >What I want is this:
> >
> >I have an application (server) that will accept connections from
> >clients through TCP, which then play a game through it.  As things
> >change in the game (players coming and going, games being won and
> >lost), I want things to update in the GUI.  I am trying to do this in
> >such a way that I can use a text mode or curses mode if I want.
> >Basically I have a bunch of hooks that get called in the server to a
> >generic "output object" and I want my GUI to be one of those
objects.
> >
> >Here''s the problem:
> >
> >Every time I try something like this, be it curses or graphically
> >based, I have problems with things updating.  Nothing wants to update
> >on my GUI unless I''m moving my mouse around over it, (or in
curses
> >unless I''m hitting keys).
> >
> >What does this mean?  Am I not getting some fundamental concept of GUI
> >programming?  What approach should I take?  Why is GUI programming so
> >hard for me in any language other than Java/Swing?
> >
> >Thanks,
> >
> >Kurt
> >_______________________________________________
> >wxruby-users mailing list
> >wxruby-users@rubyforge.org
> >http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/wxruby-users
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> 
> _______________________________________________
> wxruby-users mailing list
> wxruby-users@rubyforge.org
> http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/wxruby-users
>

It''s been my observation Ruby threads are implemented at the
interpreter
level (not at they system level), so if one thread blocks on a system 
call the others won''t run. It may not be what you''re seeing
though.

Nick

Kurt Dresner wrote:
>I spawn a separate thread for dealing with all the communication
>stuff.  It''s the GUI that seems to freeze up unless I''m
moving the
>mouse around over it.
>
>-Kurt
>
>On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 08:18:14 -0500, Nick <devel@nicreations.com>
wrote:
>  
>
>>Does your main loop yield at all to the GUI object, or does it block on
>>waiting for TCP messages? I''m pretty sure wxWidgets runs within
the same
>>thread as your main loop, which would mean if you''re blocked on
I/O that
>>you''re not updating the GUI.
>>
>>My 2 cents.
>>
>>Nick
>>
>>
>>
>>Kurt Dresner wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Hi folks, I''m new to wxRuby, but I''ve heard so
many great things about
>>>wx that I wanted to try it for a program I''m trying to
write.
>>>
>>>What I want is this:
>>>
>>>I have an application (server) that will accept connections from
>>>clients through TCP, which then play a game through it.  As things
>>>change in the game (players coming and going, games being won and
>>>lost), I want things to update in the GUI.  I am trying to do this
in
>>>such a way that I can use a text mode or curses mode if I want.
>>>Basically I have a bunch of hooks that get called in the server to a
>>>generic "output object" and I want my GUI to be one of
those objects.
>>>
>>>Here''s the problem:
>>>
>>>Every time I try something like this, be it curses or graphically
>>>based, I have problems with things updating.  Nothing wants to
update
>>>on my GUI unless I''m moving my mouse around over it, (or in
curses
>>>unless I''m hitting keys).
>>>
>>>What does this mean?  Am I not getting some fundamental concept of
GUI
>>>programming?  What approach should I take?  Why is GUI programming
so
>>>hard for me in any language other than Java/Swing?
>>>
>>>Thanks,
>>>
>>>Kurt
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>wxruby-users mailing list
>>>wxruby-users@rubyforge.org
>>>http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/wxruby-users
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>wxruby-users mailing list
>>wxruby-users@rubyforge.org
>>http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/wxruby-users
>>
>>    
>>
>_______________________________________________
>wxruby-users mailing list
>wxruby-users@rubyforge.org
>http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/wxruby-users
>
>
>
>  
>