[clue-tech] xfig: WAS Repository Software/Document synchronization

[Matt Gushee]

Collins Richey wrote:

> Like most older non-GTK/QT products, xfig has the older X deficiency
> of needing to keep the mouse button depressed (i.e. drag in modern
> terms) to keep a menu open to reach the desired selection.

Eye o' the 'holder on that one, my man. Some of us would say that having 
to click once to open the menu and then again to select something is 
seriously broken ...

> The one thing I haven't groked yet, is how to turn off object
> placement. Once you have selected an object (I opened the flowcharting
> gallery), xfig wants to keep creating identical new objects every time
> you click the mouse. Clicking mouse button two seems to stop this, but
> I don't know much more.

Look in the upper right hand corner of the GUI. At all times there 
should be a little diagram of the three mouse buttons, labeled to tell 
you what each button does at any given time.

BTW, this is a textbook example of modal behavior, which the HCI 
experts--probably rightly--tell us is evil. A really well-designed GUI 
wouldn't need mouse-button diagrams.

... just in case I was making you think XFig was a good example of how 
to do GUIs.

> Text seemed to be easy to insert, but when I printed the results are
> not what I see on the screen. Some of the two-line text items  are cut
> off with only a blip where the text would be expected; other objects
> with their multi-line text print just fine.

Hmm ... it's been a long time since I've really used XFig. Seems like I 
noticed similar problems, but IIRC it had to do with the specific 
placement of specific objects. If you sent me a sample I *might* be able 
to help.

--
Matt Gushee
Englewood, CO, USA