Steps to install Skins into Squeak V2.8a

updated Feb 3, 2000.

I've created one ZIP file that you should download. Skins-Kit.ZIP
The file is a ZIP file that has been renamed to a ".bin" extension. You may have to rename the file to ".zip" before uncompressing. Unzip that file using the directory structure it specifies. Open up the file "how to skin squeak.txt" in your new folder. Follow those instructions exactly and you should have skins up and running.

This is a pretty active project. I'm refactoring like crazy. I have aspirations on getting something working on the MVC side as well.

Write to me (Steve Wessels) if you want to help finish this work. The next set of work will be to do something with scroll bars (probably borrow form the "furs" code posted on the SWIKI, and then also write some kind of instructions for people to extend the framework with their own skins.

Since I'm currently making changes to this almost daily, I'll post a copy of the release notes here whenever an update is made. You can read these to decide if you want the updated version for yourself.

Revision Description

08-Feb-2000 Remove conflicts with recent v2.8a updates. Added a bordered skin (Blue Curves) that demonstrates wrapping around the entire window. Next activity will be to factor out more code and take advantage of the extensions required by Blue Curves for the other skins. I would also like to cache only the forms for skins that are in use AND be able to read in some of the skin files for input that are on web sites around the Net.

05-Feb-2000 Dropped direct references to ImageImports global and now using message to access same. Can redirect in future easily now.

03-Feb-2000 Modified appearance menu to be dynamic and derived from actual installed skins. This change will make individual edits to appearance menu unnecessary as skins get added.
Dropped WorkspaceTest code.
Fixed collision with appearance menu code if Backdrops was not installed.
Changed dynamic iconic buttons to show switched forms only if unlocked.
Changed release notes window to be a Workspace.
Factored out more conflicts with backdrops and browser enhancements code.
Added optional buttons and annotation panes to change sorter(s).

02-Feb-2000 Extended Windows style skin to show state when inactive. Extended Aqua to show title bar state when inactive. Still needs work with buttons to highlight properly when in background.
Note that this change has added 2 new forms to Aqua.
You need to copy the newest Aqua forms if you have previously installed.

01-Feb-2000 Finished work on Swing Steel skin. The Swing skin also implements proper behavior to show that the window is not active. Fixed the inadvertant delete of an item from the appearence menu.

31-Jan-2000 Designed the forms loader stuff. Added methods to test if everything was loaded. This test can be used to dynamically enable a skin selection menu. Added Swing Steel skin to demonstrate how to add a skin having dynamic title bar buttons and provide some interesting title bar texture support.
30-Jan-2000 Changed the dynamic icons and how they were used to follow the conventional morphic event handler scheme of #on:send:to:. This change allowed the easy behavior enhancement in Aqua to cause all 3 of the control buttons on the left side of the window to highlight at once (as defined by the model or skin).

Revision	Description
08-Feb-2000	Remove conflicts with recent v2.8a updates. Added a bordered skin (Blue Curves) that demonstrates wrapping around the entire window. Next activity will be to factor out more code and take advantage of the extensions required by Blue Curves for the other skins. I would also like to cache only the forms for skins that are in use AND be able to read in some of the skin files for input that are on web sites around the Net.
05-Feb-2000	Dropped direct references to ImageImports global and now using message to access same. Can redirect in future easily now.
03-Feb-2000	Modified appearance menu to be dynamic and derived from actual installed skins. This change will make individual edits to appearance menu unnecessary as skins get added. Dropped WorkspaceTest code. Fixed collision with appearance menu code if Backdrops was not installed. Changed dynamic iconic buttons to show switched forms only if unlocked. Changed release notes window to be a Workspace. Factored out more conflicts with backdrops and browser enhancements code. Added optional buttons and annotation panes to change sorter(s).
02-Feb-2000	Extended Windows style skin to show state when inactive. Extended Aqua to show title bar state when inactive. Still needs work with buttons to highlight properly when in background. Note that this change has added 2 new forms to Aqua. You need to copy the newest Aqua forms if you have previously installed.
01-Feb-2000	Finished work on Swing Steel skin. The Swing skin also implements proper behavior to show that the window is not active. Fixed the inadvertant delete of an item from the appearence menu.
31-Jan-2000	Designed the forms loader stuff. Added methods to test if everything was loaded. This test can be used to dynamically enable a skin selection menu. Added Swing Steel skin to demonstrate how to add a skin having dynamic title bar buttons and provide some interesting title bar texture support.
30-Jan-2000	Changed the dynamic icons and how they were used to follow the conventional morphic event handler scheme of #on:send:to:. This change allowed the easy behavior enhancement in Aqua to cause all 3 of the control buttons on the left side of the window to highlight at once (as defined by the model or skin).