clientFrame tag

Category: presentation tag

Creates a sub-console frame in the program console to host another program within your program.

Rather than containg content directly like a box tag, the clientFrame tag provides the ability for a separate console running a different program to be nested inside another program console.

Fields

Primary field

Category: scalar field

Contains a unique key that can be used to run a local program inside the client frame. The key is generated automatically by the system environment and can't be altered.

Secondary fields

title: the title of the inner program console.
icon: png file data of the inner program's icon.
connected: true if an inner client is connected to the clientFrame.
onTitle: Specifies code to be evaluated when the title of the client application changes.
onConnect: specifies code to be evaluated when a new client connects to the clientFrame.
onDisconnect: specifies code to be evaluated when a client disconnects from the clientFrame. (e.g. program termination)
onColor: specifies code to be evaluated when the connected client changes its console foreground color.
onBackgroundColor: specifies code to be evaluated when the connected client changes its console background color.

Behaviour

After the tag is complete, the primary field will automatically contain a unique key that should be passed back to therunning program, and used to create an environment for a child process to be spawned with the clientFrame tag to be used running program, and used to create an environment for a child process to be spawned with the clientFrame tag to be used as its controlling console. Each key can only be used once.

The full mechanics for spawning one program from another are language-dependent and beyond the scope of this guide. In general, the iol system command used to create the the subconsole should use the -k argument with the clientFrame's unique key, this allows the new console to be hosted inside the clientFrame.

The title, icon, color and backgroundColor fields cannot be set within the clientFrame tag itself, they are set within the sub-console process and can be read but not modified within the tag. Events such as onTitle, onIcon, onColor and onBackgroundColor are triggered when the sub-console's properties change, and then the fields can be accessed to get their new values if required.