The Gnome Gtk Version 4 libraries

Introduction

Just like its predessor Gnome::Gtk3, this repository is a language binding for Raku.

All the modules are depending on other Gnome packages like Gnome::Gio and Gnome::Glib which are named the same as before. All the packages are changed to use a different way to call the native functions from the C-libraries. To prevent any problems like calling a function from the wrong module, the previous implementations are tagged with :api<1> and the newest with :api<2>. All you have to do is using the proper tag when installing the packages and in the use statements.

Installing the newest implementation

Using zef;

zef install Gnome::Gtk4:api<2>

Importing a module in your programs

Example to load the Window module;

use Gnome::Gtk4::Window::api<2>;

Installing the previous implementation

Using zef;

zef install Gnome::Gtk3:api<1>

Importing a module in your programs

use Gnome::Gtk3::Window::api<1>;

Differences between the api versions

The main differences between the two versions are the following

• The naming of the classes is a bit different
• The instanciation of objects is changed

Naming of the classes

Gnome has the types class, interface, record or union from which classes are generated.

• class; This type will still convert to the same Raku type as in :api<1>. For instance, the Label class becomes Gnome::Gtk4::Label.
• interface; These types will get a R- prefix. As an example, the Orientable interface becomes Gnome::Gtk4::R-Orientable. However, there is one interface class in Gio which is converted into a normall class. This class is Gnome::Gio::File.
• record and union; Those types are both converted into class names with a N- prefixed. For example Gnome::Gtk4::N-Bitset.

There are more types describing simpler structures. These are constant, enumeration, bitfield and function. Those are all saved in modules with lowercase names and prefixed with a T-. An example module is Gnome::Gtk4::T-enums.