[racket] gui issue > frame updating control thread painter > questions about how to resolve the problem, attain eventual reactive semantics

Here is a solution in the DrRacket beginner language: 

(require 2htdp/universe)
(require 2htdp/image)

(define (bundle x) (make-bundle x '() '()))

(launch-many-worlds 
 (universe 'n/a (on-new (λ (u nw) (bundle u))) (on-msg (λ (u w m) (bundle m))) (state #t))
 (big-bang 'n/a (to-draw (λ (w) (empty-scene 200 200)))
           (register LOCALHOST)
           (on-mouse (λ (w x y ke) (make-package w x)))))

Here is a solution in Racket derived from yours: 

#lang racket

(require racket/gui/base)

(define show-x
  (new frame% 
       [label "frame for displaying the current x coordinate"]
       [width 200]
       [height 200]
       [enabled #t]))

(define x-pos
  (new message% 
       [parent show-x]
       [label "No x-pos yet."]))

(define discover-x
  (new frame% 
       [label "frame for noticing mouse evets and their current x coordinates"]
       [width 200]
       [height 200]
       [enabled #t]))

(define y-pos
  (new (class canvas%
         (inherit get-dc)
         (super-new)
         (define/override (on-event mouse-event)
           (define x-pos (send mouse-event get-x))
           (define y-pos (send mouse-event get-y))
           (set! *x x-pos)
           (refresh)))
       [parent discover-x]))

;; for communicating between the two frams 
(define *x 'n/a)

(define (refresh)
  (send x-pos set-label (format "~a" *x)))

;; run program run 
(send show-x show #t)
(send discover-x show #t)

;; you were creating way too many event spaces. No need for that. 




On Apr 19, 2012, at 2:32 PM, Patrick Mahoney wrote:

> #lang racket
> #|Hello all, I'm  PMah. |#
> (require racket/gui/base)
> 
> #|Problem: I have a message% control called x-pos parented by a frame% called parent1. I have a canvas% called canvas parented under frame% parent2. I would like x-pos to always show the current x coordinate of the mouse position over canvas, and for this to be kept up to date as the mouse moves. Ultimately I'd love to move to a reactive semantics. |#
>  
> 
> #|Setting up the first frame and parent. I'm also going to grab the eventspace for this frame while I'm at it.|#
> (define parent1 (new frame% 
>                               [label "Parent1"]
>                               [width 200]
>                               [height 200]
>                               [enabled #t]))
> 
> (define x-pos (new message% 
>                    [parent parent1]
>                    [label "No x-pos yet."]))
> 
> (send parent1 show #t)
> 
> (define eventspace1 (send parent1 get-eventspace))
> 
> 
> #|The second eventspace*frame*pos combo-|#
> (define parent2 (new frame% 
>                               [label "Parent2"]
>                               [width 200]
>                               [height 200]
>                               [enabled #t]))
> 
> 
> #|Here comes the canvas subclass-I'm looking to override on-event method to grab the x-component of the mouse pos, and I want to have that constantly updating the x-pos message%. I really want reactive behavior, but I ran into some issues with the frtime-namely, differences in bindings due to the mzscheme bindings. the require spec (prefix-in ..) doesn't appear to be in the language. I'm probably doing something wrong. |#
> (define y-pos (class canvas%
>     
>     (inherit get-dc)
> #|My notion of scope in objects is not precise. With those defines within the scope of the on-event bindings, do the defines recalculate each time on-event receives a message? lo, I wish I had some sort of channel protocol to pass messages between threads, along with control. 
> The mushrooms kick in now.
> PFFFT MIND
> |#
>     (define/override (on-event mouse-event)
>       (define min-x (dc:min-x (get-dc)))
>       (define max-x (dc:max-x (get-dc)))
>       (define min-y (dc:min-y (get-dc)))
>       (define max-y (dc:max-y (get-dc)))
>       (define x-pos (send mouse-event get-x))
>       (define y-pos (send mouse-event get-y))
>       (call-in-other-eventspace (make-eventspace) (draw-diagnostics max-x max-y x-pos y-pos)))
>     
>     (super-new)))
> 
> (define 
> (send parent2 show #t)
> 
>   
> #|I have tried some of the examples on http://groups.google.com/group/plt-scheme/browse_thread/thread/28af25a01200bc3c/7937bb0314cc231e?lnk=raot   
> Basically, one using a channel, probably incorrectly and the second without. Now what I believe I've done is to add the thunk to the queue in the frame% parent1's eventspace, but I haven't transferred control. The other eventspace's thread still has control. Kind of?
> |#
> (define (call-in-other-eventspace e thunk)
>    (let ([ch (make-channel)])
>      (parameterize ([current-eventspace e])
>        (queue-callback (lambda ()
>                          (channel-put ch (thunk)))))
>      (channel-get ch))) 
>   #|This blocks both frames updating in some way-im not able to transfer control smoothly to the thread in the message% message1 workspace, and so the x-pos label updates only sporadically when the other eventspace thread yields? |#
> (define (call-in-other-eventspace e thunk)
>    (parameterize ([current-eventspace e])
>        (queue-callback thunk))) 
>   
>   
> #|How can I get x-pos to update automatically on each on-event send here? (draw-diagnostics max-x max-y x-pos y-pos) appears to terminate here in all cases. Part 2: how can I apply frtime to make the update relationship I want between canvas mouse position and message text  (or other racket reactive work if it exists.). I really would like to understand this idiom and get it in my toolchest for gui programming. Thanks all! Racket is an impressive contribution to computer science. |#
>   
>   
> 
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