CLIM Layout Protocol for Dummies ================================ Here is how I interpret the relevant sections of the specification: COMPOSE-SPACE This is called by CLIM, when it wants to find out what the pane thinks are its space requirements. The result of COMPOSE-SPACE is cached by CLIM. ALLOCATE-SPACE This method is called by CLIM when a pane is allocate space. It should layout its possible children. CHANGE-SPACE-REQUIREMENTS This is called by the application programmer to a) indicate that COMPOSE-SPACE may now return something different from previous invocations and/or b) to update the user space requirements options (the :width, :height etc keywords as upon pane creation). NOTE-SPACE-REQUIREMENTS-CHANGED Called by CLIM when the space requirements of a pane have changed. Not called to layout a pane; This is only a kind of signal. LAYOUT-FRAME Maybe called by both CLIM and the application programmer to "invoke the space allocation protocol", that is CLIM calls ALLOCATE-SPACE on the top level sheet. This in turn will probably call COMPOSE-SPACE on its children and layout then accordingly by calling ALLOCATE-SPACE again. The effect is that ALLOCATE-SPACE propagate down the sheet hierarchy.