tcl - Can't pack a widget inside a sibling toplevel -

i'm trying pack (or place) widget child of root toplevel . inside toplevel, child of . itself. is,

% toplevel .tl .tl % frame .f .f % pack .f -in .tl can't pack .f inside .tl 

however, i've found code almost works:

% frame .tl .tl % frame .f .f % pack .f -in .tl % wm manage .tl 

i said almost, because .f not visible. it's bit strange, because if put button inside .f, such as

button .f.b -text foobar pack .f.b 

i see empty space reserved geometry manager, no widget visible.

i'm sure i'm doing wrong, don't know , why, , pack, grid , place man pages don't help.

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edit: details i'm doing

i'm trying build snit widget automates toplevel creation stuff. 1 thing putting ttk::frame inside every toplevel create, , managing using pack ... -fill both -expand true command.

my snidget should it, i'd hide user perspective, change implementation wouldn't break existing code.

the simple way this

snit::widget toplevel {     hulltype toplevel     component f      constructor {args} {         set f [ttk::frame $self.f -padding 2]         pack $f -fill both -expand 1          $self configurelist $args     } } 

but user must know f component, , create other widgets children of it.

so, tried solution: use ttk::frame widget hull type, build sibling toplevel of hull, , try put hull inside toplevel.

the code tried similar following:

snit::widget toplevel {     hulltype ttk::frame     component tl      constructor {args} {         set segments [split $self .]         set wname [join [lreplace $segments end end _[lindex $segments end]] .]          set tl [frame $wname -width 100 -height 100]         pack $self -in $tl -fill both -expand 1         wm manage $tl          $self configurelist $args     } } 

if work expected, user write this:

% toplevel .t .t % button .t.b -text foobar .t.b % pack .t.b 

and button inside toplevel .t build using snidget.

widgets except toplevels arranged in strict hierarchy of containment; widget .foo contains widget .foo.bar, in turn contains .foo.bar.grill, etc. toplevel widgets children of root window.

there 2 things can change this.

1. you can use wm manage (requires 8.5 or later) turn standard frame widget toplevel, , wm forget reverse (you'll have re-pack/re-grid too). (i don't think supported on osx/aqua.)

   frame .foo # define contents... wm manage .foo 

   # later... wm forget .foo pack .foo 

   this useful pair of operations making torn-off windows toolbars. there's demo in tk widget demo.

2. you can turn frame (or toplevel) container widget @ creation time (set -container option true in creation options; can't done later). can id of window widget (with winfo id) , tell toplevel at creation time use widget id parent via -use option.

   frame .foo -container 1 set id [winfo id .foo] toplevel .bar -use $id 

   note in case, on unix/x11 ids can passed other processes , used, , need not refer windows created tk. (some applications can reverse, embedding inside window given id defined tk.) on windows , osx/aqua, ids guaranteed work within single process.

what don't know whether operation want perform can done either of these 2 possible operations; you're not quite clear higher-level perspective of you're trying do. don't mix particularly well, -container , -use creation-time-only options, , subsequently read-only, , can't change name hierarchy (that's totally fixed after creation). sophisticated stuff may require step , formally define model have multiple widget layouts being views of.