Fill out some more documentation about building RenderBox subclasses.

sky/sdk/lib/rendering/README.md

Index: sky/sdk/lib/rendering/README.md
diff --git a/sky/sdk/lib/rendering/README.md b/sky/sdk/lib/rendering/README.md
index 77ea6d3de4a2c564fc854329e52c37c390aab9a1..3570d0ac9b6246450191cf44d935d2015e671682 100644
--- a/sky/sdk/lib/rendering/README.md
+++ b/sky/sdk/lib/rendering/README.md
@@ -77,8 +77,31 @@ models and are free to invent novel child models for their specific use cases.
 
 ### Parent Data
 
+TODO(ianh): Describe the parent data concept.
+
+The `setParentData()` method is automatically called for each child
+when the child's parent is changed. However, if you need to
+preinitialise the `parentData` member to set its values before you add
+a node to its parent, you can preemptively call that future parent's
+`setParentData()` method with the future child as the argument.
+
 ### Box Model
 
+#### Dimensions
+
+All dimensions are expressed as logical pixel units. Font sizes are
+also in logical pixel units. Logical pixel units are approximately
+96dpi, but the precise value varies based on the hardware, in such a
+way as to optimise for performance and rendering quality while keeping
+interfaces roughly the same size across devices regardless of the
+hardware pixel density.
+
+Logical pixel units are automatically converted to device (hardware)
+pixels when painting by applying an appropriate scale factor.
+
+TODO(ianh): Define how you actually get the device pixel ratio if you
+need it, and document best practices around that.
+
 #### EdgeDims
 
 #### BoxConstraints
@@ -113,14 +136,208 @@ Writing new subclasses
 
 ### The RenderObject contract
 
+If you want to define a `RenderObject` that uses a new coordinate
+system, then you have to inherit straight from `RenderObject`.

[abarth-chromium, 2015/06/25 19:41:06]

s/have to inherit straight/should inherit directly/

In theory, you could imagine another class in between that did something else
useful, hence "should" rather than "have to".

+Examples of doing this can be found in [`RenderBox`](box.dart), which
+deals in rectangles in cartesian space, and in the [sector_layout.dart
+example](../../../examples/rendering/sector_layout.dart), which

[abarth-chromium, 2015/06/25 19:41:06]

We should move the examples into the sdk directory (apparently they're supposed
to be in a directory named |example| rather than |examples|).  Otherwise links
like this will break when deployed to sky_sdk.

+implements a toy model based on polar coordinates. The `RenderView`
+class, which is used internally to adapt from the host system to this
+rendering framework, is another example.
+
+A subclass of `RenderObject` must fulfill the following contract:
+
+* It must fulfill the [AbstractNode contract](../base/README.md) when
+  dealing with children. Using `RenderObjectWithChildMixin` or
+  `ContainerRenderObjectMixin` can make this easier.
+
+* Information about the child managed by the parent, e.g. typically
+  position information and configuration for the parent's layout,
+  should be stored on the `parentData` member; to this effect, a
+  ParentData subclass should be defined and the `setParentData()`
+  method should be overriden to initialise the child's parent data
+  appropriately.
+
+* Layout constraints must be expressed in a Constraints subclass. This
+  subclass must implement operator== (and hashCode).

[abarth-chromium, 2015/06/25 19:41:06]

`operator==` and `hashCode` because these are code terms.

+
+* Whenever the layout needs updating, the `markNeedsLayout()` method
+  should be called.
+
+* Whenever the rendering needs updating without changing the layout,
+  the `markNeedsPaint()` method should be called. (Calling
+  `markNeedsLayout()` implies a call to `markNeedsPaint()`, so you
+  don't need to call both.)
+
+* The subclass must override `performLayout()` to perform layout based
+  on the constraints given in the `constraints` member. Each object is
+  responsible for sizing itself; positioning must be done by the
+  object calling `performLayout()`. Whether positioning is done before
+  or after the child's layout is a decision to be made by the class.
+  TODO(ianh): Document sizedByParent, performResize(), rotate
+
+* TODO(ianh): Document painting, hit testing, debug*
+
 #### The ParentData contract
 
 #### Using RenderObjectWithChildMixin
 
-#### Using ContainerParentDataMixin and ContainerRenderObjectMixin
+#### Using ContainerRenderObjectMixin (and ContainerParentDataMixin)
+
+This mixin can be used for classes that have a child list, to manage
+the list. It implements the list using linked list pointers in the
+`parentData` structure.
+
+TODO(ianh): Document this mixin.
+
+Subclasses must follow the following contract, in addition to the
+contracts of any other classes they subclass:
+
+* If the constructor takes a list of children, it must call addAll()
+  with that list.
+
+TODO(ianh): Document how to walk the children.
 
 ### The RenderBox contract
 
+A `RenderBox` subclass is required to implement the following contract:
+
+* It must fulfill the [AbstractNode contract](../base/README.md) when
+  dealing with children. Note that using `RenderObjectWithChildMixin`
+  or `ContainerRenderObjectMixin` takes care of this for you, assuming
+  you fulfill their contract instead.
+
+* If it has any data to store on its children, it must define a
+  BoxParentData subclass and override setParentData() to initialise
+  the child's parent data appropriately, as in the following example.
+  (If the subclass has an opinion about what type its children must
+  be, e.g. the way that `RenderBlock` wants its children to be
+  `RenderBox` nodes, then change the `setParentData()` signature
+  accordingly, to catch misuse of the method.)
+
+```dart
+  class FooParentData extends BoxParentData { ... }
+
+  // In RenderFoo
+  void setParentData(RenderObject child) {
+    if (child.parentData is! FooParentData)
+      child.parentData = new FooParentData();
+  }
+```
+
+* The class must encapsulate a layout algorithm that has the following
+  features:
+
+** It uses as input a set of constraints, described by a
+   BoxConstraints object, and a set of zero or more children, as
+   determined by the class itself, and has as output a Size (which is
+   set on the object's own `size` field), and positions for each child
+   (which are set on the children's `parentData.position` field).
+
+** The algorithm can decide the Size in one of two ways: either
+   exclusively based on the given constraints (i.e. it is effectively
+   sized entirely by its parent), or based on those constraints and
+   the dimensions of the children.
+
+   In the former case, the class must have a sizedByParent getter that
+   returns true, and it must have a `performResize()` method that uses
+   the object's `constraints` member to size itself by setting the
+   `size` member. The size must be consistent, a given set of
+   constraints must always result in the same size.
+
+   In the latter case, it will inherit the default `sizedByParent`
+   getter that returns false, and it will size itself in the
+   `performLayout()` function described below.
+
+   The `sizedByParent` distinction is purely a performance
+   optimisation. It allows nodes that only set their size based on the
+   incoming constraints to skip that logic when they need to be
+   re-laid-out.

[abarth-chromium, 2015/06/25 19:41:06]

I wonder if we should remove this concept until we have data that it matters for
performance.

+
+* The following methods must report numbers consistent with the output
+  of the layout algorithm used:
+
+** `double getMinIntrinsicWidth(BoxConstraints constraints)` must
+   return the width that fits within the given constraints below which
+   making the width constraint smaller would not increase the
+   resulting height, or, to put it another way, the narrowest width at
+   which the box can be rendered without failing to lay the children
+   out within itself.
+
+   For example, the minimum intrinsic width of a piece of text like "a
+   b cd e", where the text is allowed to wrap at spaces, would be the
+   width of "cd".
+
+** `double getMaxIntrinsicWidth(BoxConstraints constraints)` must
+   return the width that fits within the given constraints above which
+   making the width constraint larger would not decrease the resulting
+   height.
+
+   For example, the maximum intrinsic width of a piece of text like "a
+   b cd e", where the text is allowed to wrap at spaces, would be the
+   width of the whole "a b cd e" string, with no wrapping.
+
+** `double getMinIntrinsicHeight(BoxConstraints constraints)` must
+   return the height that fits within the given constraints below
+   which making the height constraint smaller would not increase the
+   resulting width, or, to put it another way, the shortest height at
+   which the box can be rendered without failing to lay the children
+   out within itself.
+
+   The minimum intrinsic height of a width-in-height-out algorithm,
+   like English text layout, would be the height of the text at the
+   width that would be used given the constraints. So for instance,
+   given the text "hello world", if the constraints were such that it
+   had to wrap at the space, then the minimum intrinsic height would
+   be the height of two lines (and the appropriate line spacing). If
+   the constraints were such that it all fit on one line, then it
+   would be the height of one line.
+
+** `double getMaxIntrinsicHeight(BoxConstraints constraints)` must
+   return the height that fits within the given constraints above
+   which making the height constraint larger would not decrease the
+   resulting width. If the height depends exclusively on the width,
+   and the width does not depend on the height, then
+   `getMinIntrinsicHeight()` and `getMaxIntrinsicHeight()` will return the
+   same number given the same constraints.
+
+   In the case of English text, the maximum intrinsic height is the
+   same as the minimum instrinsic height.
+
+* The box must have a `performLayout()` method that encapsulates the
+  layout algorithm that this class represents. It is responsible for
+  telling the children to lay out, positioning the children, and, if
+  sizedByParent is false, sizing the object.
+
+  Specifically, the method must walk over the object's children, if
+  any, and for each one call `child.layout()` with a BoxConstraints
+  object as the first argument, and a second argument named
+  `parentUsesSize` which is set to true if the child's resulting size
+  will in any way influence the layout, and omitted (or set to false)
+  if the child's resulting size is ignored. The children's positions
+  (`child.parentData.position`) must then be set.
+
+  (Calling `layout()` can result in the child's own `performLayout()`
+  method being called recursively, if the child also needs to be laid
+  out. If the child's constraints haven't changed and the child is not
+  marked as needing layout, however, this will be skipped.)
+
+  The parent must not set a child's `size` directly. If the parent
+  wants to influence the child's size, it must do so via the
+  constraints that it passes to the child's `layout()` method.
+
+  If an object's `sizedByParent` is false, then its `performLayout()`
+  must also size the object (by setting `size`), otherwise, the size
+  must be left untouched.
+
+* The `size` member must never be set to an infinite value.
+
+* The box must also implement `hitTestChildren()`.
+  TODO(ianh): Define this better
+
+* The box must also implement `paint()`.
+  TODO(ianh): Define this better
+
 #### Using RenderProxyBox
 
 ### The Hit Testing contract