Skin use

What Is A Skin?

A skin is a very simple thing. It's simply a set of image files and a bit of information contained within some text files. The image files contain graphics which are used in the display of the gaming window. There will be at least one of these files which will be used as the background. There may also be other graphics which would be used as buttons.

The text files contain information that YaZZle makes use of when positioning and displaying the graphics contained within the image files.

If you're familiar with how a "standard" Windows application looks then you're already familiar with skins. The only difference is that YaZZle uses the information contained within the skin you tell it to use in order to display the game playing area, rather than using a fixed set of image files and button positions that are contained within the application files themselves. So the background of the playing area may not look like a normal window. And the command buttons may look and be placed anywhere and everywhere.

A well designed skin will have command buttons which are distinguishable from its background, so hopefully you'll be able to easily figure out what things on the skin are clickable and what are not. The biggest problem often encountered with using a particular skin, however, is what a particular button does, as one person's idea of what a "Help" button should look like may be, and often is, entirely different from another person's idea for that same button. But that's what makes using a skinnable application so different and exciting from using a "standard" Windows application. The possibilities are almost limitless.

Skins list

YaZZle comes with a couple of sample skins, the XP skins, which show how to create skins in one of the 2 major "modes." These are functionally correct but not very pleasing to the eye and are not suggested for daily use.

YaZZle also comes with 2 default skins, plastiqueV2 and Transcrippled, made by folks who have been making skins for other skinnable applications for a number of years. So either of these skins would work well as the one to use while you're actually playing Solitaire and until you find others you like better or decide to make your own. YaZZle initially starts up with the plastiqueV2 skin since it provides a more complete set of buttons and its buttons are fairly obvious in their use.

XP Fixed:
A minimal example skin showing how to create a skin which has fixed area borders.
XP Stretch:
A minimal example skin showing how to create a skin which has no fixed area borders.
plastiqueV2:
One of the two default skins. This one's by plastic and may be considered to be complete.
Transcrippled:
One of the two default skins. This one's by Nikkie and goes well with her other Transcrippled application skins. It provides a simpler look than plastiqueV2.