The following example demonstrates both uses of an EventBox - a label is created that is clipped to a small box, and set up so that a mouse-click on the label causes the program to exit. Resizing the window reveals varying amounts of the label.

Figure 13.1. EventBox

Source Code

File: examplewindow.h

#ifndef GTKMM_EXAMPLEWINDOW_H
#define GTKMM_EXAMPLEWINDOW_H

#include <gtkmm.h>

class ExampleWindow : public Gtk::Window
{
public:
  ExampleWindow();
  virtual ~ExampleWindow();

protected:
  //Signal handlers:
  virtual bool on_eventbox_button_press(GdkEventButton* event);

  //Child widgets:
  Gtk::EventBox m_EventBox;
  Gtk::Label m_Label;
};

#endif //GTKMM_EXAMPLEWINDOW_H

File: main.cc

#include <gtkmm/main.h>
#include "examplewindow.h"

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
  Gtk::Main kit(argc, argv);

  ExampleWindow window;
  //Shows the window and returns when it is closed.
  Gtk::Main::run(window);

  return 0;
}

File: examplewindow.cc

#include "examplewindow.h"

ExampleWindow::ExampleWindow()
: m_Label("Click here to quit, quit, quit, quit, quit")
{
  set_title ("EventBox");
  set_border_width(10);

  add(m_EventBox);

  m_EventBox.add(m_Label);

  //Clip the label short:
  m_Label.set_size_request(110, 20);

  //And bind an action to it:
  m_EventBox.set_events(Gdk::BUTTON_PRESS_MASK);
  m_EventBox.signal_button_press_event().connect(
    sigc::mem_fun(*this, &ExampleWindow::on_eventbox_button_press) );

  m_EventBox.set_tooltip_text("Click me!");

  show_all_children();
}

ExampleWindow::~ExampleWindow()
{
}

bool ExampleWindow::on_eventbox_button_press(GdkEventButton*)
{
  hide();
  return true;
}