I'm developing a windowing system (a la X Windows) in OCaml using SDL
(Simple DirectMedia Library) which is a cross-playform graphics library
written in C.

I want the end user to be able to configure the "look-and-feel" of the
windowing system at runtime, and I'm not sure the best way to go about
doing this.  Currently, the window manager calls upon a class called
"decorator" that performs the window decorations (title bar, frame, etc.)
The decorator class could be sub-classed (or perhasp redefined?) to
change the behavior.

Any thoughts on the "best way"?  Is it possible to compile several
different modules that contain a decorator class (with, say, a Windows 95
theme, a MacOS theme, etc.) and dynamically load one?  Would loading one
redefine the "decorator" class that was defined prior to the loading?
If I understand correctly, the dynamic loading works with byte-code
compiled modules?  If the main program were compiled to native code, would
they work together seamlessly?

Are there any resources (books, papers, how-to's about "this kind of
thing" (e.g. loading modules at run-time to redefine default behavior)?  I
know of plenty books about designing OSs but haven't found any about
writing windowing systems.

Any suggestions about anything even remotely related to the above
subject/questions would be more than welcome!

Thanks,

Walter Rader

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