6 files changed, 55 insertions, 21 deletions
diff --git a/toolkit/andlabs/box.go b/toolkit/andlabs/box.go
index ac31f0d..8347bab 100644
--- a/toolkit/andlabs/box.go
+++ b/toolkit/andlabs/box.go
@@ -37,6 +37,19 @@ func (t *Toolkit) NewBox() *Toolkit {
 
 		return &newTK
 	}
+	if (t.uiWindow != nil) {
+		log.Println("\tgui.Toolbox.NewBox() is a Window")
+		var newT Toolkit
+
+		vbox := ui.NewVerticalBox()
+		vbox.SetPadded(padded)
+		t.uiWindow.SetChild(vbox)
+		newT.uiBox = vbox
+		newT.Name = t.Name
+
+		// panic("WTF")
+		return &newT
+	}
 	log.Println("\tgui.Toolbox.NewBox() FAILED. Couldn't figure out where to make a box")
 	t.Dump()
 	return nil
diff --git a/toolkit/andlabs/button.go b/toolkit/andlabs/button.go
index 4e6ff52..e0b7d97 100644
--- a/toolkit/andlabs/button.go
+++ b/toolkit/andlabs/button.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package toolkit
 
 import "log"
-import "os"
+// import "os"
 
 import "github.com/andlabs/ui"
 import _ "github.com/andlabs/ui/winmanifest"
@@ -11,15 +11,12 @@ func (t Toolkit) NewButton(name string) *Toolkit {
 	var newt Toolkit
 	var b *ui.Button
 
-	if (t.uiBox == nil) {
-		log.Println("gui.ToolboxNode.NewButton() node.UiBox == nil. I can't add a range UI element without a place to put it")
-		log.Println("probably could just make a box here?")
-		os.Exit(0)
+	if t.broken() {
 		return nil
 	}
 
 	if (DebugToolkit) {
-		log.Println("gui.Toolbox.NewGroup() create", name)
+		log.Println("gui.Toolbox.NewButton() create", name)
 	}
 	b = ui.NewButton(name)
 	newt.uiButton = b
@@ -40,6 +37,7 @@ func (t Toolkit) NewButton(name string) *Toolkit {
 				log.Println("wit/gui/toolkit NewButton() toolkit.Custom() START")
 			}
 			newt.Custom()
+			return
 			if (DebugToolkit) {
 				log.Println("wit/gui/toolkit NewButton() toolkit.Custom() END")
 			}
@@ -53,14 +51,29 @@ func (t Toolkit) NewButton(name string) *Toolkit {
 				log.Println("wit/gui/toolkit NewButton() running parent toolkit.Custom() START (IS THIS A BAD IDEA?)")
 			}
 			t.Custom()
+			return
 			if (DebugToolkit) {
 				log.Println("wit/gui/toolkit NewButton() running parent toolkit.Custom() END   (IS THIS A BAD IDEA?)")
 			}
 		}
-		log.Println("TODO: LEFT TOOLKIT GOROUTINE button name =", name)
+		log.Println("TODO: LEFT TOOLKIT GOROUTINE WITH NOTHING TO DO button name =", name)
 	})
 
-	t.uiBox.Append(b, stretchy)
+	if (DebugToolkit) {
+		log.Println("gui.Toolbox.NewButton() about to append to Box parent t:", name)
+		t.Dump()
+		log.Println("gui.Toolbox.NewButton() about to append to Box new t:", name)
+		newt.Dump()
+	}
+	if (t.uiBox != nil) {
+		t.uiBox.Append(b, stretchy)
+	} else if (t.uiWindow != nil) {
+		t.uiWindow.SetChild(b)
+	} else {
+		log.Println("ERROR: wit/gui andlabs couldn't place this button in a box or a window")
+		log.Println("ERROR: wit/gui andlabs couldn't place this button in a box or a window")
+		return &t
+	}
 
 	return &newt
 }
diff --git a/toolkit/andlabs/common.go b/toolkit/andlabs/common.go
index 569621d..e997aca 100644
--- a/toolkit/andlabs/common.go
+++ b/toolkit/andlabs/common.go
@@ -2,9 +2,6 @@ package toolkit
 
 import "log"
 
-// import "github.com/andlabs/ui"
-// import _ "github.com/andlabs/ui/winmanifest"
-
 func init() {
 	log.Println("gui/toolkit init() Setting defaultBehavior = true")
 	setDefaultBehavior(true)
@@ -37,8 +34,13 @@ func (t Toolkit) commonChange(widget string) {
 
 // does some sanity checks on the internal structs of the binary tree
 // TODO: probably this should not panic unless it's running in devel mode (?)
-func (t Toolkit) broken() bool {
+func (t *Toolkit) broken() bool {
 	if (t.uiBox == nil) {
+		if (t.uiWindow != nil) {
+			log.Println("gui.Toolkit.UiBox == nil. This is an empty window. Try to add a box")
+			t.NewBox()
+			return false
+		}
 		log.Println("gui.Toolkit.UiBox == nil. I can't add a widget without a place to put it")
 		// log.Println("probably could just make a box here?")
 		// corruption or something horrible?
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@ func (t Toolkit) broken() bool {
 	}
 	if (t.uiWindow == nil) {
 		log.Println("gui.Toolkit.UiWindow == nil. I can't add a widget without a place to put it (IGNORING FOR NOW)")
+		forceDump(t)
 		return false
 	}
 	return false
diff --git a/toolkit/andlabs/group.go b/toolkit/andlabs/group.go
index f48a78d..5b315a4 100644
--- a/toolkit/andlabs/group.go
+++ b/toolkit/andlabs/group.go
@@ -10,19 +10,21 @@ import _ "github.com/andlabs/ui/winmanifest"
 func (t Toolkit) NewGroup(title string) *Toolkit {
 	var newt Toolkit
 
-	if (t.uiBox == nil) {
-		log.Println("gui.ToolboxNode.NewGroup() node.UiBox == nil. I can't add a range UI element without a place to put it")
-		log.Println("probably could just make a box here?")
-		os.Exit(0)
-		return nil
-	}
-
 	if (DebugToolkit) {
 		log.Println("gui.Toolbox.NewGroup() create", title)
 	}
 	g := ui.NewGroup(title)
 	g.SetMargined(margin)
-	t.uiBox.Append(g, stretchy)
+
+	if (t.uiBox != nil) {
+		t.uiBox.Append(g, stretchy)
+	} else if (t.uiWindow != nil) {
+		t.uiWindow.SetChild(g)
+	} else {
+		log.Println("gui.ToolboxNode.NewGroup() node.UiBox == nil. I can't add a range UI element without a place to put it")
+		log.Println("probably could just make a box here?")
+		os.Exit(0)
+	}
 
 	hbox := ui.NewVerticalBox()
 	hbox.SetPadded(padded)
@@ -30,6 +32,7 @@ func (t Toolkit) NewGroup(title string) *Toolkit {
 
 	newt.uiGroup = g
 	newt.uiBox = hbox
+	newt.uiWindow = t.uiWindow
 	newt.Name = title
 
 	t.Dump()
diff --git a/toolkit/andlabs/main.go b/toolkit/andlabs/main.go
index cea0486..d1dc7e6 100644
--- a/toolkit/andlabs/main.go
+++ b/toolkit/andlabs/main.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"log"
 
 	"github.com/andlabs/ui"
+	// the _ means we only need this for the init()
 	_ "github.com/andlabs/ui/winmanifest"
 )
 
diff --git a/toolkit/andlabs/structs.go b/toolkit/andlabs/structs.go
index 90f9409..374627c 100644
--- a/toolkit/andlabs/structs.go
+++ b/toolkit/andlabs/structs.go
@@ -87,9 +87,10 @@ func (t *Toolkit) String() string {
 }
 
 func forceDump(t *Toolkit) {
+	tmp := DebugToolkit
 	DebugToolkit = true
 	t.Dump()
-	DebugToolkit = false
+	DebugToolkit = tmp
 }
 
 func (t *Toolkit) GetText() string {