Your question might be a bit ambiguous, because "WMAN QPTR" is both a (maybe sloppy) expression that means "QL Extended environment window manager" and a specific name of the "QJump QPTR toolkit". I'm trying to answer not specifically for that toolkit.
WMAN programming has two fundamentally different approaches that can basically be found in any windowing system and you first have to decide what approach you want to take:
- A programmatic approach that has you build each Ui component programmatically, i.e. you place each Ui component on the screen with BASIC commands or assembly calls
- A "resource file" approach that allows you to more or less interactively design your Ui components and "compile" it into a binary window definition that is then later used to bring the Ui to the screen. Typically, this approach makes designing the Ui and didplaying it a bit less tedious
QDOS WMAN basically has toolkits that support (on a much more basic level than more contemporary windowing systems) both approaches. If you decide for a toolkit you want to use, you will at the same time decide for the approach this toolkit uses.
QJump QPTR toolkit follows approach (1). You can create and assemble your Ui in tiny, programmatic steps where each Ui element basically ends up in one program statement. This is the most basic way to create a WMAN Ui and can be very tedious, but you work "close to the metal" and can (and must) gain a thoough understanding of how WMAN works internally.
EasyPtr and TurboPtr chose the second approach. You create a window definition upfront using an interactive editor (EasyPtr) or a serial dialogue (TPtr), then load and use that in your program. Complex windows and dialogs become much simpler that way. Each of those packages comes with a Toolkit that allows to use these window definitions in your program later on.
I would definitly recommend approach (2) to a beginner. It hides most of the fiddly bits of WMAN from the programmer, allowing you to see results faster and easier. All of the toolkits (both for (1) and (2)) are freely available, EasyPtr is on
https://www.kilgus.net/smsqe/easyptr/, the others on the QL home page.
Programming WMAN can be a fascinating activity, but none of the approaches (even those of category (2), much less (1)) are particularily easy to swallow at first. If I would have to recommend a starting point, I would really start with
TurboPtr and its example programs - they really start from a very basic level. If you want really interctive design, start with EasyPtr. (The "Easy" part is probabably disputable, though...) It also has some very nice example programs and probably the best documentation of the three. Whatever you do, don't intermix the toolkits (they are not made to work with each other), but concentrate on one approach.