system@aurum.chem.utoronto.ca (System Admin (Mike Peterson)) (05/08/91)
A while ago I posted a request for Motif GUI-Builder software.
Here is a much-belated summary of the responses I got.
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From: s111@prism.gatech.edu (Liebeskind, Susan H)
TAE Plus was supposed to incorporate MOTIF sometime in the near future.
With TAE, you get source that definitely runs on the Apollos (but very
slowly). They had an unvalidated SGI port as of last summer,
but without MOTIF in it.
[I called COSMIC Software Repository (associated with NASA) at
404-542-3265 as Susan suggested: TAE Plus is in beta test now, and
will be released in a few months. It runs on VAX/VMS, Mac II A/UX,
Apollo DN3xxx (and DN4xxx/DN5xxx presumably), DEC Ultrix (VAX and RISC),
Sun 3 and 4 series, IBM PS/2 AIX, and HP 9000 series 300.
There is an SGI version in the works too, but no IBM RS/6000 version.
Cost is $1000 (foreign) which includes source code and 1 set of Docs.]
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From: Mitchell Patterson <patterso@USCEAST.CS.SCAROLINA.EDU>
Try the Widget Creation Library; it's available at export.lcs.mit.edu, in the
directory ``contrib,'' under the name (I believe) Wcl.1.05.tar.Z. It interprets
X11 resource files, from which it generates an interface; one can make
changes simply by editing that text file -- no recompile or link required.
It's really a nifty system.
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From: schuman@sgi.com (Aaron Schuman)
Yes, there's a swell product called UIM/X from Visual Edge Software Ltd.
I took a half day training class and by the end of the class I was
turning out remarkable complete Motif interfaces in no time flat.
Contact the manufacturer at:
3870 Cote Vertu 101 First St., Suite 443
St. Laurent, Quebec H4R 1V4 Los Altos, California 94022
ph 514-332-6430 ph 415-948-0753
fx 514-332-5914 fx 415-948-0843
I know it works on the SGI IRIX workstations. I don't know for sure if
it's been ported to your other platforms yet, but I would be surprised
if it hasn't been.
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From: hubler@galaxy.lerc.nasa.gov (Dale Hubler)
We looked at these products a while ago, some of which were suggested
by readers of this group. These are all for the RS6000.
IBM - They are working on a product but it is not yet available. We
could not get much info on this on eyet.
TeleUSE - An interesting and expensive product. It runs on a number
of different platforms, including RS6000 and Sun. Kind of strange to
see the motif look on the Sun for the first time. Programming is
done in a rule based language they call D. It outputs C code, that
makes it attractive for portability.
Contact: TeleSoft
5959 Cornerstone Court West
San Diego, CA 92121
(619) 457-2700
(619) 452-1334
ezX - requires a run-time library for other machines that need to run
the executable. I believe this can be exported freely, but I am not
100% sure.
Contact: Sunrise Software Systems
1151 Aquidneck Ave, Suite 444
Middletown, RI 02840
(401) 847-7868
Possible e-mail address: drew@sunrise.com (Drew Jenkins) who added:
We have a product called ezX. It is a GUI builder that currently runs
on the RS/6000. We don't support the Apollo or SGI platforms yet.
XBuild - writes C code directly, code is portable without requiring
run-time libraries, source code is available for additional $'s.
Contact: Siemens Nixdorf
200 Wheeler Rd.
Burlington, MA 01803
(617) 273-0480
XFaceMaker2 - Programming is done in a proprietary language, but
there is a C code generation option, requires libraries.
Builder Xcessory - outputs C, Motif/UIL, make files, and X Resource files.
Builder can also read in UIL so you can modify existing programs with
it. The cost is $2500.
Contact: Integrated Computer Solutions, Inc.
201 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 547-0510
E-mail: info@ics.com
(This is probably the package that will be bought.)
These are the only products we've found that will run on the RS6000 and
generate a motif interface. If you would like vendor names and
addresses I am sure I can dig them up. Another member of our group
took a closer look and can provide more detailed information if
needed. Some of the above comments are his, in fact.
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From: Kerstin Barley <keb@corsa.corp.sgi.com>
Silicon Graphics recently introduced UIM/X, a Motif GUI-builer tool.
It's available through SGI Software Express at 1-800-800-4SGI (Option
1). UIM/X allows you to determine the *behavior* of your interface, as
well as the layout. It generates C code and contains a C interpreter
to allow you to check your work. I'd be glad to send you a datasheet
or talk to you about it if you give me a call. I can be reached at
the above 800 number or at my desk -- (415) 335-1761.
Jim Terhorst <jym@cruz.esd.sgi.com> also responded with details about
UIM/X.
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From: mindcrf!karish@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Chuck Karish)
This posting in comp.newprod caught my eye. It may turn out to be a
port-it-yourself project, though; it's distributed as source.
>From: mau@nixbur.UUCP (Michael Urban)
Newsgroups: comp.newprod
Subject: XBUILD 1.1 announcement.
Date: 4 Dec 90 15:02:58 GMT
Organization: Nixdorf Computer Engineering Corporation, Burlington, MA
SIEMENS NIXDORF UNVEILS NEW VERSION OF USER INTERFACE BUILDER
XBUILD Can Be Extended, Customized for Building Motif Applications
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (November 26) -- Siemens Nixdorf Information Systems,
Inc., today announced an upgrade of its XBUILD (tm) tool for building
OSF/Motif (tm) graphical user interfaces, incorporating new features that
let users customize and extend the tool for more productive applications
development.
The company also announced today that it will offer a trial version of
the product, which will allow users to test XBUILD's features by
building limited-size interfaces before they buy.
First introduced at Xhibition in May 1990, XBUILD is an open user
interface development tool (UIDT) for painlessly developing, testing,
and perfecting production-ready graphical user interfaces based on the
OSF/Motif standard. A major advantage of XBUILD-generated interfaces is
that they are fully runtime-independent, requiring no additional runtime
software libraries nor license fees.
XBUILD Release 1.1 can also import UIL code, allowing it to reuse or
edit portions of existing programs.
XBUILD is priced at $5,000 for a source code version and $1,500 for each
accompanying internal-use license, which allows a user to run binary
versions of XBUILD generated from the source code. Also available is a
binary license for $1,895. Quantity discounts are available for both
internal-use licenses and binary licenses.
System requirements for the binary version of XBUILD include UNIX System
V (tm) 3.2 or 4.3 bsd or higher, OSF/Motif, and one of the following
hardware platforms: Sun 3 (tm), SPARCStation (tm), 386 SCO/Open Desktop (tm),
DECStation (tm) 3100, MIPS, or Siemens Nixdorf Targon (tm) 31 and Targon 35
systems. The source code version requires UNIX System V 3.2 or 4.3 bsd
or higher, OSF/Motif (tm), and C++ version 1.2.
For more information about XBUILD or to order a trial version, contact
either Gerard Kiley or Susan Goguen at (617) 864-0066, or send e-mail to
xbuild@nixdorf.com!
Contact: Michele Nadeem
Siemens Nixdorf Information Systems, Inc.
(617) 273-0480, ext. 3388
Janice Brown
Janice Brown and Associates, Inc.
(617) 332-8066
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From: jonathan@cs.pitt.edu (Jonathan Eunice)
At last week's UniForum, IBM was showing its version of the UIM/X
interface builder, which is pretty nice. HP is shipping this now, and
SCO and IBM should be shortly. IBM calls it Interface Architect. It
writes C code for X Windows. A particular strength is its ability to
interpret code so you can see behavior while testing. (This useful
feature is lacking in DEC's VUIT and Sun's Developer's Guide.) No
solid info on shipping dates, though.
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From: Colston Sanger <colston@gid.co.uk>
Yes, X-Designer, from Imperial Software Technology here in the UK, has
been ported to the RS6000, and I think is in IBM's 3rd party software
catalogue.
Contact address is:
Imperial Software Technology - IST
95 London St
Reading
Berks RG1 4QA
Phone: +44 734 587055
Fax: +44 734 589005
alan@ist.co.uk
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From: cmc@nsl.fr (Colin M. Clark)
Thought you might be interested in the following
notes on XFaceMaker a product from
Non Standard Logics of Paris, France
but also avaiable in America from:
Santa Cruz Software Services
256 santa Rosa Lane
Santa Barbara Ca 93108
Tel: 805 682 0223
Technical support:
Tel: (805) 964 9599
Fax: (805) 964 4367
or email: requests@nsl.fr for information.
XFaceMaker is currently available on:
Sun 3 + sparc
386 Interactive
386 SCO
Sony News
IBM RS 6000
Dec 3000
Hp 9000/8XX 9000/3XX
Apollo
Silicon Graphics
( Dec VMS in the works !)
XFaceMaker2 is an interactive interface builder for Motif. Using simple
click and drag actions it allows the user to chose, size and position
widgets in an interface. The interface is realized immediately on the
desktop as it is being designed and so the user can work intuitively and
interactively.
Tools exist for the manipulation of the widgets; cut, copy, paste, kill,
align, show, hide, etc.
A Resources window can be popped up to edit each widget's resources, with
a set of further popup edit windows appropriate for each type of resource
or callback selected.
Callbacks can call application functions directly and also use the
language FACE.
FACE is a subset of `C' for defining the behaviour of interfaces.
FACE scripts are interpreted so that the usual edit-compile-link cycle
is not required speeding up development. The user can immediately test
any changes.
When the interface is finished a `C' code version can be saved. This has
no interpreted elements. It is linked with the normal Xm and Xt libraries
together with a library supplied with XFaceMaker2. The source of this library
is also supplied.
In detail:
The main strengths of XFaceMaker2 are:
1) Point and click creation of widgets, by selecting and dragging icons
on the desktop. The user constantly sees the interface as it is being
designed and so can work intuitively and interactively.
2) Callbacks can call either application functions or FACE scripts.
FACE is a subset of C optimised for interfaces.
It has the if, else, while and for constructs, and convenience functions
such as PopupAndWait which maps the given widget with XtGrabExclusive
and waits for a return value. Standard functions such as: printf
scanf, atoi, and itoa, are also included, together with certain
Intrinsic and Motif functions. FACE has built in variables such as:
self, parent and toplevel, for referring to and accessing the resources
of other widgets.
Because the interface code is initially interpreted, the user can
test the behaviour of the interface as it is designed.
XFaceMaker2 has two modes:
Build mode: a widget can be selected by clicking upon it.
When selected it has handles for changing its size or moving it. A
Resources window can be popped up to edit the widget's resources, with
a set of further popup edit windows appropriate for each type of resource.
Try mode: in this mode the interface acts as it will in "real life",
so clicking on a widget will result in the appropriate callback
being interpreted and its actions being carried out.
3) XFaceMaker2 has a special feature called ActiveValues. These are
variables which are shared between the interface and the application.
Within the interface an ActiveValue name is associated with a
widget together with a Get and Set script. These scripts are also
written in FACE. The Get script gets the resource and places it in the
ActiveValue while the Set script does the reverse. (It can also
cause a widget to be popped up, or cause any other behaviour you want.)
This means that the application does not have to know the name of a
widget and its resources, it references only the ActiveValue name.
Even if the resource or behaviour of the interface is changed at some
later point in the design process, the application remains the same,
and vice versa for the interface, if the application changes.
XFaceMaker2 allows you to create two types of file.
The first type is _fm_ a proprietary-format ascii english
text file which can be loaded from the application and is interpreted to
create the interface. This is useful when the interface is being worked on.
It allows the interface to be changed without having to recompile the
the application each time.
The second type is the _C_ code version. When the interface is finalised,
it can be saved and linked directly with the application code. This version
has no interpreted elements.
The close relationship between the FACE language and 'C' means the that the
code produced when the interface is compiled is very efficient.
To emphasise a few points..
There are no runtime royalties and the library source code library
is provided. The X and Motif libraries used are standard - not
specially altered versions.
Yes xfm does have another language for writting scripts but we
feel this is acceptable because
1 Its very close to C
2 You can ignore it altogether and call your own callback functions
directly.
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Thanks to all who responded.
Mike.
--
Mike Peterson, System Administrator, U/Toronto Department of Chemistry
E-mail: system@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca
Tel: (416) 978-7094 Fax: (416) 978-8775