[comp.windows.x] New life for old sw

oaf%pluto@vmsfo.UUCP (Ole Asbjorn Fadum) (06/26/91)

Hi

Has anybody experience with making a graphical interface to an old tty
based program? Is it possible without having access to the source (of
the old program) ? 

========================================================================

Ole Asbjorn Fadum (oaf@vingmed.no)
Vingmed Sound A/S
P.O.Box 141
N-3191 Horten
NORWAY

Phone +47 33 42 132
FAX   +47 33 45 686

klee@wsl.dec.com (Ken Lee) (06/27/91)

In article <9106260707.AA04364@vingmed.no>, oaf%pluto@vmsfo.UUCP (Ole Asbjorn Fadum) writes:
|> Has anybody experience with making a graphical interface to an old tty
|> based program? Is it possible without having access to the source (of
|> the old program) ? 

One way to do this is to write a separate graphical user interface
process that connects to the tty-based program though sockets or
pipes.  You won't have all the flexibility of a integrated program, but
this is sufficient for many applications, especially those with highly
modular and modeless command syntaxes.  Some of the mail, debugger, and
game programs floating around do this.

-- 
Ken Lee
DEC Western Software Laboratory, Palo Alto, Calif.
Internet: klee@wsl.dec.com
uucp: uunet!decwrl!klee

mago@delphi.it (Giovanni Beani) (06/28/91)

Ole Asbjorn Fadum (i2unix!vmsfo!pluto!oaf) writes:

>Has anybody experience with making a graphical interface to an old tty
>based program? Is it possible without having access to the source (of
>the old program) ?

Why don't use the ALEX? 
ALEX is an application-independent GUI language. It's purpose is to
translate character-based programs into Motif/OpenLook
applications. To do this, you do not need to change the original
source files (you do not need to HAVE original source files at all).
For more informations I think you can contact the SYSTEM STRATEGIES LIMITED
directly:

	Technical Contact:            Lisa Rowlands
	Release Manager:              Raymond Griffiths
        	                      Voice:+44 81 566 2307
                	              Fax:    +44 81 566 2308

I hope this help you.
Ciao,
	Giovanni
-----
Giovanni Beani               

DELPHI S.p.A.
"Research   Engineering   Phone: +39 (584)9471    EMail: gbeani@delphi.it
& Development Division"   Fax  : +39 (584)947267  
Via Vetraia 11  - 55049   Tlx  : 501542 DELPHI I
Viareggio (LUCCA) ITALY 

dj@micromuse.co.uk (D.J.Walker-Morgan) (06/29/91)

klee@wsl.dec.com (Ken Lee) writes:

>In article <9106260707.AA04364@vingmed.no>, oaf%pluto@vmsfo.UUCP (Ole Asbjorn Fadum) writes:
>|> Has anybody experience with making a graphical interface to an old tty
>|> based program? Is it possible without having access to the source (of
>|> the old program) ? 

>One way to do this is to write a separate graphical user interface
>process that connects to the tty-based program though sockets or
>pipes.  You won't have all the flexibility of a integrated program, but
>this is sufficient for many applications, especially those with highly
>modular and modeless command syntaxes.  Some of the mail, debugger, and
>game programs floating around do this.

>-- 
>Ken Lee
>DEC Western Software Laboratory, Palo Alto, Calif.
>Internet: klee@wsl.dec.com
>uucp: uunet!decwrl!klee

Or you can try Alex. Alex is a commercial product which allows you to "watch"
a tty based program and generate an OpenLook or Motif front end for it using
the Alex language. I previously worked on developing Alex, writing among other
things, a mail front end and creating an off-line reader for CIX (a conferencing

system in the UK).

You can talk to Alex Technologies on 081-566-2307.... (thats in the UK)

Dj



=========================================================================
  dj@micromuse.co.uk | "I've bought myself a moped,
                     |  I've made myself some sandwiches,
                     |  Let's see what's out there..." Alexei Sayle
                     | Voice +44-71-352-7774 Fax +44-71-351-7834 
---------------------+---------------------------------------------------
 Non-standard Disclaimer : "I didn't do it, it wasn't me, I wasn't there"

-- 

=========================================================================
  dj@micromuse.co.uk | "I've bought myself a moped,
                     |  I've made myself some sandwiches,