[comp.windows.x] XVT - Informations wanted

fein@informatik.uni-kl.de (Frank Fein) (09/05/90)

Hi netters,
I've heard about XVT as a toolkit providing many different look and feels.
Rumors tell, that in the latest version OPEN LOOK and Motif are supported.

I would appreciate any information about this product, especially

	- Where can I get XVT (is there a distributor in Germany)?
	- How does it work (is it a real toolkit or a kind of precompiler,
	  producing `Motif-Widget Code' etc)?
	- Are there any publications available (beside M. Rochkinds article
	  in the 1989 USENIX Proceedings)?
	- Is it true, that an IEEE group working on a standard for GUI-APIs
	  uses XVT as a basis?

Please, email any responses. If there is any interest, I'll summarize to the
net. Thank you in advance.
--
 _________
/___  ___/      Frank Fein
 __/ /_______   University of Kaiserslautern
/_  ___  ___/   FB Informatik; AG Siekmann

mhn@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Mark Notess) (09/07/90)

> fein@informatik.uni-kl.de (Frank Fein):
> Hi netters,
> I've heard about XVT as a toolkit providing many different look and feels.
> Rumors tell, that in the latest version OPEN LOOK and Motif are supported.
> 
> I would appreciate any information about this product, especially
> 
> 	- Where can I get XVT (is there a distributor in Germany)?
I don't know about availability in Deutschland.  But the address here is:

	Advanced Programming Institute
	Box 17665
	Boulder, CO 80308

	(303) 443-4223

> 	- How does it work (is it a real toolkit or a kind of precompiler,
> 	  producing `Motif-Widget Code' etc)?

It's a set of library routines that provide a "thin" layer atop a variety
of windowing systems.  It isn't a code generator.

> 	- Are there any publications available (beside M. Rochkinds article
> 	  in the 1989 USENIX Proceedings)?

I don't know.

> 	- Is it true, that an IEEE group working on a standard for GUI-APIs
> 	  uses XVT as a basis?

They tried to do this but were told not to.

Mark
   **     Mark Notess   *   mhn%hpfcla@hplabs.HP.COM   *   (303) 229-6232   **
   ** Hewlett-Packard * 3404 E. Harmony Road * Fort Collins, CO  80525  USA **

rws@EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU (Bob Scheifler) (09/08/90)

    > 	- Is it true, that an IEEE group working on a standard for GUI-APIs
    > 	  uses XVT as a basis?

    They tried to do this but were told not to.

I don't know where you get your information, but it doesn't match mine.
I would say that the IEEE P1201.1 group *is* now working on a "virtual
toolkit API" capable of spanning the current popular GUIs and window
systems.  A base document created by Marc Rochkind (XVT) was even
accepted by the group as a starting point.  The document is not the
XVT API, but rather is a "next generation" based on lessons learned
from XVT, but with lots of stuff from XVT thrown out (e.g. graphics
routines) as being outside the scope of the group's charter.  Well,
actually the group is currently working under a project authorization
to work on an X toolkit API, so the whole thing is kind of outside
their current charter. :-)  A request for a new project authorization
was delayed at the last meeting on a technicality; it's being rewritten
and will be resubmitted.