picasso@postgres.Berkeley.EDU (Picasso Group) (09/08/90)
Picasso Graphical User Interface Development System
Lawrence A. Rowe
Computer Science Division - EECS Dept
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
(phone: 415-642-5117; email: larry@postgres.Berkeley.EDU)
Picasso is a graphical user interface (GUI) development system
that includes an object-oriented interface toolkit and application
framework. The toolkit contains a library of predefined interface
abstractions (e.g., buttons, scrollbars, menus, forms, text fields,
lists and tables, graphics fields, video field, etc.), geometry managers,
and a constraint system. The constraint system is used to implement
triggered behaviors and to bind variables to interface abstractions.
The application framework provides high-level objects to define GUI's
including modal dialog boxes and non-modal frames and panels. These
objects are similar to procedures and co-routines in a conventional
programming language in that they have local variables and they can
be called with parameters. Different types of parameter passing are
used to specify when updates are propagated to different views of the
information displayed.
Picasso is implemented in Common Lisp using the Common Lisp Object
System and the CLX interface to the X Window System.
Currently, it runs on Unix systems including Sun-3's and Sparcstations,
DECStation 3100's, and Sequent Balance in Franz Allegro Common Lisp.
We have developed several applications in the system including:
1) a facility manager tool that displays a 2D schematic view of
an IC fabrication laboratory and that allows users to access
other facility and manufacturing information stored in a
relational dbms (e.g., equipment, utility, and lot information),
2) an interactive executer/debugger for a robot programming language
that can be used to teach novices how to program in Lisp, and
3) a hypermedia system that includes video, text, and graphic data.
We are currently working on a direct manipulation application development
interface and enhancements to and applications of the hypermedia system.
A paper describing the application framework and a reference manual
are available. Papers describing our use of CLOS to implement
Picasso, the facility management tool, and the hypermedia system
are currently being written. If you are interested in receiving
these papers send email to picasso@postgres.Berkeley.EDU.
Picasso is currently being used at three sites outside Berkeley.
If you want to get a copy of the system you can either FTP it
from Berkeley (postgres@Berkeley.EDU (128.32.149.1)) or send us a
check for $150 (US) drawn on a US bank and we'll be glad to send