Very Computer

This one goes to all GUI lovers, (and application builders)

   For quite some time now, I have been working on a GUI design
and API for C++.
   First Pre-Alpha demonstartions will be released in the following
week.

   Why another GUI?

  This is not just another GUI, this is a complete Package, that would
not require ANY knowledge of X-Windows programming, it is written as
a C++ class library, with classes very similar to Borlands ObjectWindows
and Microsofts MFC. (Trademarks)

   This library is more than just a GUI, it also has Communications
built in, (a.k.a. OLE)!

    The finished product will also include a complete ApplicationBuilder
so that you don't have to write ANY code, to get an interface working.
(The concept is similar to Windows(tm) based Application Wizards).

   Priniting support is under developement, PostScript driver for
printing will be integrated into the library, so that the programmer
needs to do nothing to get PostScript output!

   Current status:
  The library is already working, (no known bugs ;)) all the basic
GUI classes are there (Buttons, Menus, ScrollBars, Line input, Windows
and Dialog boxes).
  A lot of work is still left, adding lists and such, and also enhancing
existing widgets.

   A resource compiler is fully functional, you don't have to write any
code (except resource definitions) and get a full interface!

   The communications library is under testing (and maybe redesign),
this library supports talking and passing C++ classes and data to
other applications anywhere on the net.

   The application builder is in its very early stages (design).

   When will it be available?

The library should be available (Pre-Alpha) in the following weeks(?).
This will be a binary only distribution and will probably not be under
the GNU GPL.  This means that I plan on releasing Linux versions
FREE of charge but without source code.

The complete developement package will be available later this year(?).

A few small applications will be distributed both as part of the library
and as standalone full-blown apps. These will include full source code
as their primary goal would be to server as a programmers guide.

Any comments are wellcome,

  Boaz Studnitzky

All this is true also for wxWindows by Julian Smart. And wxWindows allows
portable applications for MS-Windows, Motif, Xview and (I think) soon
Macintosh. It comes with sources, a Interface builder and some very
useful additional class libraries.
Of course the library is usable on Linux :-)

It would be better to put the effort into improvement of wxWindows.

Frank.
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Quote:> Where can I get a copy of wxWindows ??  Is it visual (as in Visual C or

I will append the readme for version 1.60 (it's not the latest version).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*****                  Announcing wxWindows 1.60                  *****
*****  A Free C++ GUI toolkit for Motif, Open Look, Windows 3.1   *****
*****                       and Windows NT                        *****

Quote:>>> wxWindows is a toolkit for developing multi-platform, graphical

    applications from the same body of C++ code.

Quote:>>> Uses include:

* development of applications for delivery on several platforms
* single-platform development, as a high-level wrapper around XView,
  Motif or Windows

Quote:>>> Included in this release:

* wxBuilder, a Windows and Motif-hosted GUI builder for wxWindows.
* Simple-to-use, object-oriented API
* Graphics calls include splines, polylines, rounded rectangles, etc.
* Simple programmatic panel/dialog item layout
* Support for menu bars and status lines
* Toolbar class
* Pens, brushes, fonts, icons, cursors, bitmaps
* Easy, object-oriented interprocess comms (DDE subset) under
  Windows 3 *and* UNIX
* Encapsulated PostScript generation under UNIX, Windows 3 printing on PC
* Virtually automatic MDI support under Windows
* Support for Windows 3 printer and file selector common dialogs, with
  equivalents for UNIX
* Under Windows 3, support for copying metafiles to the clipboard
* Programmatic form facility for building form-like screens fast,
  with constraints on values
* Applications can access Windows Help or wxHelp hypertext help system
* Optional interface to NASA's CLIPS, for rapid GUI prototyping
  and application extension
* Tex2RTF utility for maintaining online and printed manuals
* Tree and graph layout classes
* All source
* Several examples
* Reference manual in PostScript, wxHelp, and WinHelp form

Quote:>>> Requirements:

* On PC, one of Microsoft C/C++, Borland C++ 3.1/4.0, Symantec C++
* On UNIX, XView 3.x or Motif 1.2.x and GCC/G++ (or virtually any C++ compiler)
  wxWindows is compatible with most UNIX platforms, but is most
  tested on the Sun.
* At least 8 MB of disk space.

Quote:>>> Weaknesses

To avoid disappointment, it should be pointed out that wxWindows may
not be suitable for everyone. It contains a few bugs and some ugly
code, unlike any commercial equivalent :-), it does not have the
slickness or coverage of a tool like Microsoft's MFC, and you may not
agree with the compromises made for portability. Neither the
Model-View-Controller paradigm nor a document-centric model has been
adopted, although they could both be implemented on top of wxWindows.

Some changes may need to be made for specific platforms, although many
compilers and UNIXes are now catered for. And wxWindows does produce
large executables and increase compilation time, although there are
strategies for minimizing these problems, depending on brand of
compiler and operating system.

Quote:>>> Where to get it

wxWindows is currently available from the Artificial Intelligence
Applications Institute by anonymous FTP.

Quote:> FTP to aiai.ed.ac.uk (192.41.104.6).
> log on as `anonymous', and give your user ID as password
> Change directory into pub/wxwin/1.60, change transmission method to

  binary, and get wx160.tar.Z or wx160.tgz (UNIX) and/or wx160_*.zip (PC).
  Get the latest patch file (patch16_?.tgz or patch16_?.zip).

Quote:> Get install.txt.
> For automated installation under UNIX, get wxinstal.
> Both archives contain the source code for both platforms, but only the

  executable demos for the specific platform (UNIX and Windows
  respectively). The demos are available separately as demo.tar.Z and
  demo.zip.

You can view the documentation for wxWindows on the AIAI World Wide Web
server using a viewer such as Mosaic.

See http://www.veryComputer.com/~jacs/wxwin.html

Quote:>>> Installation

See install.txt and the installation script wxinstal.

Quote:>>> Bugs, etc.

wxWindows, like most other software, has the occasional buglet
(bugs.txt contains a list of some of them). I would be grateful for
bug reports (even better, fixes) though I can't guarantee to do
anything about them. Future releases of wxWindows are likely to be
more stable and more complete.  Meanwhile, do send me your
enhancements, and I will try to incorporate them in future releases.

Quote:>>> wxWindows discussion forum

There is a mailing list for users or potential users of wxWindows. Send

subscribe to (or unsubscribe from) the mailing list. Note that these
messages go to me, it's not automated.

wxwin-announce is for people preferring lower bandwidth, and I will
always send announcements to wxwin-users as well as wxwin-announce. So
there's not usually a need to subscribe to both.

wxwin-users currently contains 289 entries.

Quote:>>> In the pipeline

* Text-only CURSES version (user contribution, in alpha testing)
* Better networking support (including WinSock integration).

Quote:>>> THANKS, to everyone who has contributed code, suggestions

or m*support.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Julian Smart, 23rd October 1994

Artificial Intelligence Applications Institute
University of Edinburgh
80 South Bridge
Edinburgh
Scotland
EH1 1HN

TEL:   031 650 2746

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: Where can I get a copy of wxWindows ??  

 check out http://www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/~jacs/wxwin.html

--
Steven Buytaert

        'Imagination is more important than knowledge.'
                        (A. Einstein)

I had recently posted a message about releasing Yet another GUI.

Many people mailed me and told me to stop wasting my time, and switch to
wxWin.

Well, two points:
  1.  I am not wasting my time, since i am going to submit my work in a course
      in the university at which i am currently studying.
  2.  After checking out wxWin, I realized that my concept was different.
      I am not relying on an existing GUI (Motif/OL/Windows), this one is
      a complete base-up application, this will finally enable the Linux
      community a VERY powerful interface, for FREE.

Some people asked me whether it's going to be compatible with exisitng OWL
of MFC applications, well, NO.

  This library is a complete redesign of existing ideas and concepts.
It is written with the intention of making application development as
easy as possible, Not limited to the task of designing the interface,
but more to the task of designing the complete application, including
user interface, networking support and data management.

  The library includes concepts taken from Motif/OWL/MFC/OL all together
I have picked the best solution to every subject from the above existing
platforms, redesigned it to fit my design concept, and implemented it
all anew.

  The library is a standalone product, capable of managing resources,
data files, network connections etc. without the need for other libraries
usually available at a cost.

  Please don't mail me about why you think i'm wasting my time. I am not.
  Whether you find it useful is one thing, I have already found it so.

Any comments and suggestions would be more than wellcome.

  Boaz Studnitzky

--

  Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

: I had recently posted a message about releasing Yet another GUI.

: Many people mailed me and told me to stop wasting my time, and switch to
: wxWin.

: Well, two points:
:   1.  I am not wasting my time, since i am going to submit my work in a course
:       in the university at which i am currently studying.
:   2.  After checking out wxWin, I realized that my concept was different.
:       I am not relying on an existing GUI (Motif/OL/Windows), this one is
:       a complete base-up application, this will finally enable the Linux
:       community a VERY powerful interface, for FREE.

I think that it sounds like a usefull package.  I don't have the money
for motif (LessTif!!), I don't really like the look or feel of open look,
and Athena is ugly, so while I find packages based on these widget sets
interesting, I have yet to find one that I like very much.  I think that
there is always room for more development tools and I prefer those that
are not based on one of the existing widget sets.  

Another GUI development package that people might want to check out is
grafix, its a little buggy (try resizing a window when using fvwm) but
its easy to use and looks nice.

$        Thank you, drive through.