Software Guide

UIM/X

Version: 2.5
Operating System: IRIX 5.2
Machines: All Silicon Graphics

Getting Started

Manual Blurb

UIM/X is a comprehensive second-generation Graphical User Interface (GUI) builder. It enhances programmer productivity by enabling software developers to interactively create, modify, test and generate code for the user interface portion of their applications. With UIM/X 2.5, developers can create interfaces which may readily be ported across platforms, as well as create graphical interfaces for existing keyboard-oriented applications. Using UIM/X, software developers can greatly reduce the effort and investment necessary to create their applications.

UIM/X 2.5 is fully integrated with release 1.2 of the OSF/Motif toolkit. Developers use a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editor to graphically choose from any of the OSF/Motif "Widgets" (such as PushButtons, ScrollBars, Popup Menus, etc.) and draw their interfaces. UIM/X also contains a built-in C Interpreter. From within UIM/X, developers can create the C-code link between the user interface and their applications. They have on-line access to their own compiled functions, as well as to an optional library of UIM/X convenience functions. UIM/X allows the user interface to be modified while the underlying application is connected and running. Developers can modify interfaces and immediately see the effects on their applications; with UIM/X, there's no need for time-consuming generate code-recompile-relink-restart-test cycles of GUI software development.

UIM/X consists of a core GUI Builder Engine surrounded by a wide variety of configurable editing tools and capabilities. All are smoothly integrated through the consistent use of a drag-and-drop metaphor.

UIM/X for the SGIs has been upgraded from 2.0 to 2.5. The software is located in the directory /usr/local/uimx2.5

Features

Here are the main features of UIM/X:

• Motif 1.2 Support. Use 100% of Motif 1.2 in developing interfaces. Build drag-and-drop into applications.
• GUI Object Components. Create reusable UIM/X Component classes using drag-and-drop. Take advantage of encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism in compliance with the OMG's CORBA C API specification.
• C++ Code Generation. Generate C++ code, taking advantage of its object-oriented capabilities. Components become true C++ classes - Component properties become data members, methods become member functions, the creation function becomes a constructor.
• Cross-platform GUI Development Capability. Create portable interfaces out of custom-built Components/classes. Automatically generate the OSF/Motif code for portable Components.
• New Palettes. Start UIM/X with a palette of color icons containing all the OSF/Motif widgets and gadgets. Organize palette entries into categories. Customize the icon and name of palette entries. Tailor palettes to contain only "corporate standard" entries.
• New Contributed Software. (/usr/local/uimx2.5/contrib) Use a graphical editor for editing form constraints. Work with Object Design's ObjectStore ODBMS. Add new widgets to UIM/X with a graphical editor. Learn by example how to build drag-and-drop into your application.
• Other Enhancements. Additional code generation options. Enhancements to reading and writing UIL. Performance and memory management improvements. Interpreter enhancements. Numerous enhancements to creation of application or market-specific GUI builders. Better handling of interface files containing errors. Faster file loading. Bug fixes.

Help

Documentation

The following manuals are available for check-out in Room 209 CoC: (Some of these guides are available in the GVU Lab as well.)

• Getting Started with UIMX 2.5 (3)
• UIMX 2.5 Developer's Guide (3)
• Extending and Customizing UIMX 2.5 (2)
• Installing and Configuring UIMX 2.5 (3)
• Installing UIM/X for Silicon Graphics Workstation (2)

Mail general questions to help@gvu.gatech.edu