MokaByte Numero 06 - Marzo 1997
		GUI Builder Tools for Unix
	di Marie Alm	Industry Leaders UIM/X and Builder Xcessory

The GUI builder tool UIM/X is from Visual Edge in Quebec, Canada. Builder Xcessory is from Integrated Computer Solutions (ICS) in Cambridge, MA., USA. These mature tools for use on Unix platforms (various Unix flavors), are based on X11Rn and Motif, and are well known in the GUI sector. They also offer cross-platform capability; for example, to MS Windows. The displays are built using drag-and-drop technology from a palette of basic and, if so desired, custom widgets. A "widget tree" is available for the developer to see the hierarchical arrangement of the widgets. Re-arrangement and copy-cut-paste of a widget (single or whole branches) is possible. Resource editors are provided for easy resource setting. Other editors include those for color , for icons, and for fonts. Database connectivity is also a feature. There are two basic modes of operation: build and test. The Build mode is used to place the widgets on a pane in the desired location. The Test mode is used to test the high-level functionality of the widgets. They both support C and C++ code generation of the displays built - and now, they are both Java capable! The Java support is implemented differently for each tool, as you would expect. UIM/X calls theirs Instant Coffee and is known as a CPT (cross-platform tool). The following announcements for each tool talk about this. In addition, contact information is given so you can get more details upon your request.

GUI builder tools are usually divided into two main groups: Interface Development Tools (IDTs) and Interface Management Tools (IMSs). IDT tools are the more basic of the two types. Still, they provide a great deal of capability, as described above and more, in helping developers to build GUIs. IMS tools provide all the capability of the IDT tools plus they usually have a 4GL scripting language, an interpreter, and more editors. For example, UIM/X has an event editor and a callback editor both of which are extremely useful. Both tools have extensive Help facilities.

I have used both UIM/X and Builder Xcessory in the past (separate times in my career) and found both of them relatively easy to learn and use. The documentation provided was more detailed for UIM/X which I preferred. For both tools it is necessary to purchase further technical support. The cost of the tools is reasonable for a company but may be out of reach for an individual. Discounts are available for multiple licenses. There are no run-time fees for either tool. In my case, my company did not purchase technical support for Builder Xcessory so I cannot evaluate that but a different company did purchase technical support for UIM/X and I must say it was phenomenal. Many gold stars to them for that.

UIM/X gives the option of generating straight XT/Motif code or code using their 4GL scripting language. I chose Xt code in C. The code generated was placed into .c and .h files, one .c file and one .h file per display. The code was well organized, commented, and easily understandable. I found this arrangement very nice to work with.

Builder Xcessory generated code placed into three files for the entire project. The 'main' and initialization code in one .c file, the widget creation/realization code in another .c file, and all the callbacks in another .c file. I found this arrangement a little more cumbersome to work with but not bad. In both cases, you must remember that any changes you add to the generated code outside the tool will be overwritten the next time you generate code. This is especially so for IDT type tools. For IMS tools, with their callback editors, this is somewhat less of a danger.

Default makefiles are also provided. The generated code from both tools compiled cleanly the first time and the projects ran without problems.

Both tools are widely used across many US and world sectors of industry. Some of the companies using these tools include Lockheed-Martin, AT&T, Boeing, the New York Stock Exchange, NASA, Sprint, Merck (a pharmaceutical company), and Siemans. If you are in the market looking for a good tool of this type, I certainly recommend that you call them both up and ask for evaluation copies. These evaluation copies are typically full-featured with the Save and Print features disabled and given to you with a free evaluation license that expires after a specified period of time. GUI builder tools are a great time-saver for the developer - both the professional and the hobbyist.

ICS: Builder Xcessory

Visual Edge: UIM/X
 
 

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