Yagb

yet another GUI builder

Yagb is a free GUI builder program for Lesstif .With it you can visually construct your user interface and theprogram will automatically generate the source code for that GUI.This makes the process of developing a GUI much simpler, although you still need to understand a fairbit about the widget set you are using.

Features

• Supports most resource types including fonts, colours and callbacks but not pixmaps

The current releaselimitations

• alpha release, lacks polish

• only works with Lesstif (before 0.1h) Open Motif (0.1h)

• is currently setup to work with Motif-1.2 version of Lesstif/OpenMotif  and X11R6

• I have tried to steer clear of code specific to Lesstif / Motif so that other widget sets can be used - almost certainly this needs further work but the potentialis there.

Instructions

• Download the code, unzip and unpack it

• 'make' to build the code

• run the system 'yagb'

• build a GUI

• generate code - will be output to 'Output.cc'

• build your GUI's code - 'make Output' - uses Output.cc and OutputPlus.cc (a library file, and MOSCW.cc providing better support for XmScrolledWindow's)

• run your generated code with 'Output'

The code : yagb-0_1h_tar.gz

Previous release code :

• yagb-0_1g_tar.gz

• yagb_0_1f_tar.gz

• yagb_0_1e_tar.gz

• yagb_0_1d_tar.gz

• yagb_0_1c_tar.gz

• yagb_0_1b_tar.gz

• yagb_0_1a_tar.gz

Anycomments, suggestions are very welcome: rich_gooding@yahoo.com

Future Plans

• Predefined callback code Eg. PopupWindow(X)

Release Notes

3/6/2001 - 0.1h (fixes + minor enhancements)

• compiled against OpenMotif
• added Mouse Button 3 - drag for items on an XmForm
• introduction of division of code generation output into separate files
  

28/12/1999 - 0.1g (fixes +new features)

• Added toggle of widget management

• Global widget declarations in code generation

• Fix of real-widget selection -- now selects the widget clicked

• Added 'Auto-update' mode to resource editor window

• Added fix to allow 'composite widgets' (eg Shells) to have a child added to them if they have no children. This normally does not occur unless a shell's child is deleted.

• Added 'Append' option.

• Cut , Copy and Paste not full-proof yet - but useful

• Selection extended :

Btn1	select widget / clear selection
Btn1 + shift	toggle selection of widget
Btn1 + control	select widget & all children
Btn1 + control + shift	toggle select widget & all children

• Bug fix for callback code gen : major

• Bug fix for specifying the name of the file on the command line - save wasn't remembering it !

• Bug fix for top level application shell & colourmaps

17/11/1999 - 0.1f (bugfix)

• Fix for command line argument handling compilation bug.

31/8/1999 - 0.1e(compatibility + minor fixes)

• Add compatibility with True Colour Visuals : 15,16,24 bits tested.

• Improved resources

23/8/1999 - 0.1d (fixes +minor enhancements)

• Bug Fix : Tear off bugs fix

• Bug Fix : FontList - select "none"

• Bug Fix : File Selection Box refresh

• Bug Fix : Widget Naming (several)

• New convenience function for XmFrame

• Minor GUI improvements - including Automatic scrolling of widgeet tree to selected widget

19/8/1999 - 0.1c (fixes +minor enhancements)

• *NEW* Allow Yagb to run using a private colormaps -- 'yagb -pc'

• Add tear-off menus around the place

• Bug Fix for 'File_Open' Menu option which used to not work more than once

• Bug Fix minor bug in Widget Naming text field error reporting

17/8/1999 - 0.1b (minorfixes)

• Bug fix for 'ClientLeader' resource

• Improved error trapping for Colours

15/8/1999 - 0.1a

• *NEW* Support for widget naming

• Improved support for XmScrolledWindow

• Bug fix - improved deleting children of XmPanedWindow (still LESSTIF trouble ?!)

• Bug fix - resource references to deleted widgets are reset

• Attempt to Improve Resource Editor GUI

• Bug Fix - Pixmap resource (no support for editing these yet)

Inside Yagb

Yagb uses some X11 functionality to try and minimize its dependence on Motif specific knowledge :

1. Widget  Creation: Yagb examins the widget hierarchy before and after widget  creation to work out which widgets are created by any given function  call.   Widgets created by a single call are treated as a group  throughout the program.  Deleting any widget in a group deletes the  whole group (since the same code used to create the widgets is used in Yagb and the programs it generates) - likewise cut / copy / paste.  It has to be done this  way because the code generation uses the same creation call to  generate the widgets.  This works fine in most cases - even for  complex widgets such as a file selection dialog. Problems: widget  creation is sometimes context sensitive - eg in Lesstif cascade  buttons on a menu bar share a single XmPopupShell - only the first pulldown menu will create the Popup shell , later menus will share the firstone - fine unless you ever delete the first one ! .. And the are otherexamples...

2. Yagb uses XtGetResourceList and XtGetConstraintResouce list. Again lots of useful information here allowing viewing of values. Problems : information such as whether resources are CSG (create, set or get see XmCore man pages) is not present. Default valuescan be context sensitive. Some resources work in groups eg the Form constraint resources - where widgets can be specified and another resource indicates how to use that widget.

3. Resource type conversions. Lots of these are provided by default and can be used to get and set resources - as the basis for resource editing.

last update 3 June 2001