Speed development and increase reusability

IRIS ViewKit is a C++ application framework designed to simplify the task of developing applications based on the IRIS Indigo Magic user interface toolkit. IRIS ViewKit promotes consistency by providing a common architecture for applications and improves programmer productivity by providing high-level, and in many cases automatic, support for commonly-needed operations.

All user interface components in ViewKit are C++ classes, which provides a well-structured object framework for OSF/Motif. Code written in ViewKit is dramatically smaller and easier to understand and maintain than its Motif equivalent. In addition, the ViewKit architecture encourages you to develop self-contained objects that you can re-use in multiple applications.

ViewKit offers

• a component-based architecture which increases reusability
  
• time-saving framework for building Motif applications
  
• integration with RapidApp so you can quickly prototype applications
  

ViewKit Design

In ViewKit, everything is a component. A component may be build from a single widget or from a collection of widgets. Components manage the layout of their underlying widgets as well as their behavior. A good example of a component would a spreadsheet. It is possible to use widgets to act as individual cells in a spreadsheet or to place a grid of text field widgets in a container to create a set of widgets that look like a spreadsheet. To create a ViewKit component, encapsulate that collection of widgets in a C++ class, then add code to the class to implement the functionality of a spreadsheet. Once you have a spreadsheet component, it can be used anywhere you would like a spreadsheet.

In addition to providing facilities normally associated with a graphical user interface, IRIS ViewKit serves as a central integration platform for other facilities applications typically need. These include support for inter-application communication, integration with the Silicon Graphics Indigo Magic desktop, and automatic on-line context-sensitive help.

IRIS ViewKit is in wide use within Silicon Graphics and serves as the basis of all Developer Magic software development products, the IRIS InSight on-line documentation product, the Indigo Magic Desktop, the InPerson desktop conferencing system, and many other products. IRIS ViewKit can also be used with the Open Inventor library, which is based in part on the ViewKit model.

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