Visual Edge to Show Interface-Building Tool for X Window
 
Microbytes Daily News Service
Copyright (c) 1989, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
A new user interface-management system for X Window will make its
debut at Unix Expo this week. The product, called UIMX and
developed by Visual Edge Software, could offer the interactive
design capabilities of the NeXTStep interface, one of the key
selling points of the NeXT Computer. UIMX allows software
developers to design and prototype user interfaces running on top
of Unix-based applications under X Window, building "X Widgets"
such as icons, command buttons, windows, sliders, and pop-up
menus. The program includes an ANSI C interpreter for linking the
designed interface to the application.
 
NeXTStep is "primarily oriented towards end-users," while UIMX is
more for software developers, Visual Edge president Michael Foody
told Microbytes Daily. "You could use [UIMX] to build the
NeXTStep interface," he said. One of the key features of UIMX is
its ability to interactively prototype and modify the interface
while the underlying application is running (you cannot do that
using NeXTStep). This is made possible by the use of a C
interpreter.
 
UIMX will support the Open Software Foundation's Motif interface
and also AT&T's Open Look interface, Visual Edge says. This means
that developers can use UIMX to design Motif- or Open
Look-compatible interfaces. Visual Edge says it has signed
distribution agreements with Hewlett-Packard, AT&T, and Control
Data Corp. According to H-P marketing manager Ed Lee, H-P will
announce a version of UIMX for its 68000 and RISC-based Unix
workstations "early next year."
 
UIMX is slated to be demonstrated for the first time at Unix
Expo, this week in New York City.
 
Contact: Visual Edge Software, 3870 Cote Vertu, St. Laurent, QUE
H4R 1V4, Canada; (514) 332-6430
 
                              --- Nick Baran
 
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