Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!halley!leghorn.mpd.tandem.com!tjd
From: tjd@leghorn.mpd.tandem.com (Tom Davidson)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: User Interface Generation Tools
Keywords: UIMX, uims
Message-ID: <607@halley.UUCP>
Date: 10 Oct 89 14:51:18 GMT
References: <4196@cuuxb.ATT.COM> <35@venice.SEDD.TRW.COM>
Sender: news@halley.UUCP
Reply-To: halley!tjd@cs.utexas.edu
Organization: Tandem Computers
Lines: 40

Although I wasn't directly asked, I have used UIMX in two forms for about a
year and here are some comments...

. I started out being a proponent of the UIL approach (OPEN/DIALOGUE) as
  I felt it presented a more rigorous approach and one could keep
  modification histories via rcs. Well, I changed my mind in a big way.

. UIMX, up to recently, supported the HP widget set. Now I believe that
  the MOTIF version is ready to hit the streets soon and there is an
  OPEN LOOK version in the works.

. I can't say enough good things about sitting down with your end user and
  building the i/f and test driving it with them. Because of the builtin C
  interpreter, you never leave the UIMX environment.

. You can hook into existing C code, use system calls or subprocs to kick
  off helpers (and channel their output to widgets!).

. UIMX keeps an interface file of your work which can be loaded and
  modified whenever needed. When ready to build the final application,
  you just ask UIMX to write the C code, bind it with the 10,000 X
  libraries and voila... you're done.

. Ok, ok enough of the pep talk... is it useful? Yes, in the most recent
  case, I was able to build an application in about 15 hours which I
  think would have taken three weeks writing the code by hand.

. The Ohio State "build a telephone" test using the Next IB was completed
  in comparable time ( < 1 hour) using UIMX.

I think it's slick stuff. If you're looking for ways to speed up i/f
building, and thereby concentrate on the real issues, check it out.

Tom

--
Tom Davidson			internet: halley!foghorn!tjd@cs.utexas.edu 
Tandem Computers, Inc.		fax: (512) 244-8247 voice: (512) 244-8375
14231 Tandem Boulevard
Austin, TX 78728-6610