FORMS Library, A Graphical User Interface Toolkit

[Mark Overmars]

I am happy to announce the first official release of the


                           FORMS LIBRARY
                           =============

This is a Graphical User Interface Toolkit for the SGI machines. It makes it
possible to design interaction forms with dials, sliders, buttons, input
fields, etc. in a very simple way. The Forms Library consists of a library of
C routines to create and display forms, a set of about 25 demo programs and
a few full applications. It also includes an editor that makes it possible to
design forms in an interactive way. This editor creates a piece of C-code to
build up the forms. The library also contains a total of 60 pages of
documentation.

The forms library is Public Domain software, with all the usual restrictions
and disclaimers.

One of the design goals was to make something that is easy to use. Building up
complicated forms is very easy. A second goal was to make the forms look nice.
Objects have a 3-D (Motif-like) appearance and can have all kinds of colors.
Fonts are proportional, can be scaled, etc.

The library was especially written to work in combination with dynamic user
windows. E.g. It is very easy to have a window in which an object spins around
and put a form next to it with sliders to control its speed and size, etc.
(In fact, a demo of this type is included.) The library is also easily
extendable.

The library has been tested on a 4D/25TG, a 4D/120GTX and a 4D/310GTX but
should also work on other machines.

The best way to get the library is via anonymous ftp in our archive at
archive.cs.ruu.nl (131.211.80.5) (if you can't do this, mail me).

In the directory SGI you find a file forms1.0.tar.Z. Get it (in binary mode)
and type

uncompress forms1.0.tar.Z
tar xvof forms1.0.tar

and you get a directory forms_library.

in the directory read the Readme file and next type

make all

That will do it.

Good luck with it. Please report any bugs, questions, extensions, etc. to
markov at cs.ruu.nl.

Mark Overmars