Top Document: Motif FAQ (Part 1 of 9) Previous Document: 16) Is there a concise features list for Motif 2.0? Next Document: 18) Is there a concise features list for Motif 2.1? See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge [Last modified: Aug 97] Answer: (See the previous question for a more compact features list.) NOTE: This is a posting by Douglas Rand that was composed by one of the OSF business managers, Darrell Crow (crow@osf.org). OSF also published a nice technical overview in the X Journal. A copy of that report is available on-line at: http://www.opengroup.org/tech/desktop/motif/xjournal.htm Date: 11 Jul 94 15:49:27 GMT From: (Douglas Rand) Organization: Open Software Foundation Subject: Motif 2.0 announcement To: uunet!lobo.gsfc.nasa.gov!motif The following was composed by one of our business managers, Darrell Crow (crow@osf.org), questions may be directed to him. ---------------------------------------- With this posting I hope to answer many questions I've been receiving regarding what is in Motif 2.0 and how does if differ from Release 1.2. This posting contains an overview followed by a bullet item listing of the features and benefits added to Motif in this release. If I didn't answer your questions feel free to direct them to me. At the end, I'll list additional documentation available from OSF. If you're also interested in the licensing and pricing information you can also contact me or the official OSF/Motif channel: direct@osf.org. I hope that this information update is of benefit to you. OSF/Motif has become the major Graphical User Interface (GUI) technology for Open Systems, as well as an IEEE 1295 standard. On Tuesday, June 21, OSF announced its next major release of OSF/Motif, Release 2.0. This release, which is the most extensive and colaborative release of Motif since Motif 1.0 was introduced five years ago, includes new features organized around four major themes: I. Extensibility, 2. Consistency, 3. Improvements and 4. CDE Convergence. Motif 2.0 was a collaborative development effort. Contributors to this release include Lotus Development, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Digital Equipment, Integrated Computer Solutions, Computer Automation, Groupe Bull, HaL Computer Systems and Unix Systems Laboratories. This release had the goal of allowing developers to easily build new widgets and with support for C++ . This required new extensible features such as subclassing, traits, C++ support and detailed documentation. Like all Xt- based toolkits, subclassing requires detailed knowledge, experience and access to the source code to fully understand Motif's class methods. Motif 2.0 simplified this process by providing extensive documentation and allowing subclassing from the Primitive and Manager classes without requiring access to source code. Documentation of Motif's class methods are included in a new book, The OSF/Motif Widget Writer's Guide. This book provides all necessary information to subclass from Primitive and Manager and numerous examples of subclassing are provided. Traits are a new feature with Motif 2.0 which essentially allow a given behaviour to be associated to a widget irrespective of the widget hierarchial relationships. The number of applications developped in C++ is rapidly growing and C++ programmers are now able to derive new subclasses and still have those C++ widgets usable as regular widgets with the standard API in Motif 2.0 CDE (Common Desktop Environment) convergence. The previous version of OSF/Motif (Release 1.2) introduced major new features such as internationalization, drag-and-drop and tear-off menus. Those features were intended to allow application developers to produce interoperable, easy to use applications for a worldwide market. As a result, this technology was selected to become the basis of the Common Desktop Environment jointly developed by HP, IBM, Novell and SunSoft, proposed to become an X/Open standard. These features as well as the GUI extensions added to the CDE specifications have been added to Release 2.0. PC Consistency has been a major theme of this release. This includes improvements and completions to the toolkit that was begun with Motif 1.2 as well as the addition of seven new widgets (Container, Notebook, icon gadget, spinbox, combobox, CSText and thermometer) common to this environment and finally a new Style Guide. Extensive work has been expended to ensure the convergence of the Windows, CUA, CDE and Motif style both in technology and terminology into a single document. The work for this book will be submitted to the X/Open Fast Track process for incorporation into the X/Open set of specifications. Improvements to the OSF/Motif toolkit are far too numerous to adequately list here. However a brief mention of a few of the major improvements includes the addition of the Unified Transfer Model that simplifies data transfer by all Motif's previous methods, XPM support (ability to read colored icon file for pixmap resources), ScrolledWindow partial scroll and autodrag,Toggle checkmark, indeterminate state, documenting the input methods API for internationalization, upgrading UIL to support 64-bit architecture, platform independence, and support of the new extensibility features and widgets, and finally the Motif Window Manager support of virtual screen, workspace management protocol and root menu additions and etc. This release brings together the most requested features from development community with the single purpose of extending application developers' mission of producing portable, consistent and interoperable applications to the open systems community. Listing of the OSF/MotifR 2.0 Features and Benefits I. MORE EFFICIENT APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT Easier application development to meet new business opportunities and deploy applications faster... Benefit Allows easier extensions to Motif for custom user Features: * New, formal Xme API for integrating custom widgets interfaces, without access to Motif source code * All extensions using Xme API are "full citizens" * Widgets may be added to off-the-shelf Motif products, without recompiling Motif source code * Manager and primitive widget subclassing * C++ base classes provided for C++ widget development * C++ is used for inheritance, but X intrinsics are used for other characteristics * Trait mechanism for OSF/Motif widgets, allowing "multiple inheritance" of C class methods * Extensibility fully documented in Widget Writer's Guide, and Reference documentation * New OSF training: Widget Writing with Motif 2.0 * Examples of custom widgets in C and C++ Feature: Makes it easier for C++ developers to use Motif Benefit: * Motif source code compilable by C++ compiler * Ability to integrate C++ widget extensions (above) Feature: Allows easier exploitation of Motif features for end user benefits Benefit: XmNotebook * Subclass of XmManager * Organizes children into pages, tabs, status area and page scroller XmContainer * Subclass of XmManager * Manages IconGadget children XmIconGadget XmComboBox * Subclass of XmManager * Combines capabilities of a single line XmTextField and XmList XmSpinBox * Subclass of XmManager * Manages multiple traversable children XmScale (thermometer) widget * Subclass of XmManager * New resources added for thermometer behavior XmCSText * Subclass of XmPrimitive * Provides facilities which parallel XmText, but using XmString Uniform transfer model for primary transfer, * secondary transfer, cut and paste, drag and drop Uniform API (with backward compatibility) 2 new callback functions for target identifcation Misc. toolkit enhancements: * Menu system Simplified programming of popup menus Source code reorganization * X pix map (XPM) format, with multicolor icons Misc. toolkit enhancements (continued): * New rendering characteristics for XmString: renditions (fonts, color), tabs, localization components, parsing * List -- Quick navigate * Traversal -- drawing area traversable via keys, virtual key associated with multiple real keys * Visuals (in addition to Toggle Button) * XmScreen resources * Resolution independence -- unit conversion UIL enhancements: * Support for new and custom widgets * UID files -- platform independence * 64-bit architecture support Updates to documentation: Programmer's Guide, Reference Updates to OSF training: * Introduction to Programming * User Interface Design * 2.0 Technical Update Feature: Allows easy integration of applications with Common Desktop Environment (CDE) Benefit: * Contains foundation GUI for CDE * Client-command interface allowing other clients to add commands to MWM menus Feature: Allows easy migration of applications to Motif 2.0 Benefit * Upward binary compatibility of Motif 1.2 toolkit API (Motif 1.2 applications need only re-link) Feature Makes applications easier to troubleshoot & maintain Benefit * Overall quality improvements in Motif * Default density lower than 0.5 DPKLOC EASE OF USE Ease of use by individual computer users... at the application user interface level... Feature: Satisfies rising user expectations for ease of use, leveraging experience with other user interfaces Benefit: User interface capabilities equivalent to those on PCs: * Notebook widget * Container widget * ComboBox widget * SpinBox widget * Scale (thermometer) widget * Availability of formatted editable text Compound String text widget Compound String enhancements to support color, tabs, multiple fonts, etc. * Auto Scrolling * Vertical Paned Window * Update to User Guide Ease of use by individual computer users... at the desktop level... Feature: Allows easier integration with the desktop Benefit: * Contains foundation GUI for Common Desktop Environment (CDE) * Tear-off menu support of mwm's root menu Feature: Allows more natural organization of users' work Benefits: * Virtual screen (desktop panning) support * Workspace management protocol (for third party workspace management solutions that allow users to switch computing context "rooms" for different tasks) EASE OF ENTERPRISE COMPUTING Easier integration of Motif and Motif applications into the enterprise computing environment... Feature: Increases consistency of user interface style across platforms & applications; increases user skill portability Benefits: * Motif 2.0 Style Guide work Technical and terminology convergence among Motif, CDE and CUA * New widget support of converged style * Increased similarity to Windows & CUA behavior: Check marks and crosses in Toggle Button Indeterminate state in Toggle Button Ctrl Button 1 takes focus Menu unpost behavior Quick navigate in list Feature: Increases consistency of a complete user environment across open systems Benefits: * Consistency with the X/Open CDE specification, including virtually all CDE Motif vendor extensions: XmCascadeButton activation via BMenu Enhanced XmFileSelectionBox Default XmNshadowThickness to 1 Thermometer-style XmScale Color pixmaps in XPM format Additional virtual key bindings SpinBox, ComboBox Message catalogs for toolkit error messages Other items controlled by a global resource: ColorObject (standarizes colormap allocation for applications, to enable use of Style Manager application) BSelect and BTransfer integration Dragging non-selectable items disabled Use of TAB key -- XmPushButton navigation Visual additions to XmToggleButton Visual modifications to menus (etched in) Visual modifications to default button in dialogs (focus highlight outside of default visual) Visual modifications to MWM Additional drag icons * Compliance with IEEE 1295 standard * Consistency of Motif vendor implementations: AES Rev D for API stability Validation Test Suite 2.0 for certification Updated Quality Assurance Test Suite for consistency in quality * Continued support of the X Window system (based on * X11R5; tested also with X11R6 ) Feature: Ease of integrating Motif and PC environments Benefits: * Favorable licensing terms to support: PC client-server computing Deployment of PC applications using Motif DLLs * Style convergence to support hybrid user environments WORLD-WIDE ACCEPTANCE Even more acceptable as the preferred user interface for Open Systems, worldwide... Feature Applicable to a wider range of computer users Benefits: * Internationalization enhancements: New API for widget writers to make use of input methods Higher level of internationalization for Middle Eastern languages: Bi-directional layout -- left-to-right/right-to-left geometry management Bi-directional text editing -- left-to-right/right-to-left, single level (unsupported) * 64-bit architecture support * Favorable licensing terms to support: Single user systems Embedded systems Cross-vendor Motif upgrades Shared library distribution with applications * Performance Memory usage Start-up time, for list widget Decreased X resource usage Various optimizations ADDITIONAL AVAILABLE DOCUMENTS FROM OSF. OSF/Motif 2.0 Datasheet OSF/Motif 2.0 Price List OSF/Motif 2.0 Licensing Kit OSF/Motif 2.0 Laymen's Explanation OSF/Motif 2.0 FAQ X/Journal July-August Feature Article on Motif 2.0 FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OSF/MOTIF 2.0, PLEASE CONTACT OSF DIRECT CHANNELS AT: (617)621-7300; email: direct@osf.org OSF and Motif are registered trademarks of the Open Software Foundation, Inc. [end of message from Darrell Crow (crow@osf.org)] User Contributions:Top Document: Motif FAQ (Part 1 of 9) Previous Document: 16) Is there a concise features list for Motif 2.0? Next Document: 18) Is there a concise features list for Motif 2.1? Part1 - Part2 - Part3 - Part4 - Part5 - Part6 - Part7 - Part8 - Part9 - Single Page [ Usenet FAQs | Web FAQs | Documents | RFC Index ] Send corrections/additions to the FAQ Maintainer: kenton@rahul.net (Ken Lee)
Last Update March 27 2014 @ 02:11 PM
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