
COMPOSER(help)               Khoros                COMPOSER(help)

     EDITING UIS: OVERVIEW

     Composer is designed to edit simple UIS files that contain
     only a single pane.  These kind of files are used for the
     data processing routines accessed by cantata.  Examples of
     the *.pane files can be found in
     KHOROS_HOME/repos/cantata/subforms/*/*.pane.  A complete
     description of the User Interface Specification file can be
     found in Chapter 2 of the second volume of the Khoros
     manual.  Composer provides a interactive method of editing
     the rather cryptic syntax of UIS lines.

     The interactive editing of a UIS pane file is an iterative
     process of adding and/or selecting user interface items and
     then editing them until the appearance and documentation is
     correct.  This iterative design process is carried out by
     first selecting one of the action buttons on the top third
     of the composer form and then by filling out the items in
     the bottom two thirds of the composer form.

     All of the fields in the bottom two thirds of the form are
     not always applicable to the user interface item that you
     are editing.  The fields that are not appropriate are not
     active and can not be changed or edited.   The following
     discussion gives a brief summary of what items can be edited
     in composer.

     Reading and Saving Pane Files

     A new pane file is immediately created as soon as you select
     any of the user interface items in the top third of the
     form.  To save this file to disk, you must type in the
     filename that you want and then click on the "SAVE" button.
     (Remember, it is best to save your files to a work direc-
     tory.) A UIS pane file can be read in at anytime by filling
     in a *.pane file name and then by clicking on the "READ"
     button.  It is best to read and save in the working direc-
     tory that you are running composer from;  this reduces the
     chances of you over writing important files.

     Once a new pane file has been read in, it will immediately
     be displayed on the screen.  The displayed pane on the
     screen is updated immediately when you type a carriage
     return into any of the live fields in the bottom two thirds
     of the composer form.

     File, String, and Numeric Entry Items

     A UIS pane provides input of "INPUT FILE" names, "OUTPUT
     FILE" names, "FLOAT VALUE"s, "INTEGER VALUE"s , "LOGICALS",
     "STRING VALUE"s, and "COMMENT TEXT".  To add or create one
     of these items, click on the desired button.  This will
     cause a list of that type of item to appear.  If there were
     no such items before, the list will only have one item in
     it; go ahead and select that item by clicking on it.  If
     there were existing items of this type before, you will be
     provided with a list of all existing items and a new item at
     the bottom of the list.  Select the item you wish to edit.

     Once an item has been selected, you can edit the fields that
     are valid for that user interface item.  The inactive fields
     have shaded borders and can not be typed in.  Any field that
     you edit that has a stylized carriage return after it is a
     live field.  Hitting a carriage return will cause the pane
     that you are editing to be updated immediately.

     Grouping of Data Entry Items

     It is often desirable to make several of the user interface
     items dependent on one another.  This can be done by group-
     ing them as a "TOGGLE GROUP" of like items or as a set of
     mutually exclusive ("MUT EXC GROUP") items.  Before you can
     group several items, you must first create the items as out-
     lined above.

     Making a toggle group sets up a list of default values or
     strings that can be selected.  Files, numbers, logicals and
     strings can be grouped in this way.  Making a mutually
     exclusive group sets up a set of items, with only one of
     them selected at a time.  But with changeable values still
     available, not just defaults as is the case with toggles.

     Clicking on the "TOGGLE GROUP" or "MUT EXC GROUP" button
     causes a list of items to pop up.  Select the existing item
     that you wish to edit or select the new item on the bottom
     of the list.

     Action Buttons

     There are buttons that you will want to put on the pane that
     you are editing that cause specific actions.  The "RUN BUT-
     TON" is for program execution, the "HELP BUTTON" is for
     accessing on-line help, the "QUIT BUTTON" is to close the
     pane and is not typically used, and the "(actions)" button
     is not typically used.

     You will always want to have a single run button and a sin-
     gle help button on the pane that you are editing.

     Deleting and Copying Items

     Any of the user interface items can be deleted or copied.
     Clicking on the "DELETE ITEM" button or the "COPY ITEM" but-
     ton causes a complete list of existing items to pop up.
     Select the item that you wish to copy or delete.  If you
     copy an item, the duplicate line is placed on the pane just
     below the original line.

     Getting Started

     All UIS pane files must have a "PANE PARAMS" item that
     specifies the size of the pane and documents the pane. (As a
     note, sizes are managed both by you setting them and by the
     X toolkit, so what you specify won't always be what you
     get.) So, to create a new pane, start by selecting "PANE
     PARAMS" and editing the available fields.  Make sure that
     you fill out the "Program name" field. The size won't change
     until other items are added to the pane.  To save this pane,
     click on the "SAVE" button.

     If you wish to begin by editing an existing pane, copy an
     existing pane file into your working directory from
     KHOROS_HOME/repos/cantata/subforms/*/*.pane.
     After you have done this, fill in the *.pane filename that
     you want and click on the "READ" button.

     WARNINGS and NOTES

     Often you will place items on top of each other in a way
     that they may get completely hidden.  Be careful that you
     pay attention to the vertical position of items that you
     copy.  Also, the template items that are provided may appear
     in a position that hides an existing item.

     Copyright 1991, University of New Mexico. All rights
     reserved.

Khoros                    Release: 1.0                          1

