.PP
\fBComposer\fP is a tool for interactively creating and maintaining
a data processing (vroutine) program in the Khoros environment.  It provides a
interactive 
graphical user interface to the User Interface Specification (UIS) file and
Program Specification (PS) file.  \fBComposer\fP also provides an
interface to the code generator tool set \fBghostwriter, ghostreader and
ghostcheck\fP as well as the installation script \fBkinstall\fP.
.PP
\fBComposer\fP was designed to be used by someone writing vroutine
programs such as those in the vipl, num_analysis, remote_gis, dspl or 
file_format source directories.  \fBComposer\fP is not ver useful for
writing interactive X Windows aplications (xvroutines).
The resulting programs will be compliant with the Khoros command line
user interface as well as be compatible with the \fBcantata\fP visual
language.  There is no need to recompile or modify \fBcantata\fP code
to include new routines in the \fBcantata\fP user interface.  All that
you need to do is create a new pane file and reference it from within
the \fBcantata\fP UIS form file. When you are first prototyping
the pane file, you can read it into cantata via the workspace options.
For more information on doing this, read the
Khoros Manual Volume II, Chapter 1, "Writing Programs".
.PP
From the master form of composer you can either edit a User Interface
Specification (UIS) file by selecting the "UI Spec" button, edit a Program
Specification (PS) file by selecting the "Program" button, or access
the code generating tools by selecting the "Tools" button.  
A demo of \fBComposer\fP can be executed by running
.IP 
\f(CW% composer -jp $KHOROS_HOME/repos/journals/composer.jp\fP.
.SH 
Editing a UIS File
.PP
A UIS file is an ASCII file that contains information necessary to
generate both a command line user interface and a graphical form/menu
interface.  The UIS file includes a single line of a specific syntax
for each computer/user interaction.  This file can be edited with
any text editor once you are familiar with the syntax.  But as a new
user, you will find quicker success in creating and editing UIS files
if you use \fBcomposer\fP.  \fBComposer\fP can be thought of a
syntax sensitive user interface editor, in other words, a user interactively
creates a UIS file that must be syntactically correct.
.PP
More documentation on UIS files can be found in Khoros Manual Volume II,
Chapter 2.  As is explained in this referenced document, Khoros graphical user
interfaces are composed of a master form, subforms and panes.  \fBComposer\fP
only allows you to edit single pane specifications.  This type of
pane specification is sufficient to generate a command line user interface
for a vroutine program and allow you to incorporate this
routine into \fBcantata\fP. More extensive editing of UIS files is provided by
the \fBpreview\fP application, Khoros Manual Volume II, Chapter 3.
.SH 
Editing a PS File
.PP
A PS file is an ASCII file that contains code segments and documentation
necessary to generate 100% of a vroutine program.  The PS file
must be accompanied by a UIS file.  The PS file includes 24 specific
fields of information that are used to generate both code and
documentation.  When you are writing a new program, the PS file
encourages you to abide by KHOROS coding conventions.
The PS file is invaluable in maintaining code.  \fBComposer\fP
provides you with a more interactive method of editing the PS file. 
.PP
More documentation on PS files can be found in Khoros Manual Volume II,
Chapter 5, "Ghost Routines" and Chapter 1, "Writing Programs".
\fBComposer\fP allows you to edit one field of the PS file at a time.  When
you become familiar with the begin keys and end keys that delimit 
the various fields in the PS file, you may wish to use your
favorite text editor instead of \fBcomposer\fP.
.SH 
Programming Tools
.PP
The specification files, UIS and PS, are accompanied by program
code generators \fBghostwriter\fP and \fBconductor\fP.  The \fBghost\fP
tool set are the only programs accessed from with in \fBcomposer\fP; 
\fBconductor\fP is for generating X Windows user interfaces.
The \fBghost\fP tool set allows you to check the status of a program,
generate code and maintain code.  After a program is generated, it can be
compiled using the automatically generated make files and then installed
using the \fBkinstall\fP program.  \fBKinstall\fP assumes that you
have created a toolbox for your program to be installed into.
.PP
More documentation on these tools can be found in Khoros Manual Volume II,
Chapter 5, "Ghost Routines", the manual pages for kinstall(1), 
ghostreader(1), ghostwriter(1), ghostcheck(1), imkmf(1), makemake(1),
Khoros Manual Volume II, Chapter 1, "Writing Programs", and 
Khoros Manual Volume II, Chapter 9, "Configuration Management".
When you become more familiar with the Khoros environment, you may
wish to run these various commands from the command line.
\fBComposer\fP basically gives you simplified access to these tools.
