From: suit@uvacs.cs.Virginia.EDU (The Simple User Interface Toolkit)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: Easy-to-Learn, Portable, GUI toolkit
Date: 14 Sep 92 12:41:34 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Sep28.082635.14690
Organization: UVa Computer Science Dept.
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu


Crosspost from comp.sys.mac.announce


                                 SUIT

                  The Simple User Interface Toolkit
                 is now available for anonymous FTP.
        Copyright 1990, 1991, 1992, the University of Virginia

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            What Is SUIT?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUIT is a standard library of GUI screen components (buttons, menus,
sliders, etc.), and allows *interactive layout* and specification of user
interfaces even while the application runs. SUIT is portable. Programs
using SUIT are written in ANSI-C, and run across all platforms with exactly
the same source code. Currently, SUIT runs on:

        * UNIX/X platforms: SPARC, SGI, IBM RS/6000, DECSTATION, Sun3
        * Color Macintosh & Macintosh Powerbooks
        * DOS 5.0
        * MS-Windows 3.1

This file contains information about what SUIT is, who uses it, where
to go if you need help with SUIT and of course, what you need to do to
get SUIT installed where you are.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              Why SUIT?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
After experiences with other GUI toolkits, we found them all TOO HARD TO
LEARN, and have spent the last two years building a system that is easy to
learn.  How easy?  We've documented that undergraduates can use SUIT
productively after 2 hours with our ten page tutorial. We also have a 160
page detailed reference manual, and tons of example programs that show how
to use various widgets and features. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            Who Uses SUIT?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUIT has already been used at a large number of beta sites; to help
convince you that SUIT isn't "flakeware," we are asking for "soliticed
testimonials" from SUIT users, vouching for SUIT's stability and ease of
use. Look for them on this newsgroup.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          Who Can Get SUIT?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUIT, including all its source code, is available without charge
to Universities and other non-profit institutions.  For-profit
organizations can license SUIT for a hefty fee (site licenses only;
money is used to support students doing SUIT maintenance. Email
suit@uvacs.cs.virginia.edu if you'd like to license SUIT.)

No one may redistribute SUIT without our express written permission,
although executable programs built with SUIT may be redistributed.

Anyone may ftp SUIT for evaluation purposes.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
           What Do I Need At My Site In Order To Use SUIT?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This depends on the platform you will use:

UNIX/X: 
        You will need at least X11R4 and gcc 2.1 or later
        or any ANSI-compatible C compiler. 
        (If all you have is gcc 1.3X, send us mail. 'gcc -v'
        is how to find out what you have).              

        On the RS6000, SUIT is known to work with 
        version 3.1.5 and 3.1.6 of the operating system 
        and version 1.1 of the xlc compiler. 
                                
MAC:
        System 6.0 or 7.0 and Think C 5.0

DOS:
        DOS version 5.0 and Borland C++ version 3.1

WINDOWS:
        Microsoft Windows 3.1 and Borland C++ version 3.1

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          How Do I Get SUIT?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Getting SUIT is easy: below are instructions for getting the SUIT demo
program and a README file that walks you through some of SUIT's most
powerful features. This README also shows you how to get the entire
SUIT distribution.

The more verbose set of instructions included below is also available
by typing

                finger suit@uvacs.cs.virginia.edu


Short Instructions For Wizards:
-------------------------------
        anonymous ftp to 128.143.8.100 
        cd pub/suit/demo/{sparc,dec,etc}  <----- your platform type here

        get README
        get demo.sui
        get demo         (on DOS & MS windows, this is demo.exe)

        remember to use binary transfer


Full Details For Normal People:  
-------------------------------
        The demo is made up of the following files:

        demo            -- an executable demo program
                                (demo.exe on DOS/Windows platforms)
        demo.sui        -- a support data file that demo needs
        README          -- an ASCII text file that explains SUIT and 
                                tells how to get the whole SUIT distribution

        The files are in the directory
                pub/suit/demo/<arch> 

        where <arch> is one of the following supported architectures:
                sparc
                sun3
                rs6000
                sgi (note: this version uses X-windows, not "straight GL") 
                dec
                dos
                windows_3.1
                mac (these files are binhexed) 

        Download these three files and run demo program (detailed
        directions are below, if you need them). If you like the demo,
        the README file has step by step instructions for getting
        the entire SUIT distribution. 
        
        Again, thanks for your interest in SUIT. 

                                ---- The SUIT Development Team



    =================================================
    DETAILED DIRECTIONS FOR DOWNLOADING THE SUIT DEMO:
    =================================================

        ------------------------------
        1.) Initiate ftp to our machine at UVa.

        Type the following command:

                ftp 128.143.8.100

         You should see something that looks like:

                Connected to 128.143.8.100.
                220 server0 FTP server (Version 6.10 Tue Mar 17 09:07:50 EST 199
2) ready.
                Name (128.143.8.100:CookieMonster):

        where "CookieMonster" is your login ID.


        ------------------------------
        2.) Log in to our machine at UVa.

        At the prompt, type: 

                anonymous
        
        You should see something like this:
        
                331 Guest login ok, send ident as password.
                Password:

        ------------------------------
        3.) Type in your local login ID as a courtesy. 
        This will not be echoed back to you, so don't panic.

        You will see:   

                230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
                ftp>

        ------------------------------
        4.) Set the transfer mode to binary.
        
        Type:
                binary

        ------------------------------
        5.) Change to the SUIT demo directory.

        Type:   
                cd /pub/suit/demo

        ------------------------------
        6.) Change into the directory for your machine type
            choices are:
                sparc 
                sun3
        Type:
                cd sparc 
                        OR
                cd sun3 
                        ETC..
                
        ------------------------------
        7.) Get the files.

        Type: 
                get README
                get demo.sui
                get demo

        demo is a big file. 
        It might take some time.
        ------------------------------
        8.) Quit ftp
        
        Type: 
                quit

        ------------------------------
        9.) Make the file runnable:
        
        Type:
                chmod ugo+x demo

        ------------------------------
        10.) For Unix users: 
                Get into X windows, 
                if you are not already there
        
        ------------------------------
        11.) Run the demo
        
        Type: 
                demo

        And read the README file, which will tell you how to
        interact with the demo program.


========================================================================

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       How Do I Get SUIT Help?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

As we said, SUIT comes with a 160 page reference manual and lots of
example programs. If you need more help, you can sign up to the SUIT
mailing list. Just send mail to 

                suit-users-request@uvacs.cs.Virginia.EDU

to sign up for the mailing list. After that, you can post messages to
the mailing list after you're signed up by sending mail to

                suit-users@uvacs.cs.Virginia.EDU

If you need to talk to one of the SUIT implementors directly, you can send
mail to:
                suit@uvacs.cs.Virginia.EDU

We can usually get a response to you in about 48 hours. 

=========================================================================

We hope you give SUIT a try. If you want more information about SUIT,
or have questions that are not answered here, please feel free to send
us mail. We are eager to hear your suggestions and comments. 

                                                
                                                -- The SUIT Team


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   _____   _    _   _____   _______
  / ____) | |  | | (_   _) (__   __)   the Simple User Interface Toolkit
 / /      | |  | |   | |      | |
 \ \___   | |  | |   | |      | |                developed at
  \___ \  | |  | |   | |      | |         Computer Science Department
      \ \ | |  | |   | |      | |           University of Virginia
  ____/ / \ \__/ /  _| |_     | |         
 (_____/   \____/  (_____)    |_|        e-mail: suit@uvacs.cs.Virginia.EDU

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Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds