Getting Started: DX Windows

Start DX by entering the following at a command line prompt:

%dx

The four main windows of Database Xcessory are displayed:

  • The Palette
  • The Browser
  • The Resource Editor
  • The Schema Browser
The Palette holds the widgets, classes and user-defined collections you use to build your application. The DX Palette includes:
  • Motif - standard UNIX GUI toolkit
  • DBPak - Database aware widget toolkit used by DX
  • EPak - the ICS Enhancement Pak, a set of additional widgets to help make your interfaces look and work better
  • ViewKit - an application framework to make Motif development in C++ more efficient and easier than ever before

Together, the most comprehensive X/Windows widget collection available anywhere!

With DX, you build applications simply by dragging and dropping widgets, then modifying their resource settings. You can also create your own widgets, classes, and collections, and add them to the DX Palette.
The Browser is your main work area.

As you drag and drop widgets to create screens, the Browser displays the hierarchical structure of your interface. As you add and modify widgets, the Browser shows you the instance hierarchy of your interface.

 

Use the Browser to:

  • Select a widget by clicking on it.
  • Modify the hierarchical structure of your interface.
  • Define new classes.
  • Generate C, C++ code, and makefiles.
  • See online Help.
  • Switch between Build Mode (for building) and Play Mode (for testing).
  • Access DX Managers -- helpful tools that keep track of constants, identifiers, procedures and types used in building your application.
The Resource Editor allows you to easily edit widget resources. When you double click on a class or widget instance in the Browser, its resources are displayed in the Resource Editor.

Use the Resource Editor to:

  • Set resources.
  • Add callbacks.
  • Apply application-wide styles.
  • Search for widgets.
The Schema Browser lets you view the schema of a specific database. By dragging and dropping columns of data, you can quickly build a fully-functional, data-aware application.

Use the Schema Browser to:

  • Select the databases and tables you want to work with.
  • View sample data.
  • Drag and drop data-aware widgets on to your application.

 

Documentation: