Conference bulova::decw_jan-89_to_nov-90

247.0. "Selling DIGITAL GKS, means DECwindows support with no extra work." by DCC::ALDEN (Ken Alden) Sat Feb 18 1989 13:42

(also posted in GKSNOTES)

It's time to plug, when plugging is deserved.

The other day, a CSO came in to load their software for some demos next week. 
software used GKS for its displays. We were using DECwindows while installing
the software and when it came time to run it, it complained about not having
UIS loaded. It would, however run in a terminal (VT340) just fine. I tried 
defining GKS$WSTYPE, and any other logical that made sense at the moment, with
no luck to get the product to use the DECwindows driver for GKS.

I had the CSO call his compnay to talk with someone "in the know", to find out
just why their application didn't work "very well with our gks". "All the 
other applications I have that use GKS work just fine."

And so we learned the real reason. The company was new to VMS when they were 
porting their software to run under VMS. They didn't know what sharable images
were, and how they were used. And so, they purchased another company's GKS
product, which linked (completely) into the main image. 

What they just learned, was what sharable images are, and how they could have
saved their company $K. All of the GKS demos I have run just fine under 
DECwindows. No compiling, no linking, no redistribution needed. Had this company
purchased Digital's GKS product, they would have already been running under
DECwindows, which would have won them brownie points galore. Now, they look
like most of the pack, and GKS hasn't really bought them much. Now, if only
their digital sales rep had been here...

-Ken

    
    I agree ... That GKS demo program from the Nashville DECUS acouple
    years back ... All I have is a .EXE. I think it's called DEMOMENU
    or something.
    
    When I installed GKS V4.0 with DecWindows, I was amazed. I knew
    that was the goal, and that was what I had been telling folks
    (i.e. customers), but when I actually saw it, it really kinda
    made the pieces fall into place.
    
    Thanks GKS & DecWindows folks,
    Randy