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Conference azur::mcc

Title:	DECmcc user notes file. Does not replace IPMT.
Notice:	Use IPMT for problems. Newsletter location in note 6187
Moderator:	TAEC::BEROUD

Created:	Mon Aug 21 1989
Last Modified:	Wed Jun 04 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	6497
Total number of notes:	27359

5133.0. "Dictionary Browser source code available ?" by MQOSWS::F_MONETTE (Montreal Sales Support) Tue Jun 01 1993 15:11

I have a specific project where I need to provide a kind
of Browser of instances (MIR) and they saw what we can do
with the Dictionary Browser and they liked it a lot.

they want to have the same interface but getting information
based on instances (global/Child).

They didn't like the way that if you have 4 levels of child,
you have to click 4 times and after lookup another 4 times.

They prefer the way the Dictionary Browser  is working.

I need to know if it is possible to have the source code of
the Dictionary Browser  application, then we will able to modify
it to our requirements.

Any helps....
regards,
Francois

T.R Title User Personal
Name Date Lines

5133.1 Being considered... MOLAR::DFLAT::PLOUFFE Jerry Wed Jun 02 1993 11:19 37

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
5133.1	Being considered...	MOLAR::DFLAT::PLOUFFE	Jerry	`Wed Jun 02 1993 11:19`	37
	Francois: Thanks for the good words about the browser -- I'm glad your customers liked it. About two months ago, I mentioned this same idea (using the SVN widget for instance vs class information) to Dan Carr (supervisor or the Iconic Map project). I believe that he passed on the idea to the IM project leader -- Jim Lemmon. They think it is a good idea and are considering this kind of new functionality for future releases. There are some difficulties to address though. The one that came to my mind when I first considered this problem was the need for fast access to instance information (like the browser has for dictionary class information). Not all instances come from the MIR -- some come from directly querying the entity in real time. In these cases, it may take some time to gather all the instance information. One way to solve this problem is to employ high-density user interface widgets. These widgets employ a "lazy evaluation" technique that displays only a couple of instances at one time, thus allowing the rest of the instances to be gathered when necessary. I think I worked out most of the problems, but the idea needs to be prototyped to prove the concept. Keith Roberts and I have recently submitted an A/D proposal that includes prototyping this kind of functionality. I'm hoping that funds will become available to allow us to work on this kind of project. As far as getting the source code is concerned, you'll have to talk to my supervisor -- Jim Carey (TOOK::CAREY, DTN:227-3307). The source code is rather simple actually. It employs the SVN (Structured Visual Navigation) widget that is part of the Motif Extensions. If you need a hand understanding this widget, let me know... - Jerry

Francois:

  Thanks for the good words about the browser -- I'm glad your customers liked
  it.

  About two months ago, I mentioned this same idea (using the SVN widget for 
  instance vs class information) to Dan Carr (supervisor or the Iconic Map 
  project).  I believe that he passed on the idea to the IM project leader --
  Jim Lemmon.  They think it is a good idea and are considering this kind of 
  new functionality for future releases.

  There are some difficulties to address though.  The one that came to my mind
  when I first considered this problem was the need for fast access to instance
  information (like the browser has for dictionary class information).  Not all
  instances come from the MIR -- some come from directly querying the entity in
  real time.  In these cases, it may take some time to gather all the instance 
  information.  One way to solve this problem is to employ high-density user 
  interface widgets.  These widgets employ a "lazy evaluation" technique that 
  displays only a couple of instances at one time, thus allowing the rest of the
  instances to be gathered when necessary.

  I think I worked out most of the problems, but the idea needs to be prototyped
  to prove the concept.

  Keith Roberts and I have recently submitted an A/D proposal that includes
  prototyping this kind of functionality.  I'm hoping that funds will become 
  available to allow us to work on this kind of project.

  As far as getting the source code is concerned, you'll have to talk to 
  my supervisor -- Jim Carey (TOOK::CAREY, DTN:227-3307).  

  The source code is rather simple actually.  It employs the SVN (Structured
  Visual Navigation) widget that is part of the Motif Extensions.  If you need
  a hand understanding this widget, let me know...

                                                                      - Jerry