XForms: Open Source -- Finally
s...@ncmir.ucsd.edu
Ta dah!
This is *NOT* an April Fools prank. This is not a test. This is an actual
provisional release of XForms as Open Source.
Appended is the README file.
Rock and roll.
spl
= = =
XForms Version 0.9999
This is the first Open Source distribution of the XForms Libreary, a
graphical user interface toolkit for X Window Systems. It should be
considered "provisional". Hence the Version 0.9999. There should be
several more 9's following the decimal point.
It should work under X11 R4, R5 & R6. XForms is free and unrestricted
for non-commercial and non-profit use. It is licensed under the LGPL
(Lesser Gnu Public License) version 2.1.
Some of the demos won't compile without the xpm library. You can
get it from ftp://avahi.inria.fr/pub/xpm or ftp://ftp.x.org/contrib.
It is also included in the distribution for your convenience. It is
not to be considered part of XForms and is not included under the
LGPL.
- - -
To build, unpack the distribution in the standard manner into your
favorite subdirectory.
Take a look at the `Imakefile' in the top level directory. At the
very top, you should find a collection on "#define" statements. These
should be the only items you should need to edit. Your choices are
"YES" and "NO".
Turns on -O4 level compiler optimization (or whatever optimization
level you choose with the `OptimizationLevel' "#define").
#define Optimize YES
If your system has the XPM library already installed, you can define
this to "YES". Otherwise, define to "NO" and the `make' process
will build, use, and install it as appropriate
#define UseSystemXpm YES
Most systems have the strerror() function nowadays, so this should
probably be left as "YES". Consult your system documentation.
#define HaveStrerror YES
You may wish to link `fdesign', `fd2ps', and the Demos statically.
Setting this to "YES" will allow this.
#define StaticLink YES
Some loaders will require the OpenGL or Mesa3D libraries to be
linked even if no OpenGL calls are made in the program if
`glcanvas.c' is built and included in the library. Setting this to
"NO" will prevent `glcanvas.c' from being built. Applications which
require a GLCanvas object will need to have `glcanvas.c' built
separately then.
#define BuildGL YES
If you have a Solaris system and are running the 64 bit version of
`gcc' you'll probably need to define this as "YES".
#define Solaris64Bit NO
Optimization level -- set this as you wish.
#define OptimizationLevel -O4
You will find the following subdirectories:
NT - stuff apparently needed to build under NT[1]
demos - the demos
fd2ps - Forms Designer to Postscript converter
fdesign - the Forms Designer
lib - sources for the library
vms - stuff apparently needed to build under VMS[2]
xpm-3.4k - Xpm, the X Pixmap library.
To build, you should go to the top level directory. Type
xmkmf -a
or, if your `xmkmf' doesn't support the `-a' option or your just
prefer to do things the long way, type
xmkmf
make Makefiles
make includes
make depend
(the `make includes' isn't actually necessary but since you're doing
things the hard way, it's included for "the sake of completeness".)
Then type
make
and the library, the Forms Designer, the Forms Designer to Postscript
converter, and the Demos should be automagically built before your
very eyes.
Type
make install
to install the package. Note that I like my stuff installed in
`/usr/local/...". This may be at variance with where `XForms' is
installed on some systems. Since this is a provisional distribution,
this will probably change or, more likely, in the Official Authorized
and Honest and For True Complete distribution there will be switches
or frobs in the top level `Imakefile' to install it where ever the
user darn well pleases.
- - -
If you have problems with this build procedure or you'd like some
special gadgets installed for some standard operating system which I
do not have access to, please post your comments, requests, brickbats,
or flames to the mailing list, as below.
Documentation on XForms is available from ncmir.ucsd.edu /pub/xforms
via anonymous ftp.
The entire XForms distribution plus the latest info is accessible via
http://world.std.com/~xforms
- - -
This Open Source distribution is available at
ftp://ncmir.ucsd.edu/pub/xforms/OpenSource/xforms.0.9999.tgz
Note: For security reasons, `ncmir.ucsd.edu' does not accept
connections from IP addresses which do NOT map back to registered host
names. This may cause problems for users who are inside firewalls or
who are attaching from hosts using NAT or the like. Most or all of
the mirror sites no longer seem to work, either. If you would like to
act as a mirror for this distribution, please feel free to do so.
The binary distributions of XForms will at some time in the future be
deleted from the server. Effective immediately, they are considered
unmaintained deprecated versions.
- - -
There is also a mailing list for XForms. Send a message to
xforms-...@bob.usuhs.mil with one of the following commands
sub****** xforms
unsub****** xforms
to get on and off the list.[3]
To use the mailing list, send your message to
xfo...@bob.usuhs.mil
Remember your message will be sent to many people. Please DO NOT send
sub******/unsub****** messages to the list, send it to
xforms-...@bob.usuhs.mil
--
[1] I know zip about NT. I avoid Microsoft products whenever
possible, so if you try to build this under NT and it breaks,
you're on your own. Corrections, modifications, etc., are
welcome, however.
[2] The same goes here. I used to know a lot about VMS but in the 13
years or so since I left the San Diego Supercomputer Center I've
mercifully forgotten almost all of it. Enjoy.
[3] Obscured to make it past the mailing list filters. Fill in
"scribe" for the "******".
_________________________________________________
To unsubscribe, send the message "unsubscribe" to
xforms-...@bob.usuhs.mil or see
http://bob.usuhs.mil/mailserv/xforms.html
XForms Home Page: http://world.std.com/~xforms
List Archive: http://bob.usuhs.mil/mailserv/list-archives/
Bill Unruh
On Mon, 1 Apr 2002 s...@ncmir.ucsd.edu wrote:
> # To subscribers of the xforms list from s...@ncmir.ucsd.edu :
>
> Ta dah!
>
> This is *NOT* an April Fools prank. This is not a test. This is an actual
> provisional release of XForms as Open Source.
>
> Appended is the README file.
>
> Rock and roll.
>
> spl
>
> = = =
>
> XForms Version 0.9999
>
> This is the first Open Source distribution of the XForms Libreary, a
> graphical user interface toolkit for X Window Systems. It should be
> considered "provisional". Hence the Version 0.9999. There should be
> several more 9's following the decimal point.
Great
>
> It should work under X11 R4, R5 & R6. XForms is free and unrestricted
> for non-commercial and non-profit use. It is licensed under the LGPL
> (Lesser Gnu Public License) version 2.1.
This paragraph seems confusing. LGPL does not restrict to non-commercial
and non-profit. If this is really LGPL then that additional restriction
would seem to be contradictory. Or does this mean that for
non-commercial use, even LGPL does not apply?
s...@ncmir.ucsd.edu
> > It should work under X11 R4, R5 & R6. XForms is free and unrestricted
> > for non-commercial and non-profit use. It is licensed under the LGPL
> > (Lesser Gnu Public License) version 2.1.
>
> This paragraph seems confusing. LGPL does not restrict to non-commercial
> and non-profit. If this is really LGPL then that additional restriction
> would seem to be contradictory. Or does this mean that for
> non-commercial use, even LGPL does not apply?
Editing mistake. I used the original XForms `Readme' as a template
and some of the original text got left in. In cases where my email
and the LGPL conflict, the LGPL takes precedence.
It should read
It should work under X11 R4, R5 & R6. XForms is free. It is
licensed under the LGPL (Lesser Gnu Public License) version 2.1.
This has been corrected in the tarball and the FTP `README'.
spl
Peter S Galbraith
s...@ncmir.ucsd.edu wrote:
> If you have problems with this build procedure or you'd like some
> special gadgets installed for some standard operating system which I
> do not have access to, please post your comments, requests, brickbats,
> or flames to the mailing list, as below.
Hi Steve,
I must be missing something... Where and how does libforms.so get built?
Peter
David Scriven
Dear Steve,
Congratulations to you and to TC. (If I'd known my
complaining would be so effective - I'd do it more
often! <g>)
> Documentation on XForms is available from
> ncmir.ucsd.edu /pub/xforms
I see the documentation still refers to 0.89.5 - are
there any differences, other than fixes, between the
0.99* version and 0.89.x?
______________________________________________________________________
Find, Connect, Date! http://personals.yahoo.ca
s...@ncmir.ucsd.edu
> I must be missing something... Where and how does libforms.so get built?
I'll add a frob to the `Imakefile'.
I personally hate shared object libraries and don't use them except where
forced by the OS so I didn't notice.
Fixed in next release.
spl
s...@ncmir.ucsd.edu
> I see the documentation still refers to 0.89.5 - are
> there any differences, other than fixes, between the
> 0.99* version and 0.89.x?
I'm waiting for the documentation sources from TC. I'm not sure what
changes are there.
Peter S Galbraith
s...@ncmir.ucsd.edu wrote:
> > I must be missing something... Where and how does libforms.so get built?
>
> I'll add a frob to the `Imakefile'.
>
> I personally hate shared object libraries and don't use them except where
> forced by the OS so I didn't notice.
>
> Fixed in next release.
Many thanks!
Peter
T.C. Zhao
There are some. I am right now in Japan on a business trip
and could not access my home computer. By the time
the initial dust settles, hopefully everything will
be brought up to date.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax
http://taxes.yahoo.com/
Rob Fletcher
I would like to thank:
Mark Overmars (original FORMS, which I admit to using!)
TC for converting it from IRIS GL to native Xlib (and all his other hard
work, outside his "day job")
Steve for fielding those oh so many requests for help (and fixing things
behind the scenes!).
All those who produced those well loved binary distributions on so many
different flavours of Unix ... in the end an almost thankless task I'm
sure. It was an education to see the long list of supported platforms grow
over the many years I have been using XFORMS.
Bob for providing the Xforms mail list, which has been an invaluable
resource. I have snipped many a bit of source code from here!
Finally, I would like to welcome the Open Source XFORMS. I am sure it will
go from strength to strength. It will be interesting to see what additions
and enhancements are made over time.
I agree with you TC. Managing the Open Source will be a challenge, but I
am sure it will all work out. There are many devoted XFORMS users out
there who I am sure cannot wait to fix things and suggest/contribute new
XFORMS widgets and so on.
If there is anything I can do ... let me know.
All the best,
Rob.
+============================+====================================+
| Dr R P Fletcher (Rob) | Email R.Fle...@york.ac.uk |
| Graphics Coordinator | Phone +44 (0)1904 433816 |
| Computing Service | Frontdesk +44 (0)1904 433800 |
| University of York | Fax +44 (0)1904 433740 |
| YORK YO10 5DD, UK | ICQ UIN 4019164 |
| URL: www-users.york.ac.uk/~rpf1/ Camera: /~rpf1/robcam.html |
+=================================================================+
s...@ncmir.ucsd.edu
> I would like to thank:
>
> Mark Overmars (original FORMS, which I admit to using!)
Hell, I still have an app that *does* use it. Nice stable piece of
code that hasn't changed in about 12 or 13 years other than to be
rebuilt when IRIX 6 came out and broke everything.
spl