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Using the Standard Utilities

One of the most important ways to achieve uniformity, compatibility, and reliability in an application is to use standard utilities. By using standard utilities, you:

Reduce duplication of effort. It is inefficient to have different groups solve the same problems in slightly different ways. Concentration of effort saves work and results in greater functionality, higher quality, and reduced support costs.
Achieve standard look-and-feel. In most cases G2 applications should have a uniform look and feel, so that users can move from application to application with maximum ease. To achieve this, use standard user interface components, applied in standard ways.
Increase compatibility between modules. The standard G2 utilities (particularly GFR) provide approaches for minimizing conflicts between modules, so as to permit merging without causing conflicts or clashes of basic methodology.
Produce more professional results. The standard utilities have been thoroughly tested and refined through user feedback. It is unlikely that you can achieve more professional results by creating your own custom modules.

G2 has seven standard utilities: GFR, GUIDE/UIL, GMS, GDD, GDI, GXL, and GOLD. All are well documented and thoroughly tested. The content of these modules is briefly summarized below.

For more information, see Chapter 9, Building a User Interface.

G2 Foundation Resources (GFR)

GFR establishes standard approaches to several important design and implementation issues commonly encountered in building inter-operable modules. GFR helps to assure the compatibility of modules with modules written by other authors who also use GFR.

For more information, see Managing Multi-Module Applications.

G2 User Interface Development Environment/User Interface Library (GUIDE/UIL)

GUIDE/UIL provides a library of user interface components from which you can build dialogs from pre-built components. GUIDE includes a basic button library for navigation buttons. Once you have built a GUIDE application, you can remove the development modules of GUIDE from the application.

For more information, see Using GUIDE/UIL to Create Dialogs.

G2 Menu System (GMS)

GMS is provides a way of implementing menu bars. All applications involving top-level menu bars and pop-up menus in G2 should use GMS.

For more information, see Using GMS to Create Menus.

G2 Dynamic Displays (GDD)

GDD provides a number of attractive dials, meters, and displays, based on G2 power icons, which you can use directly or as direct superior classes. Use GDD to enhance the visual appeal of your application.

For more information, see Using GDD to Create Dynamic Icons.

G2 Developer's Interface (GDI)

GDI provides menu templates and dialogs for standard menu layout and menu- based activities. You can use GDI as the basis for developing your own custom menu layout, or simply use one of the many useful GDI dialogs for selecting files, printing, manipulating modules, and the like. GDI is based on GMS and GUIDE.

For more information, see Using GDI to Create an Interface.

G2 XL Spreadsheet (GXL)

GXL provides a way of creating scrolling tabular displays for viewing and editing a wide variety of lists, arrays, and complex data structures.

For more information, see Using GXL to Create Tabular Displays.

G2 OnLine Documentation (GOLD)

GOLD is a set of related modules that implement online documentation based on external browsers and HTML. GOLD is the standard way to deliver context-sensitive help and to access documentation via keyword, index, and table-of-contents searches.

For more information, see Using GOLD to Access Online Documentation.

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