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User interface
How can I design a UNIX-like text-based interface, using standard output?
There are two approaches: To minimize source codes changes (that is, the application will behave most similarly to UNIX, the program can be called from either qshell or a PASE shell directing standard output to the screen. The application may be more familiar to end users, however, if adapted to use the 'traditional' OS/400 text-based interface, Screen Design Aid (SDA) or Dynamic Screen Manager (DSM). SDA allows to define the format and aesthetics of the user interface and to create an object for that. This becomes a static user interface and can be used from any high level language program. Alternatively, DSM allows creation of the user interface at run time and hence the display attributes can be changed dynamically during run time. The examples section of this web site shows how to use DSM APIs to create a user interface.
Does OS/400 support curses libraries?
OS/400 PASE supports the curses libraries libcur.a and libxcurses.a.
ILE does not support curses libraries. The terminal I/O in OS/400 is handled differently than in UNIX. In UNIX character based or raw mode terminal I/O is supported whereas in OS/400 block mode terminal I/O is supported. Similarly tty type terminal I/O is also not supported. OS/400 alternatives include SDA and DSM as mentioned above.
Does OS/400 support X-Windows, Motif, Athena libraries?
For OS/400 PASE, these libraries are supported. The version supported matches the AIX version associated with the release of OS/400 PASE you are using (for example, in V4R5, OS/400 PASE has AIX 4.3.3 functionality, so XWindows functions at level X11R6 and Motif 2.0 are available).
As for ILE, IBM does not provide a licensed program for X-Windows libraries. However, eXport Ventures Corporation, in collaboration with IBM, has ported X-Windows and related libraries including X, Xt, Athena, Motif 2.0 and Tcl/Tk.
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