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PixieLinkŪ - A GUI Builder for PICK |
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PixieLinkŪ - A GUI Builder for PICK
"Two types of access, one elegant solution"
We are giving away FREE, the source code for a working GUI-enabled PICK application. A browser or PixieLink, our HTML emulator with special capabilities to provide the GUI, may be used to interface with the application. There are no hidden catches, To obtain a FREE copy of the PICK source code apply to: sales@pixieware.com
FREE Give-Away Conditions.
You will be required to activate a licence for PixieLink. Refer to our special price offer.
The Web application has been developed on D3 and it is your responsibility to convert to any other MV platform.
The Web application is distributed under the GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENCE published on Open Source Code The source code and ASP scripts may be used freely for personal or internal use only. If you wish to use the software for commercial use please contact us at: sales@pixieware.com.
The Web application has a complete GUI built with HTML but it will only work with PixieLink or a Browser (see next point).
If you wish to use the application with a Browser then you will need to purchase a PixieWeb licence.
The PICK application is provided "as-is", and there are no stated or implied warranties of any kind. It is supplied only as a foundation for developing a GUI-enabled PICK application. The source code demonstrates a number of useful techniques to add graphical elements to a PICK front-end (eg. mouseover, drop-down boxes, tabs and other GUI effects).
Unfortunately we will have to charge for support should you need assistance with further development of the PICK software.
Background
A web browser is a program which is used to access HTML text pages and display them on the web. PixieLink is a User-Agent program that can also reference the same text pages containing the markup commands and interpret the documents contents without the need of a web server. In the PixieWare environment existing or new PICK programs may generate the HTML text pages.
A web browser works by using the "transport protocol" HTTP to request HTML pages from a WebServer such as Apache or IIS. PixieLink can request HTML pages more simply and directly from PICK etc. by cutting out the HTTP/WebServer step.
The HTML may include such things as references to other web documents using hyperlinks, instructions for text formatting (e.g. color, size and position), and other content such as image placement. Most of the features of HTML can be manipulated from within the PICK program.
At the heart of PixieWeb is a methodology and template for deploying a sub-set of HTML 4.0 that will allow:
Persistent or non-persistent data connections.
Fully functional grids to be developed.
Field-by-field, on-the-fly, data validation to be applied.
Efficient one-page applications where only changed data is repainted on the screen.
A full array of event driven methods encased in a simple macro language.
With the popularity of the web, HTML has developed display capabilities well beyond those of VT100, WYSE50 etc., so PixieLink provides a convenient means of adding an attractive GUI interface to an existing PICK application. It's a simple to use terminal emulation and host-based application GUItization tool, and the same GUI interface may be published on the WWW by using a browser and PixieWeb. We have standardised on HTML as the "Modern Terminal Emulation".
Click here for an example
of a GUI screen generated
with PixieLink.
New and Improved Pixielink
PixieLink is now following industry standards.
In our new unified model, the PICK programming is the SAME for both of the following scenarios:
Desktop/Local/small scale operations/evolving terminal apps/debugging web apps.
Simple "2-tier" setup:
PICK-etc <----> PixieLink
Wide area/remote networking/large scale operations/general public as target.
More complex "3-tier" setup:
PICK-etc <----> PixieWeb + WebServer <---->WebBrowser
GUI is achieved by adding HTML markup tags to PICK programs, which do much the same job as the traditional terminal escapes. e.g. "<" and ">" play a role similar to the traditional CHAR(27). HTML may include such things as references to other web documents using hyperlinks, instructions for text formatting (e.g. color, size and position) and other content such as image placement.
Recently HTML 4.0 has introduced an equivalent, which in our
PixieWeb work looks like:<div class=label1 style="TOP:100;LEFT:180">Customer:</div>
It made sense to bring PixieLink into line
with PixieWeb and the whole web culture by changing it over to HTML. VARs can now learn one widely applicable HTML standard which works across all PixieWare display systems as well as being a useful skill set in many other areas.
In this unified PixieWare environment, web pages (including the associated HTML) are generated within PICK programs. The output (CRT) of the PICK program includes markup strings built by subroutines (WEBDX, WEBIX, etc..) which translate the traditional green-screen @(x,y) co-ordinates into positioning co-ordinates that a web browser or PixieLink can process. e.g.
SC = SC:@(10,10):"Customer" is replaced by:
CALL WEBDX(10,10,0,0,"Customer","","",SC)
CRT SC
The MVBasic routines WEBIX, WEBDX are supplied with PixieLink and PixieWeb to assist with web-page formatting. Field-by-field interactive processing of input data is supported. Events occurring on a browser or PixieLink (e.g. mouse clicks, mouse movements, field value changes) invoke MV-side operations to update the current page without repainting it. Browser/PixieLink events can trigger database responses without waiting for a page to be submitted, making the GUI interface interactive and responsive.
Also supplied is a useful yet simple method to publish tabular MV data on a web page using our special VBScript functions. The combination of PxRowSet, which places the data into a 2 dimensional array, and SelectResult which extracts the data from the array, presents the data directly into HTML tables.
Because PixieLink is also a green-screen terminal emulator, it can process the character style of output so a mixture of the two styles can co-exist. HTML processing is initiated for example by: CRT "<TX>OK</TX>", otherwise it defaults to green-screen mode.
For a small user who wants a browser user interface for internal use only and does not want to provide access via the web, PixieLink is an inexpensive substitute for the combination of IIS and PixieWeb. It requires the same programming of the PICK software that is required for the use of PixieWeb. It eliminates the need for IIS and the maintenance of it, for in-house use. Since it is a direct Telnet connection, it provides the same field-by-field editing capabilities as PixieWeb. Applications initially developed with PixieLink may subsequently be published on the web by installing PixieWeb and a web server, without any further change to the application.
The new PixieLink is also a valid large-scale solution in its own right. It does require a one-off installation on each client machine, but it does offer some features that browsers do not: e.g. file upload/download initiated and controlled by PICKBASIC programs, and PICKBASIC programs can also remote-control programs e.g. Word Processing.
Site licensing for widespread PixieLink deployment is priced the same as server licensing of PixieWeb. PixieLink is useful in allowing simple web trials to be conducted in-house and offers a unified web serving migration path through PixieWeb. The PixieWeb and PixieLink combination allow for a mix of user interfaces to be supported - HTML GUI and traditional character mode - and incorporated with the PixieWeb licence is a full site licence for PixieLink.
In the same manner as above, XML may also be generated from within the MV environment.
FREE - source code of working field-by-field Web application with first PixieLink or PixieWeb purchase.
Click to Download More Information On PixieWeb and PixieLink
Click below to learn about Active Server Pages (ASP) and VB scripts?
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"We'll connect you easier, faster and more reliably to data"
Email: sales@pixieware.com
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