The GUI (``Graphics-User-Interface'') Mode

When a windowing system is available, SIC provides facilities (called GUI mode) to create documented input windows by which the user can modify variables and execute pre-defined commands. Currently, such facilities are available for Motif-based systems (soon for MAC-OS, and later for Windows-95).

SIC can create 3 types of windows:

• Detached menus
  which are menu bars created by the GUI$\backslash$PANEL /DETACH command. These menus have no associated parameters, but run in parallel with the main program. Pre-defined commands are activated by pressing the various buttons.
• Main input window
  which is created by the GUI$\backslash$PANEL command. The user can modify variables using widgets, and execute one or several actions by pressing the appropriate buttons. The variables are actually modified only when a button is pressed.
• Optional windows
  which are created by the GUI$\backslash$BUTTON command. Such windows are a with a specific command, and are hidden by default. They are typically used to hold variables which are seldom modified by the user. The variables defined in these windows and in the main window are modified when the GO button is pressed.

User input with this system is fairly intuitive. Help is available by clicking on the help button(s) or on the prompt area for each variable.

The following description rather concerns advanced users who want to create their own window interfaces.