Grantham, NH - March 22, 2000 - Bowers Development has posted an update for
AppMaker #12 to add several major features to its Tools Plus code generator.
This update includes support for scripting, custom multi-column lists,
NavServices, proxy icons, and overriding.
With this update, AppMaker generates scriptable applications. It generates
the 'aete' resource, and code to resolve object references, to handle
GetData and SetData events, and to create elements.
Scripting support is free. It is generated automatically from existing
DataDefs in an AppMaker project. Users don't have to do any extra work to
get scriptability because they are already specifying DataDefs for other
purposes.
This update also supports custom multi-column lists. Each row of the list
corresponds to an element of an array. Each column represents an attribute
of the array element.
The generated code now uses NavServices for the standard Open and Save file
dialogs. Window titles now display proxy icons and a file path popup.
A very important new enhancement is the ability to override generated code
with the user's own code. Users should never again have to modify generated
code. When they regenerate they won't lose their hand-written code.
The update is available for download from
http://members.aol.com/bowersdev/LateNews.html.
About AppMaker -
AppMaker is a programming tool that makes it faster and easier to make a
Macintosh application - not just the user interface, but also the
functional code. With AppMaker you create the menus, windows, dialogs and
their contents by clicking and dragging to arrange what you want on-screen.
You also point and click to declare data structures and to connect UI items
to data items. AppMaker creates resources to describe your design, and
generates "human, professional quality code" in your choice of either
procedural or object-oriented programming languages.
More than a GUI Builder -
AppMaker's generated code uses the Model-View-Controller (MVC) paradigm.
The Model is composed of data classes and data items which represent the
application's content. The View and Controller are UI items which display
and modify the Model's data.
The MVC paradigm and the Model component, in particular, let AppMaker
generate much more complete code than most other GUI builders. AppMaker
automatically generates code for file I/O, code to display data in custom
multi-column lists, for modeless dialogs to display/modify the frontmost
window's data, and code to handle the AppleScript object model.
About Tools Plus -
Tools Plus libraries + framework was rated "4 1/2 mice" by Macworld
magazine, honored as a Macworld/MacTech Editors' Choice Awards finalist for
"Best Rapid-Development Tool," and critically acclaimed in various
publications. It first empowered programmers in 1992 by providing an
effective alternative to "code generators," and it continues to be
instrumental in helping developers with varying skills quickly create
polished, professional-level applications and plug-ins.
Tools Plus is published by Water's Edge Software, 2441 Lakeshore Road West,
Box 70022, Oakville, Ontario, Canada, L6L 6M9; Phone 1-416-219-5628; Fax
1-905-847-1638; Email wateredg@interlog.com;
http://www.interlog.com/~wateredg
Pricing and Availability -
AppMaker CD #12 is available now from DevDepot,
http://www.devdepot.com/, or from Bowers Development,
http://members.aol.com/bowersdev/. The $199 price includes a one-year
subscription.
About Bowers Development -
Bowers Development was formed in 1989 to develop programmer productivity tools.
