GUI Applications and Templates

A GUI application is a set of GUI classes (windows, dialogs, and controls) that is used to define the end user interface of your USoft application.

If you use default development workflow, you define data structures and rules in USoft Definer, and interface (customized look and feel specifications) in USoft Windows Designer. You can go back and add or change structures and rules at any point.

You will have specified a GUI application name for the Windows Designer item in USoft Binder. Once you have finished the interface definition, you (re)create an ESI flat file for distribution. This flat file will have the name of the GUI application followed by the .ESI extension.

If you proceed in this way, you automatically use a single GUI application. There is a one-to-one relationship between the data model stored in the conceptual repository (the default system), and the GUI application. The concept of GUI application becomes more relevant if and when you decide to use more than one GUI application to deploy your data model (default system).

There is a small difference between "application" and "GUI application". "Application" in a general sense is everything delivered by the USoft developer, including data model and rules, batch routines, authorization arrangements, etc. "GUI application" is a way of graphically deploying your USoft application.

The USoft product set refers to "application" in the general sense, except within the Windows Designer, where "application" refers to a GUI application.

In practice, it makes sense to use different GUI applications and templates when:

You want to develop a number of USoft applications with the same general look and feel. For example, in all your applications you want the same yellow color as a background for all windows. Another example would be that you want certain standard navigational behavior on all Lookup Windows across your projects.

·	You want to keep a library of foundation classes that you are likely to re-use across applications. Typical candidates for such foundation classes are classes not related to the conceptual model, such as customized ActiveX control subclasses or dialogs.

In these cases you create a GUI application, and then use it as a template for another GUI application.

·	You want to deploy the same rules engine in more than one GUI.

In this case you create parallel GUI applications against the same conceptual repository.