8.5 Widgets

NOTE: These are just being implemented, so the following descriptions is likely incomplete!

Standard exchange of information (input or output) with LUX goes through the terminal window (basic) or through LUX windows (if the X11 package has been included). In addition, basic menus are available in the X11 package.

Widgets allow a greater variety of input/output methods, including buttons and more advanced pull-down menus. LUX widgets are (currently) implemented using Motif. You can only use widgets in LUX if the motif and X11 packages have been included in the LUX compilation, and if the Motif widgets are installed on your system.

The Motif widgets themselves are not part of LUX, just like X11 is not part of LUX. LUX merely offers ways of manipulating the Motif widgets – if they are present on your system. For information about the availability or installation of Motif, consult your system manager.

If you want to use your own widgets, then first you have to build the widgets (i.e., specify what goes in them and where, and what is supposed to happen if the user does something to one of their elements), and then you have to manage the widgets (i.e., wait for the user to do something to the widgets, and then act accordingly).