Making the Most of Andrew

In AUIS applications, keystroke combinations are another means to get a procedure called for an object. The same procedures are available for keybinding as for menu items. To define a set of keybindings, edit one of the initialization files described previously and add lines like these:

addkey compile-build          ^X^E srctextview compile
addkey compile-next-error     ^X^N srctextview compile
addkey compile-previous-error ^X^P srctextview compile
addkey fcomp-complete-command-forward \eB typescript fcomp inherit
addkey fcomp-complete-filename ^I typescript
addkey fcomp-possible-completions \e^I typescript

The first line of the example says that when you are in a srctextview inset (e.g., editing C-source), the procedure name compile-build will be called when you press the keystrokes <control>X followed by <control>E. (The \eB in the fourth line means you should press the escape key and then <shift>b.) You can see a dynamically created list of all the keys that are bound to a procedure by selecting the Describe Bound Keys item on the Misc menu card. You can also query what procedure will be called for any keystroke by selecting the Describe Key item on the Misc menu card.

AUIS is far more than just ez or messages--and yet in many ways it is no more. AUIS is built on a toolkit of objects which combine to provide a set of tools which are consistent in their look and feel and which can be extended or combined with new applications with remarkable ease. In these four articles on AUIS I have not attempted to show any of the underlying toolkit. The Andrew Consortium is dedicated to extending and disseminating this technology. If you think your organization could benefit, I'd encourage you to contact the consortium and talk with us about what else has been done and what's new.