Chapter 4 The TkECLiPSe Development Tools
TkECLiPSe is a graphical user interface to ECLiPSe. It is an
alternative to the traditional textual line-based user interface, providing
multiple windows, menus and buttons to assist the user in interacting with
ECLiPSe. It consists of two major components:
-
A graphical top-level.
- A suite of development tools for aiding the development of ECLiPSe
code.
TkECLiPSe is implemented in the Tcl/Tk scripting language/graphical toolkit
[11], using the new ECLiPSe Tcl/Tk interface
[10]. The development tools are designed to be
independent of the top-level, so the user can develop their own
applications with a graphical front end written in Tcl/Tk, replacing the
TkECLiPSe top-level, but still using the development tools.
Chapter 3 gave an introduction to using TkECLiPSe from a
user's point of view.
This chapter focuses on how to use the tools from a programmer's point of
view (i.e. how to include them in a program).
In particular it discusses in detail the display matrix tool, which
can be invoked in user's ECLiPSe code; and also how to use the
development tools in the user's own applications.
- 1
-
The display matrix tools is similar to the variable display of Grace.
The main differences are:
it can display all attributes, not just the finite domain attribute;
the attributes can only be observed, not changed;
and the labelling strategy cannot be changed.
- 2
- Unless it is attached to the remote
development tools, in which case the display matrix is invoked.