GUIKit for Mathematica

Wolfram Research today released , its Mathematica toolkit for building and running graphical user interfaces. It can be used to create graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for a wide range of custom implementations using a high-level Mathematica expression syntax along with a runtime environment for managing and deploying these reusable definitions. It can be used to build complete platform-independent application interfaces, extend existing Mathematica functions with user interfaces, create wizards for specific Mathematica, or create GUIs directly from Mathematica.

GUIKit can be used to build interfaces to databases or to generate interactive graphics, presentations, and simulations. Example calculation tools such as EquationTrekker, import tools, and search tools are included.



Wolfram says that GUIKit expands upon existing Mathematica connection technologies that embed the whole of the Java development language within the structure of the Mathematica language. GUIKit allows users to create interfaces with greater ease than using Java directly or using multiple languages. It provides complete access to any and all Java classes and their properties, events, and methods. Wolfram notes that since the interfaces are based on Java, they are completely platform-independent and will look like native interfaces on any platform without the need for changes or modifications.



"GUIKit goes much further [than similar products] in terms of disguising
mostly irrelevant details and helping the user to get the job done quickly.
The event handling syntax is simple and flexible and easier than anything
else I have seen," says Ian Buckley of Rogue Trainer, a UK financial
consulting firm. "Very impressive and useful!"



GUIKit is built for Mathematica 5.0 or later. It will be included with
future releases of Mathematica and is available for all platforms on which
Mathematica and Java are supported.

by MacNN Staff