bil(4) UNIX System V (1 August 1995) bil(4)
Name
BIL - Builder Interface Language for the CDE Application
Builder
SYNOPSIS
:bil-version major minor
:project project_name
(
project_attributes
[:connection
(
connection_attributes
)]
)
:module module_name
(
:element element_name
(
element_attributes
[children]
)
[:connection
(
connection_attributes
)]
)
DESCRIPTION
BIL, the Builder Interface Language, is a specialized
representation syntax designed to meet the intermediate
storage requirements of the CDE Application Builder. It
describes the overall attributes of the application (also
known as a "project"), the modules that it contains, the
elements that comprise modules, and the behavioral
relationships between objects ("connections").
BIL is not a compiled language. It is read and written as
data by the CDE Application Builder and its associated code
generator. Even so, the format of BIL is printable ASCII
characters with a "human readable" nature, making it
possible for users to examine the contents of a BIL-
formatted file and to process a BIL file using simple ASCII
string-oriented tools and techniques.
Two distinct types of BIL files are recognized by the CDE
Application Builder. One type is known as a project file,
and is used to describe overall attributes of the project
(application) as well as identify the modules that comprise
it. It will also contain any cross-module information, such
as connections that bind together objects in different
modules.
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A second type of BIL file exists for each module and is
known as a module file. It contains all module-specific
information, including definition of the elements that
comprise the module and connections that exist within it.
BIL is structured in an object-oriented fashion. Objects
are defined and named, and sets of parenthesis are used to
enclose declarations of all the object's attributes. Object
types recognized by BIL include project, module, element and
connection.
:bil-version major minor
Version information is useful to the CDE Application
Builder and code generators in determining how to
handle BIL files that may date from earlier releases.
:project project_name
The :project directive names the project (application).
It encloses a declaration of project_attributes as well
as a list of any cross-module connections that may
exist within the project.
:module module_name
The :module directive names a module. It encloses a
declaration of all elements that comprise the module as
well as a list of any connections that may exist within
the module.
:element element_name
The :element directive names an element. It encloses a
declaration of all element_attributes, including a list
of any children that may be part of the element.
:connection
The :connection directive names a connection and
specifies its attributes. It can occur as part of a
project or a module.
:children
The :children directive appears as an attribute of any
element which contains ("parents") other elements. It
encloses a list of all child elements, referencing each
by its element name.
Project, element and connection attributes take the form:
:attribute_name attribute_value
Where attribute_name is an attribute appropriate for the
project, element or connection, and attribute_value is typed
according to the attribute. Attribute types include integer,
string, object name, and keyword, where the keyword is one
of a fixed list used by BIL to identify specific data values
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(e.g. :true, :none). Some attribute values are ordered N-
tuples, in which case the complete set is enclosed in
parentheses.
Comments may be placed in a BIL file by starting a line with
two slashes (//). Any comments that occur in a BIL file
prior to the :bil-version line will be preserved by the CDE
Application Builder across successive updates to the file.
Comments that occur after the :bil-version line will not be
retained.
RETURN VALUE
None.
EXAMPLES
The following is an example of a project file:
:bil-version 1 0
:project todotool
(
:files (main_window.bil task_dialog.bil)
:connection
(
:from main_window.add_item_btn
:to task_dialog.task_dialog
:when :activate
:action-type :builtin
:action :show
:arg-type :void
)
)
A typical module file would contain:
:bil-version 1 0
:module task_dialog
(
:element task_dialog
(
:type :dialog
:x 649
:y 499
:width 354
:height 57
:bg-color "white"
:label "Adding a New Task"
:resizable :true
:has-footer :false
:visible :false
:children (
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ctrl_panel
activate_panel
)
)
:element ctrl_panel
(
:type :container
:container-type :relative
:x 0
:y 0
:width 354
:height 57
:visible :true
:border-frame :none
:north-attachment(:obj task_dialog 0)
:south-attachment(:obj task_dialog 0)
:east-attachment(:obj task_dialog 0)
:west-attachment(:point 0 0)
:children (
task
)
)
:element task
(
:type :text-field
:text-type :alphanumeric
:x 28
:y 6
:width -1
:height -1
:border-frame :none
:label-type :string
:label "Task:"
:label-position :west
:num-columns 32
:max-length 80
:read-only :false
:active :true
:visible :true
:north-attachment(:point 0 6)
:south-attachment(:none 0 0)
:east-attachment(:none 0 0)
:west-attachment(:point 0 28)
)
:element activate_panel
(
:type :container
:container-type :activate
:x -1
:y -1
:width -1
:height -1
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:visible :true
:border-frame :etched-in
:children (
ok_button
cancel_button
help_button
)
)
:element ok_button
(
:type :button
:button-type :push-button
:x -1
:y -1
:width -1
:height -1
:border-frame :none
:label-type :string
:label-alignment:center
:label "OK"
:active :true
:visible :true
:north-attachment(:grid-line 5 0)
:south-attachment(:grid-line 95 0)
:east-attachment(:grid-line 30 0)
:west-attachment(:grid-line 10 0)
)
:element cancel_button
(
:type :button
:button-type :push-button
:x -1
:y -1
:width -1
:height -1
:border-frame :none
:label-type :string
:label-alignment:center
:label "Cancel"
:active :true
:visible :true
:north-attachment(:grid-line 5 0)
:south-attachment(:grid-line 95 0)
:east-attachment(:grid-line 60 0)
:west-attachment(:grid-line 40 0)
)
:element help_button
(
:type :button
:button-type :push-button
:x -1
:y -1
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:width -1
:height -1
:border-frame :none
:label-type :string
:label-alignment:center
:label "Help"
:active :true
:visible :true
:north-attachment(:grid-line 5 0)
:south-attachment(:grid-line 95 0)
:east-attachment(:grid-line 90 0)
:west-attachment(:grid-line 70 0)
)
:connection
(
:from ok_button
:to task_dialog
:when :activate
:action-type :builtin
:action :hide
:arg-type :void
)
:connection
(
:from cancel_button
:to task_dialog
:when :activate
:action-type :builtin
:action :hide
:arg-type :void
)
:connection
(
:from ok_button
:when :create
:action-type :call-function
:action confirm_taskCB
:arg-type :void
)
:connection
(
:from cancel_button
:when :create
:action-type :call-function
:action cancel_taskCB
:arg-type :void
)
)
APPLICATION USAGE
Applications and application developers typically do not
work directly with BIL files, instead using them indirectly
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through the CDE Application Builder. It may, however, be
useful for them to understand the layout and scope of BIL to
satisfy particular application development needs (e.g. to
add specialized comments to BIL files or to examine them to
examine useful information (such as help text built-into a
application)).
SEE ALSO
dtbuilder(1)dtcodegen(1)
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