Views is a cross platform C++ library that brings the power of 2D graphics and the convenience of GUI builders into one array of easy-to-learn products. It handles a wide range of graphic tasks, from simple form-based graphical user interfaces to complex real-time vectorial applications managing hundreds of thousands of objects simultaneously. Views can accomplish all of this because of its advanced architecture, emphasizing separation of behavioral and graphical aspects along with high-level abstractions for easily managing many objects. This architecture also provides for a common set of services across all interfaces, including PostScript dumping, event recording and playback, and object persistence in files.

Views is powerful. Views starts where Microsoft® Windows® systems and the Open Software Foundation’s Motif® leave off. You can create a window or a simple widget with Microsoft Windows and Motif, but you cannot create a graph, draw a map, manage a spreadsheet, or animate thousands of objects. With Views you can display thousands of animated objects at once.

Views is efficient. Low memory requirements and optimal data structures allow for extremely fast execution. Quadtrees manage display updates for hundreds or thousands of objects. Double buffering provides flicker-free animation. Optimal memory allocation and minimal objects with shared components mean that even the biggest applications will not swap.

Views is simple. High-level graphic objects mean less tedious coding. Do you need a grapher? Views 2D Graphics Professional has a grapher class. Do you need bar charts, scatter plots, and gauges? Views has a dedicated product for charts. Spreadsheets? A snap with Views’ matrix class in the Views Controls Standard product. These and many other high-level classes give you the capability you need to quickly write your interface.

Views is extensible. Views is written in exemplary C++ style. The class hierarchy and internal protocol are well-documented, which means you can write new classes derived from the documented Views classes. Code reuse is at the center of object-oriented development, and Views lets you take full advantage of it.

Views is portable. Views is not specific to any one environment or platform. It has been tested and used in many C++ development environments and can be integrated into numerous graphical environments as well. Views applications work transparently in Windows, Motif, or Xlib. Its use of graphic primitives lets you write code independently of the underlying window system. A single application, for example, can be integrated into both Windows (PC) and Motif (UNIX). You can change the look-and-feel of the display between these two environments by simply calling a Views function.

Views is ready to use. Views provides easy-to-use GUI editors and scores of predefined objects including gadgets, graphic objects, behaviors, charts, and gauges, as well as spreadsheet functionality and robust graph, drawing, and formula editors. A Views package includes a complete class hierarchy of gadgets: interactive objects targeted for specific uses with flexible graphic representations and predefined behavior. Gadgets include scroll bars, menu bars, buttons, and so on. Views lets you mix basic drawing primitives and interactive gadgets together to produce intuitive, decorated interfaces.

Views is modular. Views is available as several products, each of which is specialized in a particular GUI area: GUI controls, advanced 2D graphics, graph layout, maps, charts, and so on. Each product is provided with its libraries, Studio extensions, samples, and comprehensive documentation. You can assemble just the Views capabilities you need, while allowing for future growth with the option of integrating additional Views products as your application needs warrant.