Here are just 10 of the features of ViewIt that make it one of the best Mac programming tools.
1. Value - At $95 and with no license fees, ViewIt is an incredible value when compared to competing products that do less or are more difficult to use.
2. Flexibility - ViewIt (and other FaceWare modules) can be made to work with whatever Mac language, compiler, or programming environment you are now using.
3. Compatibility - ViewIt extends the Control Manager in a way that makes it compatible with all existing standard and CDEF-based controls. You can also paste your existing DITL and CNTL resources directly into ViewIt windows.
4. On-Line Editing - ViewIt windows are edited from within running programs (like HyperCard®). Fonts, sizes, styles, colors, control types, positions, etc., can all be quickly and easily changed without needing to run a separate resource editor. See the "On-Line Editing" topic for further info.
5. View Hierarchy - ViewIt supports a hierarchy of "views" in ViewIt windows, where each view can contain any number of controls. Views make it easy to support the scrolling (see view #2 at left) and paging of groups of controls, operations that are difficult to do in standard dialogs. Object-oriented development systems often provide similar support in the form of "panes", but these are not as easy to create, edit, and manage as ViewIt views.
6. Custom Controls - The scrollable view at the left of this window presents some of controls that can be used in ViewIt windows. In addition to these, other controls can be purchased from FaceWare that support QuickTime‚Ñ¢ animation, communications, and text, graphic, & array editing (a complete list can be found in the "Modeless ViewIt Window"). Each of these advanced controls are as easy to add to ViewIt windows as a simple button.
7. Simpler Code - High-level ViewIt routines make it incredibly easy to open and manage even complex windows. This differs from competing "source code generators" that create hundreds of lines of code to open even moderately complex dialogs.
A good example of ViewIt's power as a window manager is its "data linking" support. Data linking allows you to link variables within your program directly to controls in a ViewIt window, eliminating the need for tedious string-to-number conversions and most error checking when getting and setting control values.
8. Simpler Resources - Macintosh windows have evolved over the years to require support from a myriad of resource types (WIND, DLOG, ALRT, DITL, CNTL, ictb, etc.) that are confusing and difficult to manage. ViewIt stores all the information it needs to open a window in a single FWND resource that is easily edited.
9. Override Capability - Every message passed by ViewIt to any control can be intercepted by your program code. This allows you to modify all aspects of the behavior and appearance of ViewIt controls.
10. Support - FaceWare has been in the business of creating, upgrading, and supporting Mac programming tools since 1986. We provide the best technical phone support and respond quickly to suggestions.
