QtkiXML

What is QtkiXML?
QTKiXML is a rendering engine of UsiXML-compliant user interfaces in a multi-platform mode on top of Tcl-Tk. Any UsiXML-compliant user interface can be opened and rendered in this interpreter so as to create a truly runnable UI compatible with Tcl-Tk. The interpreter is developed in the Oz language on top of the QTk module developed by Donatien Grolaux. Since this Qtk toolkit is itself implemented on top of the Mozart environment which is available for most frequent platforms (e.g., Linux, HP, Windows, Mac Os - see download section), the QtkiXML interpreter is itself multi-platform. The UsiXML files containing the Concrete User Interface description for the end user task is read by QTKiXML to create the user interface containing only the relevant information and widget in order to perform the user task. QTKiXML can be view as an application of the principle of the unique workstation.

Screenshots/video

This example shows how some web pages have been taken from the Sedan-Bouillon touristic web site, reverse engineering thanks to ReversiXML into UsiXML, and then rendered in QtkiXML.


The next sequence of screenshots illustrate QtkiXML where a UsiXML interface is rendered on demand on a Windows platform. A video of this demonstration is also accessible.


Requirements
To use QTKiXML, you need to:

• Download and install the Mozart Programming system which is relevant for your computing platform. Use the version 1.3.1 of The Mozart Programming System.
  
• Install Emacs version corresponding to your computing platform.

For instance, to use QTKiXML on a Windows workstation, you need to:

• Extract all files contained in the archive QTKiXML.rar in a folder of your choice.
• Execute the QTKiXML.exe file.

To use QTKiXML on a Linux or Mac-Os workstation, you need to:

• Rebuild the application from the source files. In order to do that, open with Emacs the "QTKiXML.oz" file then in the oz menu, then choose compile file option and type this in the command lines (bottom of Emacs console) : "ozc -x QTKiXML.oz" then press enter.


• Move the file created in the same folder than the "QTKiXML.exe" files.
• Execute the new file.

Download
You can download the application with all sources and UsiXML exemples here. QtkiXML is released under the terms of the Apache License, Version 2.0.

More information
QTKiXML is developed by Vincent Denis in his Master thesis in Management Sciences at IAG, School of Management.

Note
The last version of this QtkiXML rendered is based on UsiXML V1.4.6, which is not the latest version of UsiXML.

Publication

• Vincent Denis, Un pas vers le poste de travail unique : QTKiXML, un interpréteur d'interface utilisateur à partir de sa description, M.Sc. thesis, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, September 2005. The presentation is also available .