July 14, 2004–Mathematica users and application developers now have access to a powerful new technology that makes it easy to create graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for a wide range of custom implementations. GUIKit, Wolfram Research’s latest technology release for use with Mathematica, is a new development tool built on Java that can be EquationTrekker, import tools, and search tools.
GUIKit user interfaces call on the power of Java, but are much easier to write than if done using Java directly. GUIKit also provides complete access to any and all Java classes and their properties, events, and methods. And because the interfaces are based on Java, they are completely platform-independent and will look native on any platform without the need for changes or modifications.
Unlike programs written in C and other languages, where the parameters cannot be changed once the code is compiled, interfaces created with GUIKit can easily be adjusted at run time based on user input or Mathematica results.
“GUIKit goes much further [than existing 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 creates a unique bridge between the power of Mathematica and the interface control of Java,” says Jeff Adams, GUIKit lead developer. “It lets you build interactive interfaces in record time, especially for applications involving sophisticated computation or technical graphics. Our initial GUIKit users have built everything from simple utility dialogs to aid their daily use of Mathematica as a tool, to elaborate stand-alone applications. They’ve taken the technology and run with it even beyond what we envisioned.”
GUIKit is built for Mathematica 5.0 or later. It will be included with future releases of Mathematica and is available for all platforms supporting Mathematica and Java. More information is available.