\documentstyle[11pt,a4wide]{article}
\title{User Interface Functions and Graphics Tools}
\author{Jean Zen + Henri Harroch}
\date{October 1990}
\begin{document}

\begin{titlepage}
{
\hoffset=1truein
\hsize=5.25truein
\vsize=10.25truein
\font\small=cmssbx10 at 14.4truept
\font\medium=cmssbx10 at 17.28truept
\font\large=cmssbx10 at 20.74truept
\hrule height 0pt
\parindent=0pt
%\parskip=0pt
\hskip 3.9truein
\large
EDOC104\par
\vskip .5truein
\large
EUROGAM PROJECT\par
\vskip 1.5truein
\hrule height 2pt
\vskip 20pt
\medium
EUROGAM DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM\par
\vskip .5truein
User Interface Functions and Graphics Tools\par
\vskip 20pt
\hrule height 2pt
\vskip 1truein
\medium
Edition 1.0\par
\vskip 5pt
October 1990\par
\vfill
\medium
J.Zen, SATD, CRN Strasbourg\par
\vskip 5pt
H.Harroch, AME, IPN Orsay\par
\vskip 5pt
          \par
\vskip .5truein
}
\end{titlepage}

\maketitle
\section{Introduction}

	Workstations are used in the Eurogam Data Acquisition System to
provide user interfaces to the data collection, data processing and
equipment control servers. Requests from user are sent to servers
which perform the services requested and send back replies using the RPC
procedure in both directions. Two top level windows may be used as user
interface; one for data collection and monitoring and the second for
online analysis.

\section{Data Collection and Monitoring}

	The interface has to handle the setting-up of all Eurogam frontend
crates supporting Ge cards, BGO cards, histogrammer, trigger unit and
aparatus control and environment monitoring by the specified remote 
procedure calls (see Edoc024 Eurogam Frontend Crate Server). As the setting-
up is passed by a configuration description file, its contents may be stored
in general data base server in addition to the proper configure actions.

	For the histogrammer and the Event-by-Event data flow, starting
and stopping data collection commands GO and HALT are provided as well as
different options for clearing spectrum.

	For the monitoring purpose, the multiscale data taking for all
detector channels and also their high voltage states must be available
to be shown at regular intervals. Sequential display of different detector
channels must also be possible.

	Sorting of Event-by-Event data is set up by a sort file (see
Edoc033 Eurogam sort language). Minor changes in a setting-up will be
possible without recompilation of the execution module, but these
changes must be minuted in the log file by the user interface program.

\section{Online Analysis}

	The objets of the online analysis are the spectra in the
histogrammer, the matrices or spectra in the sort engine as well as
saved spectra resulted from the processing of matrices.  The user
interface must give a general spectrum index facility to access all
these spectra.

	For every spectrum (1d or 2d), Zoom out and in, X or Y direction
scaling are to be controlled by menu and mouse actions. Up to 16 live
displays on a screen must be possible. General analysis facilities
including spectrum calibration, peak integrtion, background substraction
and peak fitting etc. may be invoked from a menu bar to initiate a
particular application window for the dialogue. Help or guide must
be available everywhere by kicking appropriate buttons with the mouse.

	For the online matrix slicing operations, the input data are 
to be given in numerical form in a dialogue box or in graphical form
with display and mouse actions.

	Output of plots to laser printer is supported using PostScript
codes. For the outputs to other devices, GKS library programs should be
used because of its' wide output capabilities. GKS will also be useful
for the 3d displays.


\section{Choice of Graphics Tools}

	Today we have two possible choices for a window based environment :

- first, the X-Window system originated from MIT

- and News developped by Sun.

	Inside the X-Window system, we have also two possible choices for
the toolkit :

- MOTIF from OSF

- Open Look ftrom Sun and ATT.

	What can we say about the two window systems :

1. The X11 protocol has been adopted by a large number of companies and
it is able to run over several operating systems (UNIX, VMS, OS9 ...)
and network protocols (TCP-IP, DECNET ...). We can now consider it's a
standard (Sun also supports X11).

2. NEWS is only available under SunOS operating system. So the choice of
NEWS leads to choose only SunOS workstaions (Sun, Solbourne etc ...).

3. The Sun's politics is to support recognized standards. It's very
well for users and that's true with X11. What will happen with NEWS
if it dosen't become a standard?

4. From the technical point of view, NEWS is probably a more elegant and
efficient system than X-Window. Tests are being made.

	In CONCLUSION, the choice between X-Window and NEWS is more a
political choice than a technical one.

	Now under the X-Window based environment, there are two look
and feel in competition :

- MOTIF from OSF

- Open Look from Sun and ATT (UNIX system V-4)

	MOTIF has been adopted by a large number of compagnies over
several operating systems and in first, by DEC under VMS. Lots of
laboratories in nuclear field (in France and at CERN) work with DEC
systems and MOTIF. Other laboratories already develop under UNIX
and MOTIF. So, with the choice of MOTIF we can develop and exchange
applications inside each laboratory (using VMS and UNIX) and between
laboratories. There are not enough people to develop under several 
look and feel in our laboratories.

	MOTIF can be found under SunOS although it's a drawback that
MOTIF is not supported by Sun on its workstations. But soon or later
Sun will support MOTIF if it becomes the standard look and feel.

	Today, Open Look can be found under other operating system
except UNIX.

	A graphic application can be cut into three software levels :

- the graphic library

- the application functionalities

- the data interface

	If we can't have the same graphic library in Eurogam (for
example NEWS in England and MOTIF in France) the last two levels
of software have to be as close as possible and the graphic interface
has to imitate each other to appear the same to the users.

\end{document}