XUIMS: the X-Window User Interface Management System at CERN

The CERN X-Window User Interface Management System (XUIMS) is a modular and highly configurable software development environment allowing the interactive design, prototyping, and production of OSF/Motif Human Computer Interfaces (HCI). Fully compliant with the X11R5 and OSF/Motif industry standards, XUIMS covers complex software areas like the development of schematics, the visualization and on-line interactions with 2D and 3D scientific data, the display of relational database data, and the direct access to CERN SPS and LEP accelerators equipment. The guarantee of consistency across the applications and the encapsulation of complex functionality in re-usable and user-friendly components has also been implemented through the development of home made graphical objects (widgets) and templates. The XUIMS environment is built with commercial software products integrated in the CERN SPS and LEP controls infrastructure with a very limited home-made effort. Productivity and quality have been improved through less coding and better HCI prototyping.