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FORMS library interface for GUI applications</TITLE>
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<H1><A NAME="SECTION0018400000000000000000">
16.4 <tt class=module>fl</tt> --
         FORMS library interface for GUI applications</A>
</H1>

<P>
  
<p class=availability>Availability: <span
 class=platform>IRIX</span>.</p>

<P>
This module provides an interface to the FORMS Library<a name="l2h-2417"></a> by Mark Overmars<a name="l2h-2418"></a>.  The source for the
library can be retrieved by anonymous ftp from host
"<tt class=samp>ftp.cs.ruu.nl</tt>", directory <tt class=file>SGI/FORMS</tt>.  It was last tested
with version 2.0b.

<P>
Most functions are literal translations of their C equivalents,
dropping the initial "<tt class=samp>fl_</tt>" from their name.  Constants used by
the library are defined in module <tt class=module><a href="module-fl-constants.html">FL</a></tt>
described below.

<P>
The creation of objects is a little different in Python than in C:
instead of the `current form' maintained by the library to which new
FORMS objects are added, all functions that add a FORMS object to a
form are methods of the Python object representing the form.
Consequently, there are no Python equivalents for the C functions
<tt class=cfunction>fl_addto_form()</tt> and <tt class=cfunction>fl_end_form()</tt>, and the
equivalent of <tt class=cfunction>fl_bgn_form()</tt> is called
<tt class=function>fl.make_form()</tt>.

<P>
Watch out for the somewhat confusing terminology: FORMS uses the word
<i class=dfn>object</i> for the buttons, sliders etc. that you can place in a form.
In Python, `object' means any value.  The Python interface to FORMS
introduces two new Python object types: form objects (representing an
entire form) and FORMS objects (representing one button, slider etc.).
Hopefully this isn't too confusing.

<P>
There are no `free objects' in the Python interface to FORMS, nor is
there an easy way to add object classes written in Python.  The FORMS
interface to GL event handling is available, though, so you can mix
FORMS with pure GL windows.

<P>
<b>Please note:</b> importing <tt class=module>fl</tt> implies a call to the GL
function <tt class=cfunction>foreground()</tt> and to the FORMS routine
<tt class=cfunction>fl_init()</tt>.

<P>

<p><hr>
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<LI><A NAME="tex2html4028"
 HREF="FL_Functions.html">16.4.1 Functions Defined in Module <tt class=module>fl</tt></A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html4029"
 HREF="form-objects.html">16.4.2 Form Objects</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html4030"
 HREF="forms-objects.html">16.4.3 FORMS Objects</A>
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