# Preface

This manual introduces the Application Builder (referred to throughout this document as App Builder) and shows you how best to use it. See ABUG.intro.mkr.4 for a summary description.

## Who Should Use This Book

This user's guide is for anyone who wants to build or prototype a user interface with App Builder. Because you can easily create and modify user interfaces without writing any code using App Builder, it is a powerful tool for programmers and non-programmers—including user interface designers and project managers.

## How This Book Is Organized

ABUG.intro.mkr.1, includes an annotated picture of the App Builder primary window, an overview of the process of building an application, and instructions for starting App Builder.

ABUG.proj.mkr.1, explains how to create, open, save, and close projects and modules, and how to hide and show modules.

ABUG.layo.mkr.1, explains how to drag and drop objects from the object palettes, how to edit interface objects, and how to align and distribute control objects in the interface.

ABUG.edprp.mkr.1, explains how to edit object properties in the Revolving Property Editor.

`` ABUG.crobj.mkr.1, explains how to create and edit pane objects, menus, and message dialog boxes.

ABUG.afunc.mkr.1, explains how to create on- item help, how to create functional connections between objects, and how to establish drag and drop and application framework behavior.

ABUG.group.mkr.1, explains how to group control objects and how to attach objects to each other for dynamic resize behavior.

ABUG.test.mkr.1, explains how to change to test mode for testing certain App Builder functions.

ABUG.codeg.mkr.1, describes the Code Generator and explains how to generate code, make your application, and run it.

ABUG.apRPE.mkr.1, describes the primary window, including its object palettes, and other App Builder windows, including the Project Organizer, the Module Browser, and the Code Generator.

ABUG.apRPE.mkr.1, describes the Revolving Property Editor in general and each of the individual property editors specifically.

## What DocBook SGML Markup Means

This book is written in the Structured Generalized Markup Language (SGML) using the DocBook Document Type Definition (DTD). The following table describes the DocBook markup used for various semantic elements.

## DocBook SGML Markup

`Markup Appearance` | `Semantic Element(s)` | `Example`
`AaBbCc123` | The names of commands. | Use the `ls` command to list files.
`AaBbCc123` | The names of command options. | Use `ls` `−a` to list all files.
AaBbCc123 | Command-line placeholder: replace with a real name or value. | To delete a file, type `rm` filename.
`AaBbCc123` | The names of files and directories. | Edit your `.login` file.
AaBbCc123 | Book titles, new words or terms, or words to be emphasized. | Read Chapter 6 in User's Guide. These are called class options. You must be root to do this.