| WideStudio Application Builder User's Guide | WideStudio Index Table of contents

> ## What is the WideStudio?

> WideStudio is a GUI based application development environment, which has been developed purely in Japan, on many platforms such as Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and Solaris. This application is fully available and is an "open source". This is one of its most outstanding features. Everyone can use this to develop multi-platform and open applications with ease.
> WideStudio has the following characteristics:
> - Open source License (X11/MIT).
> - C++ based development.
> - Possible to build platform-independent GUI applications.
> - Uses fully original class libraries.
> - Equipped with the application builder which can easily edit a GUI application.
> - Needs only a minimum of coding, in an event-driven style.
> - Ensures scalability by a function of building / importing additional class libraries.
> Mature developers may have developed applications on multi-platforms such as Windows and X11.
> I have also developed various applications by saving money, getting a palm-top computer, inserting the machine language on it by drawing dots to make a so called game, but that is an old story. Since then, I used MS-DOS followed by Windows 3.0, then 3.1, UNIX/X11 Window system, Xt/Motif, Windows95/NT(Win32), MFC/ActiveX.
> In the end, I didn't want to be bothered anymore with the incompatibilities between platforms, and have decided to make my applications platform-independent.
> I thought it would be great, if developers could build applications with WideStudio IDE, by just using the mouse. The next figure describes the composition of WideStudio and its files.

> [WideStudio Composition]

> ### What is the C++ language?

> WideStudio is written in C++. C++ is basically the C programming language, with enhanced support for object oriented programming.
> C is one of the most standard programming languages, and is used in many larger software products because of its hardware accessing ability. C++ inherits many features from the C language, and is equipped with functions to allow developers to build applications more efficiently.
> While it copies C format, it soon becomes apparent that it is a world apart from C, and tends to get both novice and experienced programmers into difficulty. Using WideStudio, developers can write programs as they did in C, and they are still able to make good use of great C++ functionalities, and of course, programs using classes are also easy to make.

> ### Comments on the development of the WideStudio

> There are thousands of application builders like WideStudio, so why use WideStudio?
> I have often heard voices, such as "I want to make some applications, but it's hard..." or "I don't want to buy a shit application builder and pay money for it!". These people cannot take up programming. However, WideStudio solves these problems. It's free, and so easy to use!
> I also often hear "What the hell is open source?" and "Why is the WideStudio free?" One of the objectives of developing WideStudio is to contribute it to the open source world. WideStudio was made in a restricted time frame to see how efficiently it could be built / designed. I would appreciate if any part of this source would be helpful for developers in developing or designing software from now.
> From nuts and bolts to real applications, it will be a huge delight if everyone shares this enthusiasm in developing through engineering.

Document Release 3.70 for WideStudio ver 3.70, May 2004

WideStudio documents index | Table of contents

Copyright(C) WideStudio Development Team, 1999-2004 | Last modified: May 25, 2004