ICS introduces Builder Xcessory 3.5 on Sun, Digital, Hewlett-Packard, and Silicon Graphics platforms.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 5, 1994--Integrated Computer Solutions Inc. (ICS), the foremost supplier of Motif development tools, today introduced Builder Xcessory (BX) Version 3.5, which will provide even higher-level productivity, efficiency and cost savings.

This release is expected to ship in early February, 1995.

A robust and flexible Motif graphical user interface development tool, BX 3.5 can be customized to meet developers' individual application development needs. It also seamlessly integrates with leading development tools and environments, including SunSoft WorkShop, DEC FUSE, and Silicon Graphics' CASEVision.

"ICS is committed to helping developers be more productive, work faster, smarter and more cost-effectively," said Cindy Starks, senior product manager at ICS. "Our integration with FUSE, WorkShop and CASEVision puts Builder Xcessory 3.5 in a category all its own. This release provides seamless integration with these environments, which allows Motif developers to access Builder Xcessory from within any of the development tools they may be using."

Harshna Sampat, senior computer scientist at Computer Sciences Corp., said that her project has been using Builder Xcessory for several years during the design of software for NASA's Transportable Payload Operations Control Center (TPOCC). She said, "In building the TPOCC, it was critical that we were able to work with tools which allowed us to reuse software components, as well as adhere to industry standards. In this respect, Builder Xcessory has responded to our needs."

Users of BX 3.5 will benefit from having the option to work in Digital, Sun, and Silicon Graphics environments. In addition, developers already working in these environments can take advantage of BX 3.5, which will result in increased development speed and productivity.

"Digital is dedicated to supplying customers with the best products and services on the market," said John O'Keefe, vice president, Unix Systems Marketing, Digital Equipment Corp. "By integrating Builder Xcessory 3.5 into Digital's FUSE environment, ICS has given Digital developers easy access to the industry's premier Motif GUI builder, while allowing BX developers to use all of the powerful tools in the FUSE environment."

"The integration of Builder Xcessory extends the SunSoft WorkShop product support suite for software development to user interface development, addressing customer needs for rapid application development," said Jon Williams, product line manager for developer products at SunSoft. "The many enhancements in this release of Builder Xcessory facilitate the development of sophisticated applications for the Solaris operating system."

"The Builder Xcessory tool's integration with Silicon Graphics' development environment helps our users become even more productive," said Way Ting, vice president and general manager of Silicon Graphics' Visual Magic Division. "In fact, the commitment from ISV's such as ICS to the Developer Magic toolset provide unmatched capabilities for software development."

Integration into SunSoft WorkShop, DEC FUSE and Silicon Graphics' CASEVision development environments allows developers to check-in and check-out files, using native source code control systems; run builds; and debug their applications through Builder Xcessory. Within these environments, developers also have remote control, allowing developers to quickly start and stop BX.

Another major enhancement to BX 3.5 is its new multiple select features, which allow developers to expand the layout possibilities provided by the standard Motif toolkit. Multiple select features also permit alignment and distribution of selected objects, plus the option to set multiple resources and styles, and comparison of resource settings for selected widgets.

Other new features of BX 3.5 include C++ enhancements, improved application development features and several usability enhancements.

C++ Enhancements

One of BX 3.5's new C++ enhancements is Subclassing, which allows developers to create subclasses from existing classes. Subclasses enable the easy reuse classes already created in Builder Xcessory. Another C++ enhancement is the creation of receptor widgets, which designate a widget in a class to receive new children. These are used in conjunction with subclasses to allow easier modification of classes. And lastly, the "Quick Save" feature of classes allows developers to quickly save and read in class files for ease in sharing. These classes can be set as system classes, which makes them available to all BX developers.

Application Development Features

Builder Xcessory 3.5 also adds new features designed to aid in application development. BX is now the only tool that allows developers to take advantage of such X Windows features as Work Procedures, Event Handlers, and Timers. It also delivers improved C++ object-oriented code generation and new features geared for management of large user interface projects.

Usability Enhancements

Usability enhancements give developers the ability to: search for widgets in the Browser; auto-pan the Browser during drag and drop; view and edit compound widget children; and easily edit menus via drag and drop. New pop-up menus on the third mouse button offer quick and easy ways to perform tasks such as cut, copy, paste and delete.

Requirements and Pricing

BX 3.5 will initially be available on the SunSoft Solaris 1; 2; Silicon Graphics IRIX 5.x; HP 700 HPUX 9.x; Digital DEC OSF/1 v. 2.0; and v. 3.0 platforms. A single developer license is priced at $3,200 for Sun Solaris, Silicon Graphics, Hewlett-Packard, and Digital platforms.

Integrated Computer Solutions (ICS) provides products and services that help developers working with OSF/Motif to become more productive. Founded in 1987, ICS was the first company to offer training and products based on the X Window System and to supply OSF/Motif to developers working on Sun workstations. ICS is affiliated with a number of major industry groups, including the X Consortium, Open Software Foundation, and the X Users Group.

-0-

Builder Xcessory and BX are trademarks of Integrated Computer Solution Inc. Digital, DEC and FUSE are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corp. Silicon Graphics is a registered trademark and CASEVision and Developer Magic are trademarks of Silicon Graphics Inc. OSF/1 and OSF/Motif are registered trademarks of the Open Software Foundation. Sun is a trademark and SunSoft and Solaris are trademarks of Sun.

CONTACT: Integrated Computer Solutions Inc.

              Ed Chuang, 617/621-0060
                           or
              The Weber Group
              Mona Pohl/Robert Minicucci, 617/661-7900