Frequently Asked Questions
About wxAUI
What is wxAUI?
wxAUI is an Advanced User Interface library that aims to implement "cutting-edge" interface usability and design features so developers can quickly and easily create beautiful and useable application interfaces.
What platforms does wxAUI work with?
wxAUI works on Windows, Linux, and Mac.
How is wxAUI licensed?
wxAUI is licensed under the wxWindows license. Download it here and start using it!
What features are you planning for future versions?
The short answer is: the sky's the limit. However, please see our wxAUI Roadmap for a look at what we're currently planning.
It appears that the wxAUI code size is quite small, how did you pull that off?
We have tried to keep wxAUI as tight and understandable as possible. In addition, we've tried to utilize as much wxWidgets machinery as possible. For example, wxAUI's layout engine uses the wxWidgets sizer mechanism to layout the frames.
Does wxAUI employ a plug-in architecture?
No. We are concerned that a plug-in architecture would increase the size of the code dramatically and make the toolkit more complex. That said, wxAUI does offer a dock art mechanism that enables developers to implement their own drawing functions, such as adding a shaded gradient to a docked-frame caption bar.
About Kirix
What is Kirix?
Kirix Corporation is a software company focused on making it easy to access, manipulate and analyze corporate data.
How long have you been using wxWidgets?
We've been happily developing with wxWidgets since late 2001.
If I download Kirix Strata, will I be able to see wxAUI used in a real-life application?
Unfortunately, you won't at this point - but you will see it in our next release. The current Kirix Strata evaluation was created using wxFL. One of the key reasons we created wxAUI was because we wanted to update our applications to include a variety of advanced interface-usability features they currently do not contain. Download the wxAUI test application to see an example of this library in action.
wxAUI and the wxWidgets community
What was the motivation behind the creation of wxAUI?
As we developed our applications, we realized that many of the features we wanted for the GUI were actually generalized and interrelated usability features. We realized that if we created a library that addressed these issues, we could more quickly create "advanced" interfaces without having to implement individual pieces here or there.
Why did you create wxAUI instead of just contributing to the other wxWidgets docking architectures like wxFL, wxDockit or wxIFM?
We actually have been contributing to wxFL, an existing frame docking project, for a number of years. However, as we evaluated our applications, we decided that we wanted, among other things, 1) native floating windows, 2) reliable docked-frame sizing and positioning, and 3) rebar-typed toolbars with "chevron" support and "tearable" pull-down menus.
Our alternatives were to either continue using wxFL, to utilize another frame-docking toolkit such as wxIFM or wxDockIt, or to create our own. Although wxFL, wxIFM and wxDockIt each offer their own advantages - some quite significant - neither wxFL nor wxIFM supported native floating windows, so they were not adequate for our needs. We might have used wxDockIt, but for whatever reason, we were unaware of it at the time we were evaluating our options.
As a result, we decided to develop our own frame-docking functionality, as part of our larger GUI usability initiative, and make the whole pack available to the community.
Help and Feedback
Can I start coding my applications using wxAUI version 0.9.2?
Of course! But since the library is only version 0.9.2, please note that we may change the API before releasing version 1.0.
How can I provide feedback and report bugs?
We're very interested in your feedback and bug reporting! Please send us your feedback in our forum so that everyone will be free to evaluate and discuss the issues.
How can I get help using wxAUI?
Please review our documentation section, which includes a getting started page and an example page. If you need additional help, post a comment to the forum and we'll do our best to follow up quickly!