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Contact: Darcy Brockbank, or Neil Gilday at (514) 849-3631

Re: New User Interface Objects for NeXTstep 

Date: July 21,1992


        SAN FRANCISCO - Solutions Unlimited announced today 
two new user interface objects for NeXTSTEP: SUMatrix, and SUFloatingImage.

        SUMatrix is a subclass of the Matrix class that is provided in NeXT
Computer Inc.'s Application Kit. Matrix places a restriction on programmers:
all cells must be the same size. SUMatrix was written to overcome that
restriction, yet retain all the functionality of the Matrix class. As a
result, SUMatrix may be transparently interchanged with the Matrix class
without loss of functionality, while also giving programmers the ability to
explicitly set arbitrary cell heights for arbitrary rows of cells, and
arbitrary cell widths for arbitrary columns of cells. For example, SUMatrix
can be used in the creation of a table of rows with varying size columns or
in a simple spreadsheet.

        SUFloatingImage is a subclass of the Window class, also provided in
NeXT's Application Kit, that simplifies the incorporation of mouse-controlled
"dragging" into applications.The use of a mouse to "drag and drop" objects
in a user interface requires that the user interface supply feedback to the
user, so that the user can know where he or she will be "dropping" the
object. SUFloatingImage supplies an object that can be assigned an image to
be used to indicate to the user where his or her "drop" will take place.
This image (an arrow for example) can be constrained to a rectangle, or a
grid, so when the user drags an object over a receiving view, the image
will indicate the "closest" receptacle of the object. 

        SUFloatingImage can be used to indicate a rectangle the graphic will
cover, and can be constrained to the margins of the page. The image can also
take advantage of transparency bits, to allow portions of the receiving view
to show through. An example usage of SUFloatingImage is dragging graphics
into a word processor. SUFloatingImage is extremely easy to incorporate, and
requires no extensive programming to set up and use. 

        Call Solutions Unlimited at (514) 849-3631 for pricing, or send
e-mail to info@solutions.ca.

        Solutions Unlimited is a partnership devoted entirely to programming
and consulting in the NeXT arena. Solutions Unlimited offers user interface
objects, custom programming, and standard shrink-wrap applications. Located
in Montreal, Solutions Unlimited is currently building innovative tools for
use in the financial industry.