| Migrating from IBM Informix 4gl to Genero BDL / User interface topics | |
Applications designed for dumb terminals (TUI mode) use various techniques to ensure that all display fits in an 80x25 screen. This may mean iterating through a number of dialogs using different forms, only displaying certain columns in an record list, using abbreviations for labels, etc.
With a graphical user interface (GUI mode), windows are wider, re-sizable and can contain different sort of layout elements and widgets, displaying much more information as in a simple dump terminal. For example, TABLE containers display record lists and have the ability to scroll horizontally so that you can show more than 78 characters of data.
Dump-terminal oriented programs should be reviewed to take advantage of the GUI possibilities. However, do not end up with over-crowded screens, that will be unreadable to the end user.