Universal Rendering versus Native Rendering

The GDC rendering depends on the Genero infrastructure that delivers the application. You should be aware of differences between the renderings.

How the GDC renders applications depnds on the Genero infrastructure that delivers the application.
  • When using FGLGWS 4.01 and above (direct mode or UA protocol), GDC uses Universal Rendering (UR). It simplifies the portability of the application, because you have the same rendering on the browser, desktop client, and mobile.
  • When using FGLGWS 3.21 or earlier (direct mode or UA protocol), GDC uses native rendering.

UR implements a Genero Browser Client (GBC) interface. You can determine which GBC is sent by the runtime system, as specified in the Graphical mode rendering (GUI mode) topic in the Genero Business Development Language User Guide. For further details about the GBC, see the Genero Browser Client User Guide.

Table 1 outlines the difference between GDC-UR compared with GDC-Native.

Table 1. GDC-UR versus GDC-Native
GDC-UR GDC-Native
Looks more like a web page. Looks like a typical desktop application.
You can resize the window to be very small, and there is no minimum size. A window initially opens using a fixed size of two-thirds of the screen. You can't resize the GDC window to a smaller size than the minimum allowed by the layout content. The first time the window is opened, it is at the minimum size.
Each Genero BDL window opens on top of the previous Genero BDL window in the same window container. You can switch between windows using the Window list. For further details about the Window list, see Application page for GDC.

For more information about window containers, see Containers for program windows in the Genero Business Development Language User Guide

 Each Genero BDL window opens in a separate window container.
If you execute an application using "RUN command" and do not specify the "WITHOUT WAITING" clause, it opens a separate window in the same window container. You can switch between applications using the Window list, but you cannot interact with the initial application until the new application is completed. For further details about the Window list, see Application page for GDC. If you execute an application using "RUN command" and do not specify the "WITHOUT WAITING" clause, a new window container is opened. You can view the initial application by switching window containers, but you cannot interact with the initial application until the new application is completed.
If you execute an application using "RUN command WITHOUT WAITING", it opens in the same window container. You can use the sidebar to switch between applications. For further details about the sidebar, see Application page for GDC.

If you want to open a new RUN WITHOUT WAITING window container as in GDC-Native, use the style attribute desktopMultiWindow.

If you execute an application using "RUN command WITHOUT WAITING", a new window container is opened. You can use the separate window containers to switch between and interact with open applications.
The WCI is desupported. For further information, see Removal of Windows Container Interface (WCI) in the Genero Business Development Language User Guide.

It is possible to run child windows inside a single window container by setting the tabbedContainer style attribute for the main window of a parent program. However, this feature is deprecated. See Window style attributes in the Genero Business Development Language User Guide.

The Windows Container Interface (WCI) is supported.
You can use the web debugger tool to debug any layout and performance issues You can use the web debugger tool to inspect and debug web components only.
Local actions are desupported. You are recommended to avoid putting local actions in the topmenu or toolbar. For further information, see (GDC) Local Actions in the Genero Business Development Language User Guide. Local actions (such as copy, cut, and paste) are deprecated but still supported.
Changes have been made to the presentation styles to support the GBC interface. For further information, see Presentation styles changes under the 4.00 Upgrade section in the Genero Business Development Language User Guide. Presentation styles support the desktop interface.