Configure for a GUI client

The Graphical User Interface (GUI) mode displays applications on desktop workstation, web browsers, and mobile front-end platforms. The graphical mode supports native, universal, and traditional rendering modes.

Native rendering

Native rendering provides a graphical look and feel based on platform GUI widgets, for desktop workstation and mobile front-end platforms. Native Rendering is the default, so you do not need any additional setup.

For further details, see Graphical mode with Native Rendering in the Genero Business Development Language User Guide.

Universal rendering

Universal rendering provides a common rendering solution which unifies the display of applications on all Genero front-ends. Universal Rendering relies on the Genero Browser Client (GBC) rendering engine. To enable Universal Rendering in Genero Studio, select Tools > Genero Configurations and select the Universal Rendering environment set.

The Universal Rendering environment set consists of three environment variables:

  • The GBC_USER_DIR environment variable specifies a GBC directory that contains a GBC to use.
  • The GBC_USER environment variable specifies the specific GBC.
  • The FGLGBCDIR environment variable, set by the values provided for GBC_USER_DIR and GBC_USER, is used by the DVM to locate the GBC to use.

By default, the Universal Rendering environment set specifies the runtime version of the GBC provided by the FGLGWS installation. You can update the Universal Rendering environment set to use a different GBC runtime or to use a customized version of the GBC.

To update to a different runtime package
  1. Download the desired runtime package from the Four Js web site and unzip into an accessible directory.
  2. Go to Tools > Genero Configurations.
  3. Select the Universal Rendering environment set.
    Tip: Rather than select and modify one of the environment sets provided during installation, we recommend you duplicate the environment set, then modify your duplicate. This preserves the original environment set and allows you to provide a name for your modified environment set that reflects its purpose.
  4. Set GBC_USER_DIR to the directory path specified in Step 1.
  5. In the runtime packages provided by Four Js, the GBC will be named "gbc"; there is no need to modify the value of GBC_USER.
  6. If the Genero Application Server is running, you must restart the GAS.
To use a customized GBC
  1. Go to Tools > Genero Configurations.
  2. Select the Universal Rendering environment set.
    Tip: Rather than select and modify one of the environment sets provided during installation, we recommend you duplicate the environment set, then modify your duplicate. This preserves the original environment set and allows you to provide a name for your modified environment set that reflects its purpose.
  3. Set GBC_USER_DIR to the directory path containing your compiled GBC customizations.

    For example, if your GBC project directory is C:\fjs\gbc-projects\gbc-1.00.60, then the compiled customizations are located at: C:\fjs\gbc-projects\gbc-1.00.60\dist\customization.

  4. Set GBC_USER to the name of the GBC customization folder.

    For example, if the compiled customization is found at C:\fjs\gbc-projects\gbc-1.00.60\dist\customization\sample, you would set GBC_USER to sample.

  5. If the Genero Application Server is running, you must restart the GAS.

Traditional rendering

Traditional rendering renders all application windows in a single front-end GUI window. It is used to ease migration from TUI-based applications to GUI mode. Select Tools > Genero Configurations and select the Traditional Rendering environment set.

For further details, see Graphical mode with Traditional Display in the Genero Business Development Language User Guide.