Magic User Interface
The Magic User Interface (MUI ) is a commercial object-oriented GUI library by Stefan Stuntz for creating graphical user interfaces for the AmigaOS from version 2.0. For end users of programs that use MUI, this is free. The use in your own applications is also free for freeware, commercial products for a license fee.
Functions
MUI provides a set of ready controls, and an API for creating your own control available that allow the implementation of complex GUIs been greatly simplified programmers. Similarly, the four-color standard palette of AmigaOS was supplemented by four additional colors to achieve a better representation of the controls. The color palette is adapted to the extensions MagicWB NewIcons and, in turn, the Amiga Workbench extended to " more colorful " file icons.
Users of MUI applications have the ability to adjust their appearance with the configuration program MUIPrefs globally or individually for each program in great detail. Not only background colors or patterns, as well as font for text display, but also the appearance of the controls themselves can be changed. The size of the controls and the program window is automatically adjusted by the MUI. In addition, MUI allows the storage of window sizes and positions, keyboard control and the minimization of ongoing programs.
Dissemination
Both programmers as well as users MUI was very popular: Over 900 applications are using it for their GUI. Among them are especially some also used programs such as the web browser IBrowse and Voyager, the mail clients MicroDot II and YAM, the IRC client AmIRC, the FTP client AmFTP or the control program of TCP / IP stacks Miami.
History
With the release of version 2.0 of AmigaOS has been provided with BOOPSI a new object-oriented interface for implementing reusable controls. This was easier and more flexible than the direct programming of the intuition interface that will encapsulate BOOPSI. MUI was next ClassAct (later ReAction ) one of the first libraries that began this new technology.
In August 1993, MUI was first released as version 1.0. The software is available via the website and in particular on the popular Aminet. After numerous intermediate versions appeared on 12 February 1997, the last official version 3.8.
With the diminishing importance and quite turbulent story of Amiga and AmigaOS from 1999, the situation is unclear. First it was said that in the repeatedly announced AmigaOS 4 MUI is to be used. This was eventually rejected in favor of ClassAct.
In MorphOS, which about 1999/2000 commenced operating system successor with similarly varied history, it was considered " MUI4 " part of the new operating system and its ambient surface. Also in AROS, a source text compatible reimplementation of the previous AmigaOS, an unofficial MUI derivative was integrated.
Although MUI is no longer being developed for the classic AmigaOS, but the registry for use in new programs is still possible (as of January 2007).