The AES (Application Environment Services) is that part of GEM that represents the direct (graphical) interface to the user. The AES offers a set of calls for applications to handle conveniently various concepts such as screen windows, menu bars, dropdown or pop-up menus, dialog boxes etc. The following utility libraries serve for this purpose:
| • Application library | (appl_...) |
| • File-selector library | (fsel_...) |
| • Print dialogs | (pdlg_...) |
| • Editable object functions | (edit_...) |
| • Event library | (evnt_...) |
| • Window-dialogs | (wdlg_...) |
| • Window library | (wind_...) |
| • Extended file-selectors | (fslx_...) |
| • Forms | (form_...) |
| • Graphics library | (graf_...) |
| • List boxes | (lbox_...) |
| • Menus | (menu_...) |
| • Objects | (objc_...) |
| • Resource | (rsrc_...) |
| • Shell communication | (shel_...) |
| • X-graphics function | (xgrf_...) |
| • Font selection | (fnts_...) |
| • Clipboard | (scrp_...) |
The origins of the AES reach back to the year 1984, developed by Digital Research originally for MS-DOS machines, and later ported to the Apple Lisa (under CP/M 68k). Subsequently this version was ported to the Atari-ST (under GEMDOS).
In version 4.0 the AES was revised extensively, and now offers many new and extended routines. With the function appl_getinfo one can check easily whether (and which) new options are available.
See also: AES fundamentals Bindings of the AES About the VDI