xmbase-grok - Graphical Resource Organizer Kit

For people who don't read long READMEs, I'll describe compilation and installation first:

-- edit Makefile and change GLIB and GBIN if the program and support files

should be installed in a directory other than /usr/local/{bin,lib}. -- run "make" and choose a system from the list -- run "make <sys>"
-- run "grok" and choose a database from the Database pulldown -- if you don't like grok, delete this directory and the ~/.grok directory -- run "make install"
-- copy ../demo/* to ~/.grok
-- if your system is an SGI, copy ../misc/Grok.icon to ~/.icons/Grok.icon

You need Motif, LessTif (see http://www.lesstif.org) 0.88.0 or later, or OpenMotif (see http://www.openmotif.org) to compile grok.

xmbase-grok, formerly just called "grok", is a simple database manager and UI builder that can -

keep phone and address lists (like a rolodex)
store phone call logs
keep todo lists
manage any other database after simple GUI-driven customization
customized data export, HTML export built in

More precisely, grok is a program for displaying and editing strings arranged in a grid of rows and columns. Each row is presented as a "card" consisting of multiple columns, or "fields", that allow data entry. The presentation of the data is programmable; a user interface builder that allows the user to arrange fields on a card graphically is part of grok. Grok also supports a simple language that allows sophisticated queries and data retrieval. Grok comes with the above examples and a few others as pre-built applications.

Grok is not a general-purpose database program. It was designed for small applications typical for desktop accessories. If you attempt to run your major airline reservation system or your space shuttle project with it, you are guaranteed to be disappointed.

The distribution contains sample applications and sample databases in the "demo" directory. If grok is started in a directory that contains a "demo" directory, the contents of that directory are presented in grok in addition to the ones from ~/.grok. This is meant to allow experimenting with grok without having to copy files to one's home directory.

The grok executable and the grok.help file should be copied to the GBIN and GLIB directory listed in the makefile used, respectively (default is /usr/local/bin and /usr/local/lib), although any other place in the search path ($PATH) will also work. Run "make install" to install grok. In addition, the distribution contains a PostScript user manual "Manual.ps" that should be copied to a safe place, or printed. The TeX sources for Manual.ps are in the doc directory.

Bug reports to thomas@bitrot.de. Don't forget to include the version number as printed by "grok -v". If you have new applications (forms) that would be of general interest, I'd appreciate to get a copy for inclusion in the next release.

The main archive for grok is

ftp://ftp.fu-berlin.de/pub/unix/graphics/grok/

To subscribe to the plan mailing list, send a mail with "subscribe grok" in the message body (not the subject) to majordomo@bitrot.de. The list carries a low volume and is mainly used for announcements and patches.

Copyright

xmbase-grok is Copyrighted by Thomas Driemeyer, 1993-2001. License to copy, publish, and distribute is granted to everyone provided that three conditions are met:

my name and email address, "Thomas Driemeyer <thomas@bitrot.de>" must remain in the distribution and any documentation that was not part of this distribution. In particular, my name and address must be shown in the About popup.
if you redistribute a modified version, the fact that the version is modified must be stated in all places that my name is shown.
this copyright notice must be included in your distribution.

If these conditions are met, you can do whatever you like. The idea is that I would be pissed if someone else claimed he wrote the thing, and I don't want bugs introduced by others attributed to me. Make as much money with it as you can. Drop me a line, I am curious.

If you put plan on a CD, send me a free copy if your company policy allows it and you want to. (Not obligatory, I just collect trophies.)

There are no implied or expressed warranties for grok. I do not claim it is good for anything whatsoever, and if you lose your precious data or your cat dies this is entirely your problem.