Library architecture

UIQ's GUI system has three major components; a generic core, named Uikon, a layer for symbian controls named QEikStd and Qikon for UIQ controls. The libraries provide the application programmer with:

• A programming framework

  The UI framework provides services required by all applications, such as initialising the application at start-up, channelling user input to the correct part of the application code, and providing data handling functions defined by the Application Architecture.

• Reusable controls

  The concrete controls and standard dialogs provide many of the UI components required by applications, and impose a uniform look-and-feel across all applications.

Uikon, QEikStd and Qikon are layered above the UI Control Framework (sometimes known as Cone). The GUI libraries provide concrete implementations of this abstract framework. The UI Control Framework defines the abstract concepts of the user interface at a basic level.

The GUI system of UIQ consists of two major components; QEikStd and Qikon which are suites of controls and more. QEikStd and Qikon are modular, with multiple DLLs and resource files.

There also exists a componenent named Uikon which provides functionality for manipulating and creating controls. This is accomplished through the class CEikonEnv. Of course the libraries pictured below contains more libraries but this is the first that a user can be expected to use.

QEikStd contains controls that previously were provided by Symbian.

Amongst others it is here that the old listbox exists. This control is deprecated.

The Qikon libraries provide a layer of UIQ specific controls and dialogs over the Uikon core.

For detailed information about the contents of each library, see: QEikStd and Qikon