The Proto Environment: Part 1: Introducing Proto
Introducing Proto
This article provides an introductory look at Proto. It is part of a three-part series that also includes Part 2: The Builder and Part 3: The Viewer.
Introduction
This article and the next two in this series are intended to provide a quick introduction to the Proto environment and its basic elements. It assumes that you have already installed Proto and understand how to navigate a standard Windows operating environment.
Starting Proto
Proto is a standard Windows application. Start Proto by clicking on the taskbar, navigating to the All Programs → Proto menu and then clicking Proto Financial. The other way to start Proto is to double-click on a saved .proto file. This will open Proto and display the custom module contained in the .proto file.
In order for Proto to start it must be to a repository, the storage location used for modules and files associated with Proto. Normally, when Proto loads it will automatically rejoin the last repository it was connected to. However, if the repository that was last connected to cannot be accessed the Repository Manager window will open and require the user to join a valid repository. For more information about repositories and the Repository Manager window see the Repository article.
When Proto starts it opens a window that gives you quick access to some basic operations in Proto. These include common tasks like opening a module, importing a module, and creating a new module. This window is described in detail in the Start Action article.
Custom Modules
The custom tools that you create with Proto are called custom modules. Custom modules are built with a combination of the basic modules provided with Proto and other custom modules. They are joined together with connections. These connections allow data to travel from one module to another in a determinate data path based on which module input connectors and output connectors are joined. The transfer of data between modules is called execution and is detailed in the Execution article. For more information about custom modules, please see the Custom Modules article.
The Builder and the Viewer Windows
There are two main windows that comprise Proto’s interface: the Builder and the Viewer. Each custom module has exactly one Builder window and one Viewer window that are associated exclusively with that custom module. All of the modules that comprise a custom module are displayed in its Builder. Certain of those modules also have an associated control which is displayed in the Viewer window. You insert modules and create connections between them in the Builder; you interact with and display information from a custom module in its Viewer.
Because it is associated with both a Builder and a Viewer window, a custom module will remain open as long as one of its associated windows is open. Therefore, it is possible to close a custom module’s Builder and interact only with its Viewer—or vice versa—without closing Proto. Furthermore, it is possible for Proto to have multiple custom modules open at the same time. A Builder window and a Viewer window are displayed for each custom module. For example, four windows will be displayed if two custom modules are open, one Builder and Viewer for each. The name of the custom module is displayed in the title menu of each Builder and Viewer window to identify which custom module it is associated with.
There are a few ways to switch between the Builder and Viewer windows:- Select which window you would like to display from the View menu.
- While in one window press CTRL+~ to switch to the other one.
- While in the Builder, click below the Guide to switch to the Viewer window.
The remaining two parts of this introductory feature article detail the Builder and the Viewer in greater detail.