ST-Developer is a set of software tools to build, operate and maintain your STEP, IFC, CIS/2 and EXPRESS-defined tools, translators and databases. It contains programming bindings for C++, C, and Java, plus tools for testing data sets against verification rules and constraints, browsing through the contents of your data sets, building information models, and more. Check out the newest features in ST-Developer 12!

Programming Environments

ST-Developer ships with pre-built STEP AP Class Libraries, ROSE C++ and Java class libraries for many STEP APs and other information models like CIS/2 and IFC. You can start programming immediately, just by linking against the appropriate library. The ST-Developer programming environments are:

• ROSE C++ Class Library -- For demanding CAD and data exchange applications. C++ classes generated from EXPRESS schemas mean fast access, and strong compiler type checking helps to build reliable applications. The ROSE library provides many advanced object search and traversal features such as USEDIN, early and late-bound access, greater control over STEP physical file handling, and AP interoperability extensions. Refer to the ROSE Library Reference Manual for more information.

  Several libraries provide additional capabilities, such as the Part 28 library for reading and writing XML, the Part 21 filter library for working on very large STEP Part 21 files out of memory, and the ROSE Log Window library for status messages in GUI applications.

• SDAI C Library -- Build applications using a small set of straightforward C functions to manipulate STEP data. No application protocol-specific structures or classes are used. Refer to the SDAI C Library Reference Manual for more information.
• ST-Developer for Java Library -- Using the EXPRESS compiler, you can build applications using Java classes. Strong compiler type checking helps to build reliable applications. Refer to the ST-Developer Java Library Reference Manual for more information.

Conformance Testing and Editing Tools

View and browse STEP data sets then check for adherence to the STEP Application Protocols using these tools. The checking tools evaluate EXPRESS constraints to verify that a data set is correct.

• ST-Viewer -- View and edit STEP geometry and assemblies. (Windows only)

• ap203check -- Check AP-203 data sets using a custom tool.
• ap209check -- Check AP-209 data sets using a custom tool.
• ap214check -- Check AP-214 data sets using a custom tool.
• apconform -- Check any data set against the constraints in an EXPRESS information model using an EXPRESS interpreter.
• p28view/p28html -- Examine STEP Part 28 files in any web browser.
• stepedit -- Examine, edit, and check STEP data sets. (UNIX only)
• stepbrws -- Examine STEP Part 21 files. (Windows only)
• stepclean -- Remove redundant information from STEP files.

Information Modeling Tools

These EXPRESS tools process the STEP schema definitions and produce useful things from them. The EXPRESS compiler checks schemas quite thoroughly and can generate C++ classes, SDAI data-dictionaries, and HTML. The EXPRESS-G tools construct EXPRESS-G diagrams from any EXPRESS information model and display, rearrange, and print them using a graphical editor.

EXPRESS Tools

• expfront -- Unified EXPRESS compiler.
• express2cxx -- Generate C++ classes from EXPRESS.
• express2java -- Generate Java classes from EXPRESS.
• express2html -- Convert EXPRESS Schemas to HTML.

EXPRESS-G Tools

• expgedit -- EXPRESS-G diagram editor.
• express2expg -- EXPRESS compiler to generate EXPRESS-G diagrams.
• expgupdate -- Update EXPRESS-G diagram.
• expgdiff -- EXPRESS-G difference utility.
• expg2ps -- EXPRESS-G to PostScript converter.
• expg2hpgl -- EXPRESS-G to HP-GL converter.
• expginfo -- Get information for an EXPRESS-G diagram.
• expgsetopts -- Set options on an EXPRESS-G diagram.

File Conversion Tools

The file format converters transform data from systems that produce IGES or DXF files into STEP physical exchange files and vice-versa. These tools allow ST-Developer applications to mix IGES and DXF data with data described by other EXPRESS information models.

• dxf2step -- Convert an AutoCAD DXF file to STEP.
• iges2step -- Convert an IGES file to STEP.
• step2dxf -- Convert a STEP file to DXF.
• step2iges -- Convert a STEP file to IGES.

Project Tools

Windows versions of ST-Developer contain the ST-Developer Control Panel and Microsoft Visual Studio wizards and plug-ins to speed application development. All platforms contain the extclass. We have provided several additional tools to make the management of these classes somewhat easier.

• extclass -- Add hooks for extensions to a generated C++ class.
• extall -- Add hooks to many C++ classes as needed.
• mkmakefile -- Create makefile for generated C++ classes.
• rose -- Utilities for ROSE Working Form and Part 21 files.