Icon Author is a graphical scripting language primarily designed for the creation of multimedia applications released by the computer software company Aimtech. Although not as well known, it is very similar to Macromedia's Director and Authorware in both it's abilities and usage. In my previous employement, Icon Author was used exclusively in the creation of multimedia CD's of a very high quality.

As in Director, Icon Author is presented a suite of applications catering for the production of every aspect of multimedia. Each of the applications are discussed below:

Icon Author Icon Author is the main contributor to the software suit and is the 'glueing' package that combines all the other software packages. Through a simple process of dragging and dropping icons representing particular commands onto a flow-chart type script, a program is contructed. Icon Author has icons that act as commands as simple as variable assignment and loops to complex SQL and database connectivity. Although designed specifically for the purpose of multimedia, Icon Author can also be used as a RAD package for testing applications. It is quick, effecient and powerful.

Smart Object Editor This application allows screen layouts and designs to be contructed using common windows controls such as edit boxes, radio buttons, combo boxes and graphic objects. The proporties of each of the controls can be set from within the Smart Object editor or at run-time by Icon Author. A number of controls can also be connected to databases to display specific fields and the creation of further records.

Further tools allow for the creation of other types of media such as graphics, video and audio and the debugging the Icon Author applications.