Object Editors
A variety of browsers are available for inspecting and editing objects. The Object Editor allows one to modify object properties and handlers. The System Browser allows one to navigate through and edit the SK8 Object network.

All editors and browsers are composed of components which can be reused by SK8 developers to create their own custom-made editors. Both SK8 and user-developed editors can inter-operate with each other because they are made of the same components. Browsers inter-operate via drag-and-drop operations on any of their elements.

Figure 1. The System Browser

Object Specific Editors
Direct manipulation editors allow users to create and inspect system objects in a visual style. For example, The Menu Editor is used to create menubars, menus, menuitems, as well as pop-up menus and hierarchical menus.

Workflow Editors
Another set of editors help developers to immediately understand and alter the contents and configuration of their projects.

The Stage Monitor shows all graphical elements (both visible and invisible) of a user's project in a visual manner. All elements can be easily identified either through their hierarchical relation to other objects or through their visual appearance.

The Project Overviewer provides direct access to the key categories of objects in a user's project. These include the projects media, prototype objects, currently loaded libraries, renderers, as well as the project's objects, functions and globals. One may also create a scrapbook of objects for easy reference.

The Searcher is used to quickly locate any object or script given a variety of criteria.

Figure 2. Project Overviewer

Media Editors
SK8 facilitates the integration of media (e.g., images, sound) with behavior by providing direct manipulation techniques for importing and exporting media, converting the media to suitable SK8 object types, and for accessing and editing the media in the appropriate contexts.

The Media Browser is used to browse and import media in external file formats. The Color Palette allows users to access and edit media used by renderers.

Figure 3. The Media Browser

Figure 4. The Color Palette

Script Editors
SK8 developers may script whole handlers using the Handler Editor or they may interactively work with the environment using SK8Script through the Message Box. Both editors inter-operate with themselves and with all other SK8 browsers and editors through drag-and-drop of objects and text.

The script editors are themselves built from existing SK8 components, thus permitting SK8 developers to customize them or to build entirely new kinds of editors using these components.

Figure 5. The Handler Editor

Figure 6. The Message Box

Apple's Research Labs have created a broad range of prototype tools with SK8 to prove the technology and identify areas for improvement. This section summarizes a variety of the tool prototype efforts.

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