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Graphical Data Display Manager
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<p>GDDM (Graphical Data Display Manager) is a <a href="/facts/Computer_graphics/lapBE8wv">computer graphics</a> system for the IBM <a href="/facts/System%2f370/TRo1jaFw">System/370</a> which was developed in <a href="/facts/IBM/QszA7nwd">IBM</a>'s <a href="/facts/Hursley_House/IU6tAYKY">Hursley lab</a>, and first released in 1979. GDDM was originally designed to provide programming support for the <a href="/facts/IBM_3279/QKeJWI7t">IBM 3279</a> colour display terminal and the associated 3287 colour printer. The 3279 was a colour graphics terminal designed to be used in a general business environment. </p><p>GDDM was extended in the early 1980s to provide graphics support for all of IBM's display terminals and printers, and ran on all of IBM's mainframe operating systems. </p><p>GDDM also provided support for the (then current) international standards for interactive computer graphics: <a href="/facts/Graphical_Kernel_System/bdVdRjNt">GKS</a> and <a href="/facts/PHIGS/dwR9wpv6">PHIGS</a>. Both GKS and PHIGS were designed around the requirements of <a href="/facts/CAD/5gSXrmmN">CAD</a> systems. </p><p>GDDM is also available on the IBM i midrange operating system, as well as its predecessor, the AS/400. </p><p>GDDM comprises a number of components: </p> <ul><li>Graphics primitives - lines, circles, boxes etc.</li> <li>Graphing - through the Presentation Graphics Feature (PGF)</li> <li>Language support - <a href="/facts/PL%2fI/469mVYgd">PL/I</a>, <a href="/facts/REXX/hAzh6FeR">REXX</a>, <a href="/facts/COBOL/wVnhqs0k">COBOL</a> etc.</li> <li>Conversion capabilities - for example to GIF format.</li> <li>Interactive Chart Utility (ICU).</li></ul> <p>GDDM remains in widespread use today, embedded in many <a href="/facts/Z%2fOS/amLCAlgV">z/OS</a> applications, as well as in system programs. </p>