[JGB-general] Java Gui Builder

[Appleton, R. <ric...@ci...>]

Having built a similar utility in the past I have some comments about =
this tool.

In general the XML is very long winded : I prefer using attributes =
rather than nested elements because for any form type GUI with a =
reasonable number of fields the definition could get very, very long.

The concept of a GUI builder can be taken much further.  I implemented:
- binding of controls to actions
- formatting and parsing using logical formats
- logical colour definitions
- I18N support
- population of combo-box lists
- support for sorting tables
- support for dividing GUI into separate files per business model =
component

To do this the build process consists of:
- create business model component
- register business model actions with builder
- register business model and table models with builder
- build GUI
- post-build associate non-generic event-handlers with controls =
(referenced by control id)

A configuration file is used to define which tags, formats, layouts, etc =
are recognized by the builder, so it is possible to add in one's own =
controls and layout managers, etc.  The configuration file also defines =
logical formats and colours, and also combo box lookup lists (which =
again can be configured to be supplied by a custom class).  (Lookup =
lists are associated with a combo box control via a 'lookup' attribute =
on the 'combo' element).

A logical format could be 'percentage' (number format with style =3D =
'percent'), 'price' (defined as pattern for decimal formatter), =
'shortdate' (date format with style =3D'short').  Binding classes are =
provided by the tool to interface between a GUI control and a model's =
property (for text fields performing parsing and formatting as required =
by the logical format set using a 'format' attribute).  Errors are =
highlighted in the field using the 'error' logical colour.

The point about all of this is to enable business developers to =
concentrate on providing non-swing business models, not learning swing.  =
Things like setting default buttons on dialogs, binding buttons to model =
actions, parsing and formatting values for display in a text field are =
all things that such a GUI builder can do which add value over coding =
swing directly.  It is also much easier to change a format or colour =
defined in a single configuration file!


> Richard Appleton
> London
> Tel:  44 20 7986 4899
>=20