Re: Re: [Visualswing-developers] Proposed Feature List and Description

[todd r. <tod...@ya...>]

Let's wait to see what other feedback we get, but I
think we're on the right track.  This will definately
help move us in the right direction!

As far as the internal format/xml, let me run this by
you (I'm going to get into design a bit here so
forgive me for jumping the gun):  The current design
of VS uses actual Swing components.  I had suggested
at one time that we use an interface (call it
VSComponent) which wraps a JComponent, methods for
generating the .java code, an icon to be used on the
toolbar and some other things which I don't remember
right now.  I figured we could use an XML file to tell
VS where to find the classes that implement
VSComponent, and have these loaded at runtime.  If we
add new components, we can ship them as standalone
classes and amend the xml config file.

Is this kind of what you had in mind with the internal
format?


--- sc...@mi... wrote:
> Todd wrote :
> > Are you talking about custom, user created classes
> > that inherit from JComponent?  If I'm wrong, could
> you
> > elaborate?
> 
> Right, I was thinking a developer develops a JPanel
> that he/she uses for a number of GUI applications it
> would be nice if he/she could add that panel
> subclass to a new GUI rather than having to recreate
> it each time.
> 
> > Is this the [internal] format that we're going to
> save "works > in progress"?
> 
> I would hope that we could save "works in progress"
> in a valid state in a .java format (or any format
> for that matter); whether it is fully functioning is
> up to the user.  I was thinking that the internal
> format would be more used to add user-created
> elements to our set of usable components.  (Maybe
> this is unneccesary.)
> 
> > This one may get sticky. Maybe I should make sure
> I
> > understand the intent - I can take any .java class
> > (presumably that inherits from JComponent) and
> have VS
> > load it up?
> >
> > I think it would be awesome if we could reliably
> parse
> > .java files, but I also think it's going to be a
> > beast. 
> 
> I was thinking the same thing; whatever restrictions
> we made to the output of our generated classes would
> have to be applied to these classes.  But it would
> be nice if the user could start a GUI in Forte,
> realize how limiting that environment is and switch
> over to VisualSwing without starting from scratch.  
> 
> 
> 
> > The more I think about this one, the more I think
> that
> > maybe we don't provide an editior (you drag and
> drop
> > components, set properties and provide code for
> > events, but not manipulate the .java file) in the
> > standalone version.  Instead, we have a simple to
> use
> > GUI Builder that outputs the file formats
> discussed. 
> > Then we provide a version that is a plug-in, and
> we
> > leverage that tools editor.  That way, beginners
> can
> > get started without worrying about setting up a
> full
> > IDE - once they're ready (and hooked on Java),
> they
> > advance to the next level.
> 
> I tend to agree I think we have our work cut out for
> us with the features listed above.  If our design is
> good enough, I would hope that at the point we think
> about operating as a plugin to another IDE we could
> provide bi-directional hooks to allow interaction
> between the GUI view and whatever text editor is
> available.
> 
> > When you say "first release", I assume you're
> talking
> > about version 1.0, and not the first "file
> release"
> > that we post on the sourceforge download page.  If
> I
> > understand that correctly, I concur 100%.  
> 
> Yes, 1.0.
> 
> Do you think these clarifications warrant a revision
> or should we wait for further feedback?
> 
> Scott Corley
> 
> 
>
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=====
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