| Making GEF and EMF work together [message #22371] | 
Thu, 04 March 2004 06:59   | 
 
Eclipse User  | 
 | 
 | 
   | 
 
What do you all think about an abstract layer (framework or/and library) 
that helps developers to use GEF on top of EMF based data models? 
We already thougt about that topic. Some prototypes have been created and 
seem to work perfectly. 
 
Examples: 
 
Command Stack 
Can be used as GEF command stack and as EMF command stack. Can work with 
GEF and EMF commands. => EMF editing domain and GEF edit domain can work 
on he same command stack instance. => no synchronisation problems 
 
Edit Parts 
Abstract edit part implementation representing an EMF object graphically. 
Registers for changes in object and refreshes visuals automatically. 
 
Overview Outline 
Eclipse view that shows the whole 'picture'. 
 
Further Ideas: 
- Graphics model (EMF); layout contraints, colors, font, line width,... 
- Generic property sheet support: supports attributes of 'graphids model' 
- ... 
 
Christian Brand
 |  
 |  
  | 
 | 
| Re: Making GEF and EMF work together [message #23395 is a reply to message #23250] | 
Mon, 08 March 2004 03:06   | 
 
Eclipse User  | 
 | 
 | 
   | 
 
Thank you for an elaborate answer. 
 
Best regards, 
 Christian Brand 
 
 
"Joe Winchester" <winchest@uk.ibm.com> wrote in message 
news:4049153D.54C6AB78@uk.ibm.com... 
> Hi Christian, 
> 
> > What do you all think about an abstract layer (framework or/and library) 
> > that helps developers to use GEF on top of EMF based data models? 
> > We already thougt about that topic. Some prototypes have been created 
and 
> > seem to work perfectly. 
> 
> This is a good idea and has been thought about several times before within 
> IBM.  For GEF it was felt that it should be model neutral, so having EMF 
> there would limit its usages and GEF does a great job of finding the right 
> balance.  For the VE we use EMF and have abstracted a lot of the common 
stuff 
> into the org.eclipse.jem packages.  At one point we did have examples of 
> editors that used this and were just using raw EMF models.  A lot of what 
> goes on with edit policies is based around traversing and adding to a 
single 
> EMF relationship, and you're right about the command stack stuff (although 
> for the VE we integrate with the JDT undo so the scenario of user changes 
GUI 
> then source then GUI is all undone correctly). 
> 
> The graphical stuff is harder to do in abstract.  A lot of models just 
want 
> custom rendering, but an abstract impelementation could do some kind of 
UML 
> type relationship diagram.  Another possibility is boxes within boxes for 
> isContainment=true and lines between boxes for isContainment=false. 
> EditPolicies could know what to do for dropping inside boxes and dragging 
> lines could be done.  However for the VE we decided somewhere along the 
way 
> that we needed to focus on a few goals and do them well rather than spead 
> ourselves too thin and over-engineer.  Therefore we are concentrated on 
the 
> out of the box GUI builder and also making this extensible for people 
wanting 
> to do other graphical runtime builders. 
> 
> So ... we do have the plugins and classes to do a lot of what you want, 
> however it's not a priority for us to promote this just cause we're heads 
> down on SWT and performance right now.  However the VE is open-source so 
if 
> you want to get involved please join the ve newsgroup and it can be 
discussed 
> there further. 
> 
> Best regards, 
> 
> Joe Winchester 
>
 |  
 |  
  | 
| Re: Making GEF and EMF work together [message #583607 is a reply to message #22371] | 
Fri, 05 March 2004 19:03   | 
 
Eclipse User  | 
 | 
 | 
   | 
 
Hi Christian, 
 
> What do you all think about an abstract layer (framework or/and library) 
> that helps developers to use GEF on top of EMF based data models? 
> We already thougt about that topic. Some prototypes have been created and 
> seem to work perfectly. 
 
This is a good idea and has been thought about several times before within 
IBM.  For GEF it was felt that it should be model neutral, so having EMF 
there would limit its usages and GEF does a great job of finding the right 
balance.  For the VE we use EMF and have abstracted a lot of the common stuff 
into the org.eclipse.jem packages.  At one point we did have examples of 
editors that used this and were just using raw EMF models.  A lot of what 
goes on with edit policies is based around traversing and adding to a single 
EMF relationship, and you're right about the command stack stuff (although 
for the VE we integrate with the JDT undo so the scenario of user changes GUI 
then source then GUI is all undone correctly). 
 
The graphical stuff is harder to do in abstract.  A lot of models just want 
custom rendering, but an abstract impelementation could do some kind of UML 
type relationship diagram.  Another possibility is boxes within boxes for 
isContainment=true and lines between boxes for isContainment=false. 
EditPolicies could know what to do for dropping inside boxes and dragging 
lines could be done.  However for the VE we decided somewhere along the way 
that we needed to focus on a few goals and do them well rather than spead 
ourselves too thin and over-engineer.  Therefore we are concentrated on the 
out of the box GUI builder and also making this extensible for people wanting 
to do other graphical runtime builders. 
 
So ... we do have the plugins and classes to do a lot of what you want, 
however it's not a priority for us to promote this just cause we're heads 
down on SWT and performance right now.  However the VE is open-source so if 
you want to get involved please join the ve newsgroup and it can be discussed 
there further. 
 
Best regards, 
 
Joe Winchester
 |  
 |  
  | 
| Re: Making GEF and EMF work together [message #583731 is a reply to message #23250] | 
Mon, 08 March 2004 03:06   | 
 
Eclipse User  | 
 | 
 | 
   | 
 
Thank you for an elaborate answer. 
 
Best regards, 
 Christian Brand 
 
 
"Joe Winchester" <winchest@uk.ibm.com> wrote in message 
news:4049153D.54C6AB78@uk.ibm.com... 
> Hi Christian, 
> 
> > What do you all think about an abstract layer (framework or/and library) 
> > that helps developers to use GEF on top of EMF based data models? 
> > We already thougt about that topic. Some prototypes have been created 
and 
> > seem to work perfectly. 
> 
> This is a good idea and has been thought about several times before within 
> IBM.  For GEF it was felt that it should be model neutral, so having EMF 
> there would limit its usages and GEF does a great job of finding the right 
> balance.  For the VE we use EMF and have abstracted a lot of the common 
stuff 
> into the org.eclipse.jem packages.  At one point we did have examples of 
> editors that used this and were just using raw EMF models.  A lot of what 
> goes on with edit policies is based around traversing and adding to a 
single 
> EMF relationship, and you're right about the command stack stuff (although 
> for the VE we integrate with the JDT undo so the scenario of user changes 
GUI 
> then source then GUI is all undone correctly). 
> 
> The graphical stuff is harder to do in abstract.  A lot of models just 
want 
> custom rendering, but an abstract impelementation could do some kind of 
UML 
> type relationship diagram.  Another possibility is boxes within boxes for 
> isContainment=true and lines between boxes for isContainment=false. 
> EditPolicies could know what to do for dropping inside boxes and dragging 
> lines could be done.  However for the VE we decided somewhere along the 
way 
> that we needed to focus on a few goals and do them well rather than spead 
> ourselves too thin and over-engineer.  Therefore we are concentrated on 
the 
> out of the box GUI builder and also making this extensible for people 
wanting 
> to do other graphical runtime builders. 
> 
> So ... we do have the plugins and classes to do a lot of what you want, 
> however it's not a priority for us to promote this just cause we're heads 
> down on SWT and performance right now.  However the VE is open-source so 
if 
> you want to get involved please join the ve newsgroup and it can be 
discussed 
> there further. 
> 
> Best regards, 
> 
> Joe Winchester 
>
 |  
 |  
  | 
Powered by 
FUDForum. Page generated in 0.59732 seconds