Re: [e4-dev] Help System

[Eric Moffatt <emoffatt@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Jo, the lack of many 'standard' features
is indeed one of the most important outstanding issues with pure e4 apps.
Note that you can instead build a 3.x-style RCP app and gain access to
everything but at the cost of including the *complete* compatibility layer.
Note that we're currently working on mechanisms that should allow you access
to e4 features like the application model in '3.x' apps so you shouldn't
have to give up the 'good bits' in order to do this.

The basic problem is that almost every
existing 3.x View / Editor and even most services have existing references
to one of Workbench, WorkbenchWindow or WorkbenchPage. The goal is well
defined; we need to refactor much of the existing 3.x based code into a
shape that it would be capable of running inside an e4 app without incurring
the extra expense of hauling in the rest of the system.

This is mostly a timing / resource issue...we've
*had* to be completely myopic on ensuring that 4.x fully supports the 3.x
API otherwise we're not eclipse at all. Fortunately this effort is tapering
off somewhat, meaning that we may finally have time to look at the issues
involved. The ultimate goal is to essentially 'de-construct' the current
3.x code by breaking it into discreet components which are consumable by
e4 directly (i.e. no compatibility layer needed). 

This is of course a *major* exercise
and will require not only a lot of coding work but some 'up front' architectural
design (so that folks willing to do the work have some sort of road map
to work against). This will be an ongoing process, not something that can
be done all at once but perhaps input like this can be used to help align
the priorities of what gets attention first to match up with what e4 *products*
are most sorely missing. Fortunately it naturally breaks down into fairly
self-contained areas (like Help).

Onwards,
Eric Moffatt

From:	"Jo Grant" <jo_grant@xxxxxxxxxx>
To:	e4-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx
Date:	02/01/2013 01:21 PM
Subject:	[e4-dev] Help System
Sent by:	e4-dev-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx

---

Sopot Cela suggested I cross post this
from the forum... 

The e4 application model solves a lot of the problems we're hitting as
we move our RCP based application into its 3rd release. I had already started
prototyping the new UI and training my team when I discovered a major hole:
no help system.
I've search the web and these forums and mostly just found "yep, it's
not there" responses. I can't release a professional product without
an integrated help system. Especially as it was one of the most praised
features of the previous two releases. I image just about anyone else wanting
to use e4 is in the same boat.
Does anyone have a status on this? Is there a working system that I haven't
seen? Or a way to use the workbench based help without having to drag in
the whole workbench model? Or is there a team or user group working on
this, and what's their timetable?
I really want to move my product to the e4 model, but my team doesn't have
the resources to write or port the entire help system. If this has already
been started, I might be able to argue for committing some of my resources
to helping the effort out. (That's how open source is supposed to work,
right?)
Can anyone give me the status of this, or point me in the right direction?

Cheers, 

Jo 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jo Grant		550 King Street
Senior Software Engineer		Littleton, MA 01460
OpenPages install and config		USA
Cell:	617-648-6543
Office:	978-899-4836
e-mail:	jo_grant@xxxxxxxxxx

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