Can we see it. I mean download and try?
FW: SWT History and Design Decisions (WAS: [platform-swt-dev]
AWT Toolkit using SWT (was: From Swing to SWT))
> Steve Northover wrote:
> Lane and others, SWT is a direct interface to the
operating
> system. As stated on the SWT component page, our
intent is
> to be as thin a layer as possible. Thus, it is
unlikely that
> we will be adding any low level support for GUI
builders in
> the near future. We consider functionality that
does not
> directly correspond to anything the operating
system provides
> to be suspect.
>
> We believe that the right answer at this point is
to use
> adapters. If this turns out to be an unworkable
strategy, we
> can look at it again.
At Advanced Systems Concepts, we have been working
on a pure SWT GUI builder for some time now and basically came to the
same conclusion as Steve's above (see bug #19913 for our earlier
discussion with the SWT team).
However, we also believe that it is important for
the ongoing health of the SWT community that such a GUI builder adapter
(or API) layer become a standard, supported by all SWT GUI builders,
because this would enable a thriving third-party SWT custom control
market to evolve.
On the contrary, if every GUI builder author
invented his or her own component API layer, then there would be as
many component models as GUI builders, forcing custom control authors
to choose which GUI builders to support. In the long term, this would
stifle or possibly eliminate the opportunity for a thriving, vibrant
third-party SWT custom control market, something we consider essential
to the maximum success of all GUI builders on the SWT platform.
Consequently, we feel that having a standard SWT
GUI builder adapter layer is *essential* to the ongoing health of the
SWT community and Eclipse add-in market.
As I mentioned at the start, we have been working
on a GUI builder for quite some time; consequently, our GUI builder
product already has a SWT component API layer supporting:
- Automatic property and method discovery, getting,
and setting
- Properties that are really style bits on the SWT
widget's constructor--the user interface designer can change these on
the fly (even though SWT doesn't allow this).
- Lazy loading of control classes into the GUI
builder
Although I expect that there will be a few changes
before our component API supports all features that would be desirable,
its code base has been stable for awhile now; I would consider it to
be beta quality right now.
Steve, Veronica, (and those SWT heroes whose names
I don't yet know): Advanced Systems Concepts would like to donate all
of this work to the Eclipse project as the start of a standard GUI
builder adapter layer.
We are willing to work with anybody (including but
not limited to the SWT team and other stakeholders such as Lane and
Scott) to make sure that the final result meets everybody's needs. We
are willing to be the official committers for work done on this plug-in
so that this will not result in the SWT team needing to do any
additional work.
Lastly, we are open to including this work
officially as a part of SWT (even though it would be a separate plug-in
similar to JFace), making it a separate project under Eclipse.tools, or
structuring it however you feel is most appropriate.
How can we do this so that the interests of all
stakeholders here are best served?
Warmest regards,
Dave Orme
Advanced Systems Concepts
PS: Although everyone is welcome to speculate about
our product, please don't expect us to answer questions about it yet
since it is still officially unannounced. Expect a formal announcement
fairly soon though. :-)