Eclipse announces new Eclipse Forms API

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News: Eclipse announces new Eclipse Forms API

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  1. Eclipse announces new Eclipse Forms API (20 messages)

    • Posted by: Dion Almaer
    • Posted on: February 23 2004 10:27 EST
    The Eclipse Forms API (org.eclipse.ui.forms) has been added to Eclipse 3.0. Eclipse Forms is a plug-in that exposes a set of custom widgets and other supporting classes that were before used as internal to PDE and Update components. They allow you to create polished, 'Web-like' UIs by modestly extending SWT and/or manipulating style bits, colors, fonts and other properties in order to get the desired behavior.

    Read Eclipse Forms Programming Guide

    and, Eclipse Forms - Wow!
    Reply to this

    Threaded Messages (20)

  2. Yes! Yes! Yes![ Go to top ]

    That is what I like about Eclipse, the stream of goodies just doesn't stop!! Thx Eclipse-team, you guys made my day (once more).
    Reply to this Reply to original

  3. XForms Plugin[ Go to top ]

    So who is going to write the XForm Plugin, we can then build form based Rich Clients specified using XForms !!

    Matt Perrins
    Reply to this Reply to original

  4. XUL Markup For Eclipse Forms - Anyone?[ Go to top ]

    So who is going to write a XUL player/browser/plugin for Eclipse Forms so we can create rich clients for Eclipse using XML *on the server side*. Anyone?

    - Gerald

    PS: If you're interested why not join the Luxor XUL project (now licensed under an Apache 2.0-style license)?

    PPS: To find out more about XUL (XML UI Language) and existing XUL dialects for Eclipse/SWT check out the XUL Alliance site online @ http://xul.sourceforge.net
    Reply to this Reply to original

  5. XUL is overkill[ Go to top ]

    Since Eclipse Forms is build on top of SWT it would already be possible to create thin-client, server-side UIs with relatively little effort using Remote SWT, http://rswt.sf.net. And RSWT doesn't force Eclipse programmers to adopt a new programming model. With RSWT you could take your existing fat-client Eclipse Forms application and turn it into a thin-client, server-side application with no code changes.

    ted stockwell
    Reply to this Reply to original

  6. XUL Markup For Eclipse Forms - Anyone?[ Go to top ]

    Good point. I guess "Luxor XUL" can have a plugin for Eclipse. This would boost XUL popularity.

    BTW, is XUL going to be a standard (I mean W3C)? Looks like it is not supported by IE. Is there any good XUL plugin for IE?

    Also, I have noticed that ServerSide has very poor support for Mozilla browser.
    Mozilla is my preffered browser...but I cannot post reply by using mozilla (1.0.2)...only IE can show properly links... :(
    Reply to this Reply to original

  7. Internet Exploder is a Eclipse Plugin[ Go to top ]

    BTW, is XUL going to be a standard (I mean W3C)?


    Yes, XUL is going to be a standard. However, it's not going to be a W3C standard (for obvious reasons). It's going to be a XUL Alliance standard.

    > Looks like it is not supported by IE.

    If you haven't realized it yet, Internet Exploder is dead. Microsoft's next browser is - suprise, suprise - Windows Longhorn 2009 itself.

    > Is there any good XUL plugin for IE?

    You've got it wrong. The question to ask is "Is there any good IE plugin for Eclipse (=next-gen browser using XUL)? IE is just a HTML widget/plugin. That's it.

    - Gerald
    Reply to this Reply to original

  8. RE: Internet Exploder is a Eclipse Plugin[ Go to top ]

    Please don't get me wrong...but AFAIK IE has vast share on the HTML browser market....
    Like it or not...if XUL is not accepted by W3C (I have no idea what "obvious reasons" you are talking about) that means that vendors unlikely to invest in this flavor of UI design (although I like the concept)

    Since IE is virtually on any desktop PC already (shipped with Win) and as you mentioned will be integrated even tighter to OS, it makes sense to have a XUL plug-in for IE in order to process web content with XUL dialect...

    Anyway, thanks for the information on XUL roadmap regarding standards...
    Reply to this Reply to original

  9. Monopoly 101[ Go to top ]

    Like it or not...if XUL is not accepted by W3C (I have no idea what "obvious

    > reasons" you are talking about) that means that vendors unlikely to invest in
    > this flavor of UI design (although I like the concept)

      If you have no clue about the "obvious reasons" allow me to help you out. Microsoft is a money machine. Why would they invest in XUL if everyone is free to use it and if it's not a Windows-only thingy? How are they going to lock you in and turn you into a cash cow? Now repeat the the same reasoning with the Microsoft-wannabes such as Apple, Adobe, Oracle, Sun, and so on that hold the W3C hostage.

      Like the World Wide Web (HTML) the Rich Internet for Everyone (XUL) will repeat the Netscape story, that is, unknown startups will threaten the "established" players and their platform lock-in with new browsers and force them to adapt or die.

      - Gerald
    Reply to this Reply to original

  10. new standard > XAML, not "XUL Alliance"[ Go to top ]

    Gerald: <the Netscape story, that is, unknown startups will threaten the "established" players and their platform lock-in with new browsers and force them to adapt or die.>

    That's a funny way to put it. I would rather say,

    "Two guys in a garage have a good idea but unfortunately big company with lots of money and talented staff takes it up and do it the way it should be done".

    :)

    Regards
    Rolf Tollerud
    Reply to this Reply to original

  11. Internet Exploder is a Eclipse Plugin[ Go to top ]

    "IE is just a HTML widget/plugin. That's it. "

    You're kidding, right? IE is way more than just and HTML widget; you can you it as an XML parser, XSLT engine, XPath thingy, FTP component, etc.
    Reply to this Reply to original

  12. Excellent! Excellent! Excellent![ Go to top ]

    I remember trying to create a PDE-like editor a couple of months ago, but somehow it never amounted to much. Now, looks like it's time for a second attempt :-)
    Reply to this Reply to original

  13. Eclipse announces new Eclipse Forms API[ Go to top ]

    Simple and elegant. Eclipse has done it again.
    Reply to this Reply to original

  14. How about Eclipse 2.1.x?[ Go to top ]

    In order to support both 2.1.x and 3.0 version, plugins writers have to avoid using such library. It might be better if this functionality will be released as a plugin (such as GEF, for example), but not like a part of Eclipse3.0 platform only.
    Reply to this Reply to original

  15. How about Eclipse 2.1.x?[ Go to top ]

    In order to support both 2.1.x and 3.0 version, plugins writers have to avoid using such library. It might be better if this functionality will be released as a plugin (such as GEF, for example), but not like a part of Eclipse3.0 platform only.


    It is a plugin, cfr first sentence of the original post. The real problem wrt use in 2.1.x is it has a dependency to "org.eclipse.core.runtime.compatibility" plugin, which is a 3.0 plugin. Also, from the quote in the "Eclipse-Powered" article one can see it is still a moving target. For the moment I think it is good to know that it exists, and only take it into consideration for future iterations of your own plugins (based on 3.0). Basically, what they announced it for is that you can experiment with it and give feedback.

    there is another reason I would recommend to have a look at the latest builds (I20040219 and later): they contain the new experimental UI L&F.
    Reply to this Reply to original

  16. Standalone application[ Go to top ]

    Can I use eclipse forms api in a standalone application using SWT?
    Reply to this Reply to original

  17. Standalone application[ Go to top ]

    Can I use eclipse forms api in a standalone application using SWT?


    It only depend son SWT and JFace. I checked out the project org.eclipse.ui.forms, and added the swt.jar and jface.jar. Everything compiles, except for org.eclipse.ui.forms.internal.widgets.WidgetTest, which for some reason depends on org.eclipse.core .runtime.IProgressMonitor. If you leave out that file it works.
    Reply to this Reply to original

  18. Standalone application[ Go to top ]

    Just heared it is a bit more complicated. For standalone SWT app you cannot use anything from package org.eclipse.ui.forms.editor, since this package integrates the form API in the Eclipse workbench. So you have basically to factor out everything that is in the Editor class and write your own multipage editor support.

    But creating a single standanlone form is pretty straightforward:
    here is a code snippet for standalone SWT app that uses forms.
    Bram's blog

    What I do not like is the call to toolkit.paintBordersFor in order to get a flat look for Text widgets.
    Reply to this Reply to original

  19. Standalone application[ Go to top ]

    Thanks very usefull link
    Reply to this Reply to original

  20. Standalone application[ Go to top ]

    The code snippet doesn't seem to work any longer...
    Is it possible to give to post the snipper (or give a new link)?

    Thanks!
    Reply to this Reply to original

  21. Standalone application[ Go to top ]

    The code snippet doesn't seem to work any longer...
    Is it possible to post the snippet (or give a new link)?
    Thanks!

    This time without typos :-)
    Reply to this Reply to original