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Re: [e4-dev] Why XML UI is important for us

yves (yingmin) yang wrote:
In fact, there are two aspects:

1.       Serialization
2.       Implementation of framework

Most of us focus on the level 2 using EMF. But from my point of view, we should start on 1 first to define the serialization standardization, which is I call UI Language. This language enables all tools/frameworks (EMF-based or not, Java or not) to work together.

In fact, here I guess someone uses the “EMF” to mean “EMF serialization”.

I would guess that EMF users will tend to think in terms of models, while XML users will tend to think of the serialization. For me it is backward to define the serialization before the model, since it's the model I care about. After all, EMF takes care of the serialization, or you may use a database instead.

If you take XWT as the starting point for a (common) language, your model will be the classes, properties and methods/constructors of the underlying SWT API, since that's what XAML is: a serialization format for an object structure that is (re)constructed with a specific API (classes, properties and methods/constructors). Personally, I would like something that is more portable and abstract.

Another comment about layering: You have previously suggested that TM be layered on top of XWT. That's perfectly possible, but it will require that XWT supports a "live" representation, not just rendering of a full XWT document. I.e. you must be able to update parts of XWT's in memory document and have the SWT UI updated appropriately.

Hallvard


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