Re: [nebula-dev] Re: Search and auto-complete widgets

[Sascha Zelzer <sascha.zelzer@xxxxxxx>]

I agree at some point, that if you want a simple text-field with 
auto-complete functionality, implementing
an IContentProposalProvider and supplying an IContentProposal object for 
each possible completion feels like a little overkill - especially when 
the proposals are fixed for a given text-field. I guess, that is the 
price you have to pay for having a much more general framework.

But considering the following lines of code, which are necessary to 
set-up an auto-complete text-field, I think that price is not too high ;-)

// --------------- [ code ] ------------------------------------------
Text text = new Text(shell, SWT.NONE);

ContentProposalAdapter adapter = new ContentProposalAdapter(text,
               new TextContentAdapter(), new TextProposalProvider(), 
null, null);
adapter.setProposalAcceptanceStyle(ContentProposalAdapter.PROPOSAL_REPLACE);

class TextProposalProvider implements IContentProposalProvider {
   public IContentProposal[] getProposals(String contents, int position) {
       // return possible proposals / completions
   }
}
// ------------------ [ end code ] -----------------------------------

But, of course, there is place for a wrapper for the simplest cases.  
Maybe something like

// ------------------ [ code ] -------------------------------------
class AutoCompleteText  {
   private String[] proposals;
   ...
   public AutoCompleteText(Composite parent, int style) {
       ContentProposalAdapter adapter = new ContentProposalAdapter(text,
               new TextContentAdapter(), new TextProposalProvider(), 
null, null);
       
adapter.setProposalAcceptanceStyle(ContentProposalAdapter.PROPOSAL_REPLACE);
   }

   public void setProposals(String[] proposals) {...}
   public Text getControl() {...}
   ...

   class TextProposalProvider implements IContentProposalProvider {
       public IContentProposal[] getProposals(String contents, int 
position) {
           // filter proposals
       }
   }
}
// --------------------- [ end code ] 
-----------------------------------------------------

I don't know if this would qualify for a Nebula widget, though. But I 
agree that it would be nice to have a simpler API for the trivial 
auto-completion cases, although the wrapper classes seem to be quite 
straight-forward to implement.

Sascha



Michael Krkoska wrote:
> I really like the features of jface field assist. But to be honest I
> am not very happy with the corresponding API. It seems rather
> cumbersome, just look at the sourcecode of the example plug-ins. (You
> get a "FieldAssist" menu in Eclipse with a single entry, if you
> install these plug-ins, which shows-off the features.)
>
> It seems to me that you need to implement a lot of stuff on top of the
> jface field assist API to get your auto complete. That's why I'd still
> favor a nebula API which enables you to implement such a common
> use-case much more easily.
>
> Currently I am using the autocomplete API of the SWTPlus alpha
> version, the predecessor of nebula, which I find easy to use.
>
> What about another wrapper API on top of jface field assist, to make
> it more usable? I guess not in nebula, because of the reference to
> jface, but I'd like it :)
>
> Bye,
>   Michael
>
>
>
> > ditto :)
> >
> > can I use it to do auto-completion similar to OpenOffice.org (best
> > example I can think of) where, rather than dropping a selection list, it
> > completes the word in place?
> > can I also use it with multiple, character delimited, fields per text 
> > box?
> >
> > thanks!
> >
> >
> > Chris Gross wrote:
> > > Hi Sascha,
> > >
> > > You bring up a good point.  I wasn't aware of the new field assist 
> > added
> > > to JFace.
> > >
> > > -Chris
> > >
> > > Sascha Zelzer wrote:
> > >> Hi,
> > >>
> > >> I am very excited about the Nebula project and am looking forward to
> > >> some great contributions.
> > >>
> > >> The only thing which irritates me is the constant mentioning of
> > >> "auto-complete" widgets, be it text-fields, combos or others. I am
> > >> just not sure if the creators of such widgets (and the Nebula team)
> > >> are aware of the package org.eclipse.jface.fieldassist which allows,
> > >> in a very general way, to attach auto-complete functionality to any
> > >> widget.
> > >>
> > >> I do not want in any way to diminish the efforts of people who
> > >> implemented such widgets themselves, but for the sake of consistency
> > >> and not duplicating functionality, these "widgets" can (at least now
> > >> in Eclipse 3.2) easily by implemented by programmers themselves.
> > >>
> > >> If those widgets should be available for Eclipse < 3.2 then, of
> > >> course, one has the create them "by hand".
> > >>
> > >> Just some thoughts...
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Sascha
> _______________________________________________
> nebula-dev mailing list
> nebula-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx
> https://dev.eclipse.org/mailman/listinfo/nebula-dev