| RE: [ve-dev] Example BeanInfo classes for SWT |
There should be some way to "group" properties.
I was thinking of changed to a single property named "style" with some kind of property editor setup to provide the bits. The editor might look like a bunch of checkboxes or a list with selectable items.
Then it hit me -- what I'm really thinking about is a grouping of related properties. If we think of the bit masks as properties themselves (which I was pitching today), what would happen if we introduced the concept of a "property group" into bean info?
The problem I see with all the individual properties for the bits is that they'll get scattered across the property sheet. We need some way to relate them. This could also carry through to other related properties, like "size and position", "colors and fonts", "style" (we need to pick the names better...) and such. The concept would allow us to easily group related properties and place them on the property sheet as a tree:
For some of these, they might be represented as a set of checkboxes instead of true/false text
Get the idea?
So how does this work?
CONCEPT
-------
Properties are defined as normal (and as I proposed today -- I've got the "no method" stuff pretty much working; a weensey bit hackish, but I'm working to clean it up)
A Property Group or the equivalent concept would hold details about:
From: ve-dev-admin@xxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ve-dev-admin@xxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dr Gili Mendel
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2004 8:34 AM
To: ve-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [ve-dev] Example BeanInfo classes for SWT
By "grouping" , do you refer to things like TRIM where it maps into a set of properties? This is an area that may need more iteration.
------------
Dr. Gili Mendel
IBM
Software Development
RTP Raleigh, NC
(919)543 6408, tie: 441 6408
"Scott Stanchfield" <scott@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent by: ve-dev-admin@xxxxxxxxxxx03/12/2004 11:02 AM
ve-dev
<ve-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx> RE: [ve-dev] Example BeanInfo classes for SWT
Thanks much. I'll bang on the concepts I've been working a bit this weekend.
I'm playing with some "grouping" concepts which might make much of this easier as well as provide some nice additional support on top of standard beans. Details soon...
Later!
-- Scott
From: ve-dev-admin@xxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ve-dev-admin@xxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Joe Winchester
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2004 10:19 AM
To: ve-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ve-dev] Example BeanInfo classes for SWT
Folks,
Following Wednesday's discussion on BeanInfo this is the design that I believe we agreed upon to proceed with for the near term. All of these examples are released into the CVS repository.
Style bits are defined on the BeanDescriptor by a two dimensional value with a key of "org.eclipse.ve.sweet". The array elements are the order:
String internalName,
String displayName,
Boolean isExpert,
Object[] values.
The values is an Object[] that contains repeating entries of
String displayName
String initializationString
Integer value
The following is an example of the BeanInfo class for Button.
public BeanDescriptor getBeanDescriptor() {
BeanDescriptor descriptor = new BeanDescriptor(Button.class);
descriptor.setValue(
org.eclipse.ve.sweet.stylebits",
new Object[] [] {
{ "style" , "style" , Boolean.FALSE , new Object[] {
"PUSH" , "org.eclipse.swt.SWT.PUSH" , new Integer(SWT.PUSH) ,
"CHECK" , "org.eclipse.swt.SWT.CHECK" , new Integer(SWT.CHECK),
"RADIO" , "org.eclipse.swt.SWT.RADIO" , new Integer(SWT.RADIO) ,
"ARROW" , "org.eclipse.swt.SWT.ARROW" , new Integer(SWT.ARROW) ,
"TOGGLE" , "org.eclipse.swt.SWT.TOGGLE" , new Integer(SWT.TOGGLE)
} } ,
{ "textAlignment" , "textAlignment", Boolean.FALSE , new Object[] {
"LEFT" , "org.eclipse.swt.SWT.LEFT" , new Integer(SWT.LEFT) ,
"RIGHT" , "org.eclipse.swt.SWT.RIGHT" , new Integer(SWT.RIGHT) ,
"CENTER" , "org.eclipse.swt.SWT.CENTER" , new Integer(SWT.CENTER)
} },
{ "arrowStyle" , "arrowStyle", Boolean.FALSE , new Object[] {
"UP" , "org.eclipse.swt.SWT.UP" , new Integer(SWT.UP) ,
"DOWN" , "org.eclipse.swt.SWT.DOWN" , new Integer(SWT.DOWN) ,
"LEFT" , "org.eclipse.swt.SWT.LEFT" , new Integer(SWT.LEFT) ,
"RIGHT" , "org.eclipse.swt.SWT.RIGHT" , new Integer(SWT.RIGHT)
} }
}
);
// Get any other inherited style bits and merge them in
return descriptor;
}
For the merging there is a help called in org.eclipse.swt.beaninfo.SweetHelper with a static method
/**
* Combine all of the style bits from the descriptor's classes superclass into the descriptor
*/
public static void mergeSuperclassStyleBits(BeanDescriptor descriptor)
No implicit inheritance is done by the tool using the style bits, although if no style bits are found then the inheritance chain is walked to find the first BeanInfo whose BeanDescriptor does have style bits.
For single value'd style bits they are defined with just a single entry.
descriptor.setValue(
SweetHelper.STYLE_BITS_ID,
new Object[] [] {
{ "horizontalScroll" , "horizontalScroll" , Boolean.FALSE , new Object[] {
"H_SCROLL" , "org.eclipse.swt.SWT.H_SCROLL" , new Integer(SWT.H_SCROLL)
} } ,
{ "verticalScroll" , "verticalScroll" , Boolean.FALSE , new Object[] {
"V_SCROLL" , "org.eclipse.swt.SWT.V_SCROLL" , new Integer(SWT.V_SCROLL)
} }
}
);
For the VE BeanInfo classes the Composite will not include the bits NO_MERGE_PAINTS, NO_BACKGROUND, NO_FOCUS, NO_DEFER_REDRAW. These are introduced on CanvasBeanInfo. That way all custom controls and subclasses of Composite by default will not include these style bits.
Best regards,
Joe Winchester