Re: [wtp-dev] Why Do We Need the Preference to Enable Multiple Modules p

[Stephen Duncan <stephen.duncan@xxxxxxxxx>]

I was just about to go back and suggest this.  However, I'll describe
how I think it makes sense to me (slightly different from Tim).  
Tim's suggestion still suggests that user's would think of a new
dynamic web app as a module rather than a project.  I think that most
of us users would default to thinking of it as a project.  In fact,
you select new "Dyanmic Web Project", and yet you would have it create
a module.  That's confusing by itself.

Here's my suggestion, though I'm not perfectly happy with it either.

When you create a new web app project, it should be a simple
single-module project.  It should have an advanced option to create it
as a module attached to an existing "module-container project" (please
replace with some better name), with the option to create it at the
same time, just as the current wizard allows.

The gist here is that the Project that can contain multiple modules
should be its own seperate wizard, and it's own kind of Project, from
the user point of view.  I think, in the long run, that's a lot more
clear than the current behavior.  Now the module-container is clearly
what it is, rather than being a side-effect of creating the first
module in the project.

-Stephen Duncan Jr

On 7/7/05, Timothy Deboer <deboer@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>  
> The other reason it is off by default is that there are several restrictions
> with putting multiple modules in a project. For instance, the classpath is
> shared - this means we can't validate the modules correctly, and we can't
> target the modules to different servers. I vote that the default remains
> off, but that we do some usability work to make it easier to switch. For
> instance, we could remove the preference page and put the option directly in
> the new module wizard (under an 'Advanced' setting ;-) and with a short
> description), with a sticky selection so that it keeps its state the next
> time the user creates a module. 
>  
> Tim deBoer
>  WebSphere Tools - IBM Canada Ltd.
>  (905) 413-3503  (tieline 969)
>  deboer@xxxxxxxxxx 
>  
>  
>  
>  John Lanuti <jlanuti@xxxxxxxxxx> 
> Sent by: wtp-dev-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx 
> 
> 07/07/2005 09:15 AM 
>  
> Please respond to
>  "General discussion of project-wide or architectural issues." 
>  
>  
> To "General discussion of project-wide or architectural issues."
> <wtp-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx> 
>  
> cc 
>  
> Subject Re: [wtp-dev] Why Do We Need the Preference to Enable Multiple      
>  Modules        per Project? 
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
> 
>  Arthur, 
>  
>  The flexible project preference was added to give a better "out of the box"
> experience.  If a new user picks up WTP, it is much easier 
>  for them to deal with the concepts surrounding one module per project.  The
> wizards are easier to follow and it hides a lot of the complexity 
>  from them.  It was our guess that most users would still be using this one
> module per project paradigm, however, we absolutely want to allow
> flexibility 
>  and show off all the work we did to provide this flexibility.  In this
> respect, multiple modules per project is an advanced feature for advanced
> users.  And 
>  what do we typically do with advanced options and settings?  We hide them
> by default.  This was the reasoning behind the preference -- to hide the 
>  complexity and confusion to someone who did not care about these advanced
> flexible options. 
>  
>  That being said, I guess I'd like to hear feedback from others on what they
> think.  I mean, if it confused Arthur, it seems like it will surely confuse
> a novice user!  :-) 
>  Maybe we could keep the preference, but leave it on by default instead of
> off? 
>  
>  Thanks, 
>  
>  John Lanuti
>  Software Engineer, IBM Rational
>  jlanuti@xxxxxxxxxx
>  t/l 441-7861
>  
>  "You see this wandering soul, he's never gonna stop, because he loves and
> he feels this world can grow. 
>  He's not afraid of feeling, he loves what he believes, he feels, and he
> grows."  - Of A Revolution
>  
>  
>  
>  Arthur Ryman <ryman@xxxxxxxxxx> 
>  Sent by: wtp-dev-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx 
> 
> 07/07/2005 08:00 AM 
>  
>  
> Please respond to
>  "General discussion of project-wide or architectural issues." 
> 
>  
>  
> To wtp-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx 
>  
> cc 
>  
> Subject [wtp-dev] Why Do We Need the Preference to Enable Multiple Modules  
>      per Project? 
>  
>  
>  
>  
> 
>  
>  
>  
>  While using WTP to develop some Web apps, I ran into a feature of our UI
> that I find problematic, and I'd like to hear from other people about why we
> need this feature. 
>  
>  The feature is the Flexible Project Preference. The user now has to
> explicity check a box to enable multiple modules per project. 
>  
>  I find this problematic for several reasons: 
>  
>  1. It caused a usability problem. I created a project with a Web module in
> an earlier build of WTP and then worked on it with a later build which has
> this preference disabled. It caused the Web service wizard to fail [1]. This
> will be corrected, but it pointed out to me that this preference is causing
> bimodal behavior. Our code in now more complex than it needs to be and there
> is more potential for bugs and usability problems. 
>  
>  2. We went to a lot a development effort to upgrade the code base to allow
> multiple modules per project. This should be the WTP norm. We should promote
> this feature and improve our UI to make it very easy for users. Disabling it
> seems like a step backwards and an admission of failure. 
>  
>  3. The initial wizards to create multiple modules were somewhat awkward,
> and this may have motivated this preference. However, the wizards are very
> usable now so I believe this preference has outlived its usefulness and is
> now just extra baggage that should be jetisonned asap. 
>  
>  I have created a bug [2] to remove this preference. Please review it and
> voted for it if you agree. 
>  
>  Is anyone a strong advocate of this preference? If so, please explain why
> you think we should keep it. I'd like to discuss this in our telecon today. 
>  
>  Let's move on this quickly since time is running out. Thx. 
>  
>  [1] https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=102244 
>  [2] https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=102487 
>  
>  Arthur Ryman,
>  Rational Desktop Tools Development
>  
>  phone: +1-905-413-3077, TL 969-3077
>  assistant: +1-905-413-2411, TL 969-2411
>  fax: +1-905-413-4920, TL 969-4920
>  mobile: +1-416-939-5063, text: 4169395063@xxxxxxx
>  intranet:
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-- 
Stephen Duncan Jr
www.stephenduncanjr.com