[news.eclipse.platform.swt] Interfaces to common control features

[Viliam Durina <viliam.durina@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

we develop a framework where developers draw controls visually and are able to create an application, that can be run as an web application as well as an SWT one. Developer that uses the framework provides a factory to create individual controls that the framework fills in with data and listeners to handle actions.

And here is the problem: we cannot replace Combo with CCombo, as they do not have common interface. If one application decides to use the native Combo and another CCombo due to its flexibility, the factory has to return a Control and we have to implement both cases. 

What do you think about the idea of creating a hierarchy of interfaces like IWidget, IControl, ICombo, IButton with methods of their non-I counterparts and all controls implementing some of them? Even third-party custom fancy controls could implement one of these interfaces and they could be replaced in applications easily without making structural changes... And, for instance, ComboViewer would not need to always test if it uses Combo or CCombo.

Viliam