Get your 'old programmers' to read up on layout managers.
If they are too lazy to do so, I don't see that as justification for what is
effectively reinventing a GridBagLayout. Use of an IDE's GUI editor would be
better, IMO. GridBagLayout is a complex layout manager. Complex components
are just that: complex. If you want nearly (you say 95%) all of the
functionality of a complex component, then you will eventually end up with
something just as complex, and maybe even more complex. The JDK developers
aren't in the habit of designing complex classes for the fun of it, you
know..
-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Barrett <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Greg Munt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; govind <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Monday, April 02, 2001 05:19
Subject: Re: super layout manager help
>Fair enough. We are porting a legacy DOS application
>and we are finding one of the single biggest
>impediments to getting our old programmers up to speed
>is the layout managers. Even in an IDE these things
>are difficult to use, they behave differently for
>different components and each require knowledge of a
>seperate syntax. One of the things my layout manager
>does is allow the coders to use a coordinate system
>that is familiar, if they want. The coordinate system
>is not absolute positioning though, it just makes a
>grid where the interstaces are proportional to the
>container (so only the white space grows, or shrinks).
> Components are not constrained by the grid and can
>span cells, the grid is just for positioning. The
>layout manager can also mimic the behavior of many
>different layout managers without nesting panels,
>another concept that seems to mess up our newbies. My
>other big goal was to make the layout manager super
>easy to use. So far all the constraints take either a
>coordinate or a simple reference to another component.
>Even the exceptions just take another component
>reference or another pair of coordinates. I am hoping
>the similarity in constraint arguments will make it
>easy to master. On the other hand writing a new
>Constraint is tricky, but it can be done on the fly.
>I am not really trying to succeed GridBagLayout in
>functionality (I'll be happy if get 95% of GBL
>functionality), I do want something with all the power
>of GBL but much easier to use.
>
>--- Greg Munt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>> What does this layout manager do that
>> java.awt.GridBagLayout does not?
>>
>> Fixed positioning is achieved with a null layout.
>>
>> Why would you want to simulate other layout
>> managers? Just use the layout
>> manager you need, rather than reimplementing it.
>> This seems like a waste of
>> effort to me.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Steve Barrett <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> To: govind <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> Date: Sunday, April 01, 2001 08:47
>> Subject: Re: super layout manager help
>>
>>
>> >Of course, you are right, I need to explain a bit
>> >more.
>> >Ok, the goal was to have a layout manager that
>> could
>> >do positioning and sizing based on some kind of
>> fixed
>> >coordinates, as well as based on relationships to
>> >other components.
>> >The examples illustrate using 1) using fixed
>> >coordinate positioning 2) relational positioning
>> 3)
>> >simulating the behavior of other lay out managers.
>> >The code has the layout manager Layout, the
>> abstract
>> >Constraint class, and the 3 non-public Constraint
>> >classes written so far.
>> >What is important to me is that when the finished
>> >product is used, it is simply a matter of adding a
>> >component to a container, with a simple one or two
>> >parameter constraint. My other goal is that
>> >specialized constraints can be added on the fly.
>> >I hope this description helps.
>> >
>> >
>> >--- govind <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>> >> Hi steve,
>> >>
>> >> You can give a brief description of what the
>> >> example does so that it is
>> >> not required for somebody to go thru the code and
>> >> know what the test
>> >> program does.If i miss something or if i am wrong
>> >> please apologize and let
>> >> me know.
>> >>
>> >> Thanks and Regards
>> >> govind
>> >> At 12:04 AM 4/1/01 -0800, you wrote:
>> >> >Attached is source for a layout manager I am
>> >> working
>> >> >on. Its intended to be fairly simply to use and
>> >> very
>> >> >extensible. My approach was to write a layout
>> >> manager
>> >> >than can handle all kinds of customized
>> constraint
>> >> >objects. I want to provide a useful set of
>> >> constraint
>> >> >objects to go with it. I've only written three
>> so
>> >> >far.
>> >> >It's not even beta, but I would appreciate
>> testing,
>> >> >suggestions, etc.
>> >> >SO any help would be appreciated.
>> >> >Thanks in advance, Steve Barrett
>> >> >
>> >>
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