Since last discussion, I've been working on how to use rdf data source and xul template to populate XUL widgets, how to connect to cocoon using XMLHttpRequest and update widgets through js scripts. So far I am able to create simple examples to demonstrate those techniques (will be detailed in documents).
Issues: (1) XUL template XUL template is hard to work with, it's a black box, no error reporting, all silient failures. You never know if the failures come from incorrectly formatted rdf file, or rdf file not loaded at all, or the template predicates unmatched, or the illegal template actions? I googled around, there seems no useful supporting tools for XUL tempate, and for a few times this top-ranked rants about xul template showed up: http://www.jerf.org/resources/xblinjs/whyNotMozilla/notXulTemplates.html it recommeded to use mozilla JSLib to control the behavior of XUl widgets, I was thinking about that, what do u think? (by the way, what's Apache's policy regarding including other free/open source code?) (2) CForms Browser Update mechanism how to extend this beautiful BU mechanism to handle XUL widgets? Currently the examples I've been working on are all standalone, which means that the xul file is delivered on cocoon as it is by <map:read/>, not through pipeline, pieces of js scripts have been written to handle the widget behaviors. While the BU mechanism is tied to the cforms widgets (correct me if i am wrong), to utilize the BU or the ajax support, the xul widgets has to be transformed to the cform widgets to be recognized by the system, i tried to modify these files: forms-page-styling.xsl forms-advanced-field-styling.xsl forms-field-styling.xsl forms-samples-styling.xsl simple-page2html.xsl but no luck, I don't know to handle those fields with atributes like "onchange", also the set of xul widgets are asymmetric to the cform ones. (3) Project release when the due day is up, what's the procedure to release the project? Future: this GSoC project is just a beginning, that's for fure. During these days, I learned a lot, also found out there are lots of things worthy to do, the momentum has been built, I don't want to lose it. This project is about XUL and CForms, going forward I think it's more nature to continue to work on the cocoon XUL support as a separate new block, the reason is, just briefly put here, the CForms is designed to hand UI on the backend, while XUL is on the frond end, to mix them up is like to put one interface on another, it's just too much. This is just my own opion based on what I've learned from working on this project. Open for discussion of course. -Heh On 8/21/05, Bertrand Delacretaz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > With ten days left to finish the GSoC projects, I think it would be > good for our three students to provide a short status report here. > > Think "3P": > Progress: > What have you accomplished and how does it compare to the project's > goals. > > Problems: > Is anything preventing you from reaching the project goals, and if yes > can we do something about it. > > Perspectives: > What are your plans until the September 1st "pencils down"
