Hi,
The alpha version of the XML-2-Swing conversion engine codenamed SWIX is
ready to go OPEN-SOURCE.
Already much effort went into this first alpha release and while we are by
far not alone with the XML-to-Swing approach, all currently available
projects (and there are about 10) go either too far, converting the
client-side into a portal server, or re-invert JSP, with IF/THEN/ELSE and
LOOP statements inside the XML.

Your Help is Welcome and Needed!!!
SWIX will be available under the GNU Library or "Lesser" Public License
(LGPL)
http://www.opensource.org/licenses/lgpl-license.html
However, before I go through the process making the code available in one of
the infamous open source CVSs I would like to ask for possible candidates
offering their help.
If you have read through the mail, looked at some of the other XUL-to-Swing
converter projects and still would like to get involved, please send me an
Email _now_:
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
I would be nice if you could answer a couple of questions:
What is your JAVA experience (i.e. how many years)
Have you done one or more projects using swing?
How much time could you spend on working on SWIX (per week)?
When would you like to see a product level engine completed?
How would you prefer to share code, have you worked with SmartCVS etc.?

Even if you think you might not be the perfect fit for this project - your
input could still be very useful - and btw., I don't consider myself a
perfect fit either .. and you never know SWIX / Franklin(you have to read on
to learn about Franklin) could become huge.


Definition:
SWIX allows developers to rapidly generate static graphical user interfaces
by writing XML documents that define the layout and content of the
interfaces. SWIX is a simple java library, which is capable of instantiating
javax.swing and custom objects at run time. All dynamic and data-depending
objects, i.e. event handlers, data models, etc, have to be coded in Java.
SWIX does neither generate nor link those components automatically.

Example:
A minimal XML descriptor for an SWIX application/applet would look like
this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<frame>
   <panel background="6699cc" constraints="BorderLayout.CENTER">
     <label text="Hello SWIX"/>
     <button text="OK" tooltiptext="Press OK"/>
   </panel>
</frame>

What is already possible:
Based on the work I did with Theodore, I'm planning to write a SWIX based
SWIX Editor named Franklin. A first prototype able to work 3 different
widget has already been completed, see screen-shot here:
http://www.carlsbadcubes.com/franklin/

--
Wolf Paulus
MSCS, SCJP, Sr. Software Engineer


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