Hello Wolf,
I really would like to help the documentation of swixml.
Allthough I currently have not much spare time (as I'm sure everyone of
us has'nt) I do what I'm able to.
On the following topics I consider myself having some knowledge:
- init classes
- localization
- GridBagLayout usage/gui design
What do you think we should write the documentation in? I suppose, HTML
is the most convenient way to write things like this: platform
independent, usable in javadoc, website and the like.
Do you consider having a cvs repository for the participants?
cu,
Frank
Wolf Paulus wrote:
Now, with Swixml's syntax approaching V1.0 finalization, I'm looking for
some help writing a user's guide.
Swixml's Java-Doc and Tag-Doc were sufficient, getting some "early-adopters"
started. However, making this a useful tool for a broader group of
Java-Developers requires a good user's guide.
Considering the swixml.org web-stats and my email inbox, I'd say, we have
around 50 really active an knowledgeable Swixml adopters out there (the
number of downloads is about 5 times higher). Some of those definitely have
reached a level of experience that would make them a great resource for a
project like Swixml. If you feel the need to share your experience and teach
some Swixml beginners - please join me in writing the user guide. Let me
know what issue / tag you want to tackle (but don't start before I have
confirmed your choice - otherwise we all work on the same tag).
This document will contain detailed larger sections about topics like
- Localization
- Custom Tags
- PLAFs
- init classes
etc.
and every Swixml Tag is going to be covered.
Sample Java-Code, XML descriptors, and screen shots accompany very section.
The level of detail I would like to make available matches that in this
email, I recently sent to an Swixml user:
Usually, the class represented by a Tag gets instantiated using the
default constructor. For instance, <formattedtextfield/> would cause the
instantiation of a JFormattedTextField class.
To program this one would probably write a statement link this:
JFormattedTextField ftf = new JFormattedTextField();
The initclass attribute was introduced to allow instantiation using an
argument-ed constructor, where the initclass describes the argument type.
For instance, if this constructor should be used:
JFormattedTextField(Format format)
then the Tag in the XML descriptor needs to look like this:
<formattedtextfield initclass="java.text.Format"/>
Before the instantiation of the JFormattedTextField, Swixml would
instantiate the argument by loading and instantiating the initclass.
Since all attribute values in a Swixml XML-descriptor are Strings, the
Java code one would write to accomplish this at compile-time could look
like this:
JFormattedTextField ftf = new JFormattedTextField( Class.forName(
initclass.toString() ).newInstance() );
Unfortunately, since java.text.Format is abstract, the example wouldn't
work. A real-world example would probably use the format class'
sub-class DecimalFormat and also specify the format like this:
<formattedtextfield id="tf_TicketTime" columns="5"
initclass="java.text.DecimalFormat(#0.00)"/>
Here a DecimalFormat class is instantiated using this constructor:
public DecimalFormat(String pattern)
which also presents the most complex use of the initclass attribute.
This object eventually used to instantiate a JFormattedTextField.
Comparable Java code looks like this:
Format fmt = new DecimalFormat("#0.00");
JFormattedTextField ftf = new JFormattedTextField( fmt )
ftf.setColumns(5);
cmpMap.put( "tf_TicketTime", ftf );
If the initclass is provided with a parameter, then the initclass type
constructor is determined like this:
Constructor ctor = initClass.getConstructor( new
Class[]{String.class} );
In other words there has to be a constructor available for the
initclass, accepting a String argument.
If the initclass is provided without a parameter, Swixml looks for a
getInstance method first:
Method factoryMethod = initClass.getMethod( Parser.GETINSTANCE, null );
If that fails, the class' newInstance() method is used, which required a
default constructor.
Summary of the initclass rules:
The initclass is the type of the instance that is passed into the tag
class' constructor.
The initclass attribute should contain a full qualified class name.
If the initclass implementation needs to provide a default constructor
or a constructor with just a String argument. Alternatively, a
getInstance() method (with no argument) may be implemented, returning a
initclass instance.
In the XML-Descriptor, then initclass may only be with an argument, if
the initclass type provides the String argument-ed constructor.
--
Wolf Paulus
C a r l s b a d C u b e s
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