Re: [flexcoders] If Flex is open source, how do we go about changing the language?
- Original Message - From: aceoohay [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, December 01, 2007 5:33 AM Subject: [flexcoders] If Flex is open source, how do we go about changing the language? I just ran across what I consider a significant deficiency in Flex. To correct this problem would require an addition of two attributes to the mx:DataGridColumn class. I could make a change to my version of the language, or perhaps I could create an inherited class. A much better idea. At least then you wouldn't be completely out on a limb. However, I feel strongly that the problem is so fundamental that it should be changed in the language. How do I go about making this happen? Go here: http://bugs.adobe.com/flex/ (I know it's not a bug, but an enhancement request) You are actually in need of an enhancement to the Flex classes rather than a change in the language - your subject title is likely to confuse people. Paul
Re: [flexcoders] If Flex is open source, how do we go about changing the language?
Why has you data null values in the first place? Maybe you can put in some dummy data? Cheers Ralf.
Re: [flexcoders] If Flex is open source, how do we go about changing the language?
I don't believe the Flex language itself is open source, only the .swf format. Someone at adobe may want to clear that up. Although I'm sure this is an earnest request, whenever open source is discussed one thing everyone on this list has to be careful of is that MICROSOFT will not go well into that good night of the loser status that are suffering at the hands of Apple and Linux after the desperate attempts by SCO. I've learned enough about them to know that. They will keep people out on the edge of happenings to attempt to stir trouble, so any discussion of Open Source (microsoft's thorn) in a way that would disturb the good foundation of Flash end-users should looked at closely. One thing I've learned about enemies is that once you begin to feel sorry for their sad state, they usually have such little class as to reach out in desperation to draw their gun from their black holster and beady blue eyes to shoot at innocence. Mercy is good, but not with Microsoft (never). -r Ralf Bokelberg [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Why has you data null values in the first place? Maybe you can put in some dummy data? Cheers Ralf. - Get easy, one-click access to your favorites. Make Yahoo! your homepage.
Re: SPAM-LOW: Re: [flexcoders] If Flex is open source, how do we go about changing the language?
Robert Thompson wrote: I don't believe the Flex language itself is open source, only the .swf format. Most of the AS3 classes in the Flex SDK are open source. With the release of Flex 3, Flex is becoming more open source. From what I've heard this will include the Flex compiler and the Remoting classes. Someone at adobe may want to clear that up. Although I'm sure this is an earnest request, whenever open source is discussed one thing everyone on this list has to be careful of is that MICROSOFT will not go well into that good night of the loser status that are suffering at the hands of Apple and Linux after the desperate attempts by SCO. I've learned enough about them to know that. They will keep people out on the edge of happenings to attempt to stir trouble, so any discussion of Open Source (microsoft's thorn) in a way that would disturb the good foundation of Flash end-users should looked at closely. One thing I've learned about enemies is that once you begin to feel sorry for their sad state, they usually have such little class as to reach out in desperation to draw their gun from their black holster and beady blue eyes to shoot at innocence. Mercy is good, but not with Microsoft (never). -r */Ralf Bokelberg [EMAIL PROTECTED]/* wrote: Why has you data null values in the first place? Maybe you can put in some dummy data? Cheers Ralf. Get easy, one-click access to your favorites. Make Yahoo! your homepage. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=51443/*http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs -- Jeffry Houser, Technical Entrepreneur, Software Developer, Author, Recording Engineer AIM: Reboog711 | Phone: 1-203-379-0773 -- My Company: http://www.dot-com-it.com My Podcast: http://www.theflexshow.com My Blog: http://www.jeffryhouser.com
Re: SPAM-LOW: [flexcoders] If Flex is open source, how do we go about changing the language?
Semantics, I know, but The language is ActionScript 3. You're talking about a problem with a component built in that language, not the language itself. I can see a benefit of adding either of these attributes to the datagrid. You should be able to create your own version, or an extension of the DG at your leisure. You can submit an enhancement request at http://bugs.adobe.com/flex/ . I'm under the optimistic impression that Adobe looks at, and evaluates, all requests. It wouldn't hurt if you tell all your friends to vote for the request. aceoohay wrote: I just ran across what I consider a significant deficiency in Flex. To correct this problem would require an addition of two attributes to the mx:DataGridColumn class. I could make a change to my version of the language, or perhaps I could create an inherited class. However, I feel strongly that the problem is so fundamental that it should be changed in the language. How do I go about making this happen? The problem is this; It appears that when sorting a DataGrid by clicking a column that Flex currently does its best to determine the data type and sorts based on that data type. The problem is that it gets confused when there are nulls in date, numeric, or boolean fields. When it gets confused it ralph's on its shoes (blows up). Based on my research, including reading a bit of the file sortField.as, this is by design. There is a way around it but it requires instantiating a compare function for each column that might get a null, and might be one of non string data types. The workaround is to create a function, and use the sortCompareFunction attribute to call a that function. There is even a kludgier workaround to make the function generic by using the headerRelease attribute of the DataGrid to update a public variable with the column number. Since it seems as though this is an ubiquitous problem, it should be solved in the language itself. The best approach that I came up with is to have two new attributes for the mx:DataGridColumn; sortDataType - Basically specify the type of data contained in the column that would be honored by the sort routine irrespective of the values contained in the column. Values would be any valid data type. sortNullCollatingSequence - This would define whether nulls get sorted to the top or bottom of the list. Values would be low - which would indicate that nulls would sort lower than the lowest normal value, and high - which would indicate that nulls would sort higher than the highest normal value. This is one possible solution, there may be better ones but in my opinion the current method should be improved. I would like to see it implemented quickly as I believe it is a serious problem. How do I go about getting this taken seriously, and not assigned an enhancement request number and never looked at again? Paul -- Jeffry Houser, Technical Entrepreneur, Software Developer, Author, Recording Engineer AIM: Reboog711 | Phone: 1-203-379-0773 -- My Company: http://www.dot-com-it.com My Podcast: http://www.theflexshow.com My Blog: http://www.jeffryhouser.com
RE: [flexcoders] If Flex is open source, how do we go about changing the language?
it gets confused when there are nulls in date, numeric, or boolean fields this is by design I doubt that we designed this code to intentionally get confused. : ) It sounds like we're simply not properly handling null field values when sorting. What do you mean by get confused? Does it throw an RTE? Do the nulls cause incorrect sorting of the non-null values? Do the nulls not sort together? How kind of sorting behavior do you think should occur when there are null values? Should they sort before or after other values? Please file the bug at htp://bugs.adobe.com/flex. BTW, the Flex SDK is not yet open-source, but it will be soon. Gordon Smith Adobe Flex SDK Team From: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of aceoohay Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 9:33 PM To: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com Subject: [flexcoders] If Flex is open source, how do we go about changing the language? I just ran across what I consider a significant deficiency in Flex. To correct this problem would require an addition of two attributes to the mx:DataGridColumn class. I could make a change to my version of the language, or perhaps I could create an inherited class. However, I feel strongly that the problem is so fundamental that it should be changed in the language. How do I go about making this happen? The problem is this; It appears that when sorting a DataGrid by clicking a column that Flex currently does its best to determine the data type and sorts based on that data type. The problem is that it gets confused when there are nulls in date, numeric, or boolean fields. When it gets confused it ralph's on its shoes (blows up). Based on my research, including reading a bit of the file sortField.as, this is by design. There is a way around it but it requires instantiating a compare function for each column that might get a null, and might be one of non string data types. The workaround is to create a function, and use the sortCompareFunction attribute to call a that function. There is even a kludgier workaround to make the function generic by using the headerRelease attribute of the DataGrid to update a public variable with the column number. Since it seems as though this is an ubiquitous problem, it should be solved in the language itself. The best approach that I came up with is to have two new attributes for the mx:DataGridColumn; sortDataType - Basically specify the type of data contained in the column that would be honored by the sort routine irrespective of the values contained in the column. Values would be any valid data type. sortNullCollatingSequence - This would define whether nulls get sorted to the top or bottom of the list. Values would be low - which would indicate that nulls would sort lower than the lowest normal value, and high - which would indicate that nulls would sort higher than the highest normal value. This is one possible solution, there may be better ones but in my opinion the current method should be improved. I would like to see it implemented quickly as I believe it is a serious problem. How do I go about getting this taken seriously, and not assigned an enhancement request number and never looked at again? Paul
[flexcoders] If Flex is open source, how do we go about changing the language?
I just ran across what I consider a significant deficiency in Flex. To correct this problem would require an addition of two attributes to the mx:DataGridColumn class. I could make a change to my version of the language, or perhaps I could create an inherited class. However, I feel strongly that the problem is so fundamental that it should be changed in the language. How do I go about making this happen? The problem is this; It appears that when sorting a DataGrid by clicking a column that Flex currently does its best to determine the data type and sorts based on that data type. The problem is that it gets confused when there are nulls in date, numeric, or boolean fields. When it gets confused it ralph's on its shoes (blows up). Based on my research, including reading a bit of the file sortField.as, this is by design. There is a way around it but it requires instantiating a compare function for each column that might get a null, and might be one of non string data types. The workaround is to create a function, and use the sortCompareFunction attribute to call a that function. There is even a kludgier workaround to make the function generic by using the headerRelease attribute of the DataGrid to update a public variable with the column number. Since it seems as though this is an ubiquitous problem, it should be solved in the language itself. The best approach that I came up with is to have two new attributes for the mx:DataGridColumn; sortDataType - Basically specify the type of data contained in the column that would be honored by the sort routine irrespective of the values contained in the column. Values would be any valid data type. sortNullCollatingSequence - This would define whether nulls get sorted to the top or bottom of the list. Values would be low - which would indicate that nulls would sort lower than the lowest normal value, and high - which would indicate that nulls would sort higher than the highest normal value. This is one possible solution, there may be better ones but in my opinion the current method should be improved. I would like to see it implemented quickly as I believe it is a serious problem. How do I go about getting this taken seriously, and not assigned an enhancement request number and never looked at again? Paul
