Some of what Ted says sounds similar to the things I use to generate UIs in Meta-jb (http://meta-jb.sourceforge.net/). While still incomplete and not yet html-ready, there might still be some ideas you guys can borrow.
-Paul Joe Germuska wrote: > > Right on, Ted! I hadn't formulated my reaction, but my reaction was > that this belongs in the form configuration rather than in tag > libraries. > > I've been wishing that form declaration was unified, rather than > using struts-config for some and validator for another part. Now to > think about what to actually do about it, hmmm. > > Kudos to Jon for taking the time to propose something, in any case... > > Joe > > At 5:23 PM -0400 6/30/03, Ted Husted wrote: > >Fixing ConvertUtils would seem like a better solution to me than > >making this many workarounds to support a single data type. > > > >If we make these kind of patches to Struts, we've only "helped" > >Struts. If we fix ConvertUtils, we can help any other application or > >framework that uses ConvertUtils. > > > >I believe the consensus has been that the ActionForm should > >represent Strings as they are entered into the HTML form. Once the > >Strings pass validation, then data conversion should occur as the > >data moves toward the business and system tiers. > > > >I would agree that the ActionForm oversimplifies the problem. There > >is definitely a need for a object that incorporates many more > >attributes into a single configuration, target datatype being one of > >these. But, IMHO, offering up a patch for just the Date datatype > >would be a step in the wrong direction. > > > >We've come to say that the ActionForm is the missing buffer for the > >HTML controls. I would suggest that we should take that to heart and > >make it an actual buffer object for data-entry controls. We've > >already started to add a second layer of description to the > >ActionForm in the guise of the Validator forms. We've also started > >to define the ActionForm itself in XML under the auspice of > >DynaValidatorForm. Perhaps we should put both of these things > >together and define a true field and form buffer object that can be > >define in XML. > > > >Aside from target datatype, the Field/Form descriptor could also > >have places to define the label, displaysize, maxlength, control, > >readonly, disabled, tabindex, required, validator, default, alt, > >altKey, style, styleClass, styleId, title, titleKey, and Java on* > >events. > > > >We already enter all of these things into the application someplace, > >and it would be helpful if they could all be gathered together where > >they could be reused. > > > >The object would be an excellent place to put more advanced data > >conversion routines, such as those required for dates. It could also > >be used by other applications and frameworks outside of Struts. > > -- > -- > Joe Germuska > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://blog.germuska.com > "If nature worked that way, the universe would crash all the time." > --Jaron Lanier > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
