More about the Form-Layout ...

[Hansz]

Coming from a Borland Delphi Background, I'm having some 'issues' with the formlayout and the way widgets can be manipulated/added ...
Maybe i'm just having 'adaptational' problems with the Formlayout ... but i'm really not verry happy with the way I have to layout thing ...

Although in the basis it will allow me to do what I want, I have to be honest. I find it rather unworkable for a 'medium' to 'large' form for the following reason(s):

- It won't let me select a widget directly on the design area. (or at least, it won't let ME do it). I wants me to select it in the 'widget-tree' on the left.

- When a widget is selected, it's impossible to move it around by drag-drop. It's location has to be modified by setting the layout data.

- The widgets attach themselves to other widgets, when the 'outline' aids are being used ... I'd much rather have some kind of grid (definable) that widgets will position to when dropped on a form.

- It's very hard to define the z-order of the widgets... I think the only way to manipulate it, is by changing the order of the widgets in the 'widget-tree' (and even there it isn't really 'obviouis' how to do it).

- I've already mentioned the 'Composite (formlayout) in a composite(formlayout)' in a previous post on the forum.

I still feel that the Formlayout is potentially a very powerfull way to design forms IMHO the best way, because there is no 'intelligence' like in the other layout managers, besides the intelligence that the designer puts in. (where other layout managers all seem to want to think for me in some way or another).

I'm not trying to put or look down on SWT-Designer. I have not been able to find a better tool to aid me in defining my SWT-Forms... But I think there is much room for improvement in the area of the FormLayout.

my 2 cents ...

[Eric Clayberg]

- It won't let me select a widget directly on the design area. (or at least, it won't let ME do it). I wants me to select it in the 'widget-tree' on the left.

As stated in the other thread, this was a problem unique to WSAD 5.0 and its use of JDK 1.3. Had you tried this on any Eclipse combination using JDK 1.4, it would have worked fine (as you can see in the flash demo on the SWT Designer web site). We have uploaded a revised version of the v1.2.3 beta that has been recompiled against JDK 1.3. Give it a try and FormLayout should be much more to your liking.

- When a widget is selected, it's impossible to move it around by drag-drop. It's location has to be modified by setting the layout data.

See the above. This is another symptom of the same incompatibility problem.

- The widgets attach themselves to other widgets, when the 'outline' aids are being used ... I'd much rather have some kind of grid (definable) that widgets will position to when dropped on a form.

You don't need to use the dynamic widget snap points unless you want to. They can be turned off very easily using the Designer > SWT > FormLayout preferences...



You can turn all of the snap points off or any combination. I would suggest setting Snap points > Suppress preference to Unless Ctrl key pressed. That will suppress all of the snap points unless you hold the Ctrl key down. You can also set a user-definable grid that widgets will snap to.

- It's very hard to define the z-order of the widgets... I think the only way to manipulate it, is by changing the order of the widgets in the 'widget-tree' (and even there it isn't really 'obviouis' how to do it).

In SWT z-order is the same as the widget creation order which is the same order the widgets are presented in the widget tree. To change the z-order, drag the widgets up and down in the widget tree via drag/drop.

- I've already mentioned the 'Composite (formlayout) in a composite(formlayout)' in a previous post on the forum.

This is another manifestation of the above problem. Had you checked your log file, you would have seen numerous exceptions that were preventing FormLayout from working correctly. Try the updated beta and you should be fine.

I'm not trying to put or look down on SWT-Designer. I have not been able to find a better tool to aid me in defining my SWT-Forms... But I think there is much room for improvement in the area of the FormLayout.

I think once you get a chance to actually try the FormLayout support, you will discover that it is already quite powerful and extremely customizable. The problems you encountered had very little to do with SWT Designer itself and a lot to do with incompatibilities between various JDK levels.