Re: Creating a simple visual user interface

From:

Mark Space <markspace@sbc.global.net>

Newsgroups:

comp.lang.java.programmer

Date:

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 23:13:35 -0700

Message-ID:

<pAank.14853$LG4.8804@nlpi065.nbdc.sbc.com>

JK wrote:

The problem with most GUI builders is that the input to the code
generation process is human activity -- drag-and-drop, point-and-click
-- that *can't* be placed under version control, or even stored in
any meaningful way at all. So that's my principled objection to
GUI generator tools. YMMV.

That's a bit like saying that the output of a text editor isn't suitable
for revision control, because it's the result of human activity, typing
keys on a keyboard.

Just FYI, here's part of a .form file I just started in a small personal
project. (Just part because the whole thing is rather long.)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>

<Form version="1.3" maxVersion="1.6"
type="org.netbeans.modules.form.forminfo.JFrameFormInfo">
   <NonVisualComponents>
     <Menu class="javax.swing.JMenuBar" name="jMenuBar1">
       <SubComponents>
         <Menu class="javax.swing.JMenu" name="jMenu1">
           <Properties>
             <Property name="text" type="java.lang.String" value="File"/>
           </Properties>

I think that's pretty easy to place under revision control.