WindowBuilder Overview

BDT WindowBuilder Functionality

WindowBuilder(WB) functionality has changed with the various annual releases. See the appropriate section below based on the version of WindowBuilder being used.

BDT WindowBuilder 18.xx Features

The BBj 18.00 release brings with it a version of BDT WindowBuilder that is production ready. You can use BDT WindowBuilder 18.xx as a WYSIWYG graphical editor for your GUI applications. With this release, BDT's WindowBuilder completely replaces the legacy NetBeans FormBuilder. NetBeans FormBuilder is no longer installed as part of BBj (not even the limited functionality version that was previously distributed while WindowBuilder was in development).

BDT WindowBuilder 17.xx Features

The BBj 17.00 release brings with it a version of BDT WindowBuilder that is little changed from the 16.00 release. BDT WindowBuilder 17.00 is still an alpha release while BASIS reworks the underlying Eclipse WindowBuilder Pro usage. This change is necessary to fix a number of the outstanding WB bugs, and to complete the functionality that would allow WB to completely replace the legacy NetBeans FormBuilder.

BDT WindowBuilder 16.xx Features

The BBj 16.00 release brings with it an alpha version of BDT WindowBuilder (the Eclipse plug-in replacement for the NetBeans FormBuilder). As an alpha release, not all of the full WindowBuilder functionality is yet available. Here is a quick guide to understanding the alpha release capabilities and features that are under construction.

16.xx WindowBuilder Alpha Available Features (Beyond the 15.xx Features)

  1. The BDT Explorer view now offers the ability to right-click in its tree to add or delete Top Level Components (TLCs) such as Windows, ChildWindows, MenuBars, PopupMenus, RecordSets, and ImageLists in an .arc file.

  2. BDT WindowBuilder no longer displays the XML Source tab when editing top-level-components. BDT WindowBuilder does not need this text, so it has been removed.

  3. The BDT Explorer view and BDT WindowBuilder’s Structure/Components pane both offer more user-friendly descriptions of .arc file controls, including the control name and ID.

  4. BDT WindowBuilder offers better support for editing list/array properties and for other control properties in the Properties pane.

16.xx WindowBuilder Alpha Features Under Construction

  1. BDT WindowBuilder does not always display exactly the correct set of properties for controls. Select a control of a particular type in the “Structure/Components” view, or in the graphical layout pane, and then examine the “Properties” view to see which properties are available for editing. The “Properties” pane continues to be updated to support a more correct list of .arc file properties.

  2. BDT WindowBuilder does not yet save all of the properties displayed in the “Properties” view to the .arc file. The .arc file content will be updated to support a more complete list of arc file properties in a future release.

  3. BDT WindowBuilder does not yet always correctly render the controls in the graphical layout pane (with full WYSIWYG functionality). Control representations will be enhanced in future releases.

  4. BDT WindowBuilder does not always correctly render child windows when it displays the parent window that holds the child window. This issue will be corrected in a future release.

  5. Moving or resizing controls in BDT WindowBuilder can result in “jumping” displays. This issue will be corrected in a future release.

For a list of current known issues, see BASIS’ online Bugzilla database and search for entries where the Product isEclipseand the Component isWindowBuilder.

BDT WindowBuilder 15.xx Features

The BBj 15.00 release includes an alpha version of BDT WindowBuilder (the Eclipse plug-in replacement for the NetBeans FormBuilder). As an alpha release, not all of the full WindowBuilder functionality is yet available. Here is a quick guide to understanding the alpha release capabilities and features that are “under construction.”

15.xx WindowBuilder Alpha Available Features

  1. WindowBuilder supports opening multiple BBj projects in the BDT Explorer view at the same time when they are in the same workspace.

  2. WindowBuilder supports opening multiple top-level-components (Windows, Child Windows, etc.) for viewing and editing at the same time, each in its own tabbed display; these TLCs can come from the same .arc file or from multiple .arc files. When an .arc file is “saved”, all changes to that .arc file’s TLCs are saved at once (keeping the .arc file self-consistent and valid).

  3. WindowBuilder displays top-level-components in three views, and each affected view is updated when a control is edited:
    a. ARC Source - the arc text (read-only).
    b. XML Source - the xwt/xml text (editable).
    c. Design - the graphical display of the arc text (editable).

  4. WindowBuilder reports a warning whenever you open a legacy arc file, and makes a backup copy before allowing you to edit it. WindowBuilder includes a user preference that can be set to not warn on future opens (although the backup file is always created). This is a temporary feature because WindowBuilder Alpha does not yet support all of the controls and properties that can exist in your legacy arc file.

  5. WindowBuilder supports editing top-level-components only when the TLCs’ .arc file is part of a BBj project.

  6. WindowBuilder’s ARC Source view displays arc text as read-only. To edit the arc file text directly as text, right-click the .arc file node in the BDT Explorer and select Open With > Arc Text Editor. You are only allowed to edit one .arc file in one editor at a time (either an Arc Text Editor OR in the WindowBuilder Arc Editor with the ARC Source, XML Source, and Design views).

15.xx WindowBuilder Alpha Features Under Construction

  1. WindowBuilder does not always display the correct set of properties for each of the controls. Select a control of a particular type in the “Structure/Components” view, or in the graphical layout pane, and then examine the “Properties” view to see which properties are available for editing. The “Properties” view will be updated to support a more correct list of arc file properties in future releases.

  2. WindowBuilder does not yet save all of the properties displayed in the “Properties” view to the arc file. The arc file content will be updated to support a more complete list of arc file properties in future releases.

  3. WindowBuilder does not yet always correctly render the controls in the graphical layout pane (with full WYSIWYG functionality). Control representations will be enhanced in future releases

  4. WindowBuilder does not always correctly render child windows when it displays the parent window that holds the child window. This issue will be corrected in future releases.

BDT WindowBuilder 14.xx Features

The BBj 14.00 release includes an alpha version of BDT WindowBuilder (the Eclipse plug-in replacement for the NetBeans FormBuilder). As an alpha release, not all of the full WindowBuilder functionality is yet available. Here is a quick guide to understanding the alpha release capabilities and features that are “under construction.”

14.xx WindowBuilder Alpha Available Features

  1. WindowBuilder supports opening multiple projects in the BDT Navigator view at the same time when they are in the same workspace.

  2. WindowBuilder supports multiple .arc files being open for viewing and editing at the same time, each in its own tabbed display.

  3. WindowBuilder displays the contents of an arc file in three ways, and each display is updated when a control is edited:
    a. ARC Source - the arc text (read-only).
    b. XML Source - the xwt/xml text (editable).
    c. Design - the graphical display of the arc text (editable).

  4. WindowBuilder reports a warning whenever you open a legacy arc file, and makes a backup copy before allowing you to edit it. WindowBuilder includes a user preference that can be set to not warn on future opens (although the backup file is always created). This is a temporary feature because WindowBuilder Alpha does not yet support all of the controls and properties that can exist in your legacy arc file.

14.xx WindowBuilder Alpha Features Under Construction

  1. WindowBuilder currently only supports editing an arc file graphically when the arc file is  part of a Java project. Although an arc file that is part of a BDT BBj Project can be viewed as text, it cannot be viewed or edited graphically until it has been added to a Java project. As of BBj 14.20, this restriction has been removed and no longer applies.

  2. WindowBuilder will only display arc text as read-only. You cannot edit the arc file text directly as text. Editing the arc file is supported via the graphical editor and via the intermediate XML text that is at least temporarily visible and editable. The arc text should become editable in future releases.

  3. WindowBuilder does not yet support any top-level control beyond the Window (the arc file’s WINDOW). The remaining top-level controls (ChildWindow, ImageList, MenuBar, RecordSet, and PopupMenu) will be added in future releases. As of BBj 14.20, this limitation has been reduced, and all of the top-level controls listed are now supported except the ImageList.

  4. WindowBuilder does not yet support opening a different “Design” tab for each top-level control in the arc file. WindowBuilder should offer a separate “Design” tab for each top-level control in the arc file in future releases.

  5. WindowBuilder does not yet allow you to create or edit all of the controls supported in an arc file. The “BASIS Controls” palette (visible on a “Design” tab when an arc file is displayed) shows which controls are currently available. The remaining arc file controls (BarChart, FontChooser, DrawImage, InputNSpinner, DrawLine, Image, LineChart, MenuButton, PieChart, PrintPreview, ScrollBar, Slider, ToolButton, Tree, WrappedJComponent) will not be available until future releases. As of BBj 14.20, this limitation has been reduced, and all of the arc file controls listed are now supported except the WrappedJComponent, Image, DrawImage, and DrawLine.

  6. WindowBuilder does not yet display all of the properties for all of the controls. Select a control of a particular type in the “Structure/Components” view, or in the graphical layout pane, and then examine the “Properties” view to see which properties are available for editing. The “Properties” view will be updated to support more of the existing arc file properties in future releases.

  7. WindowBuilder does not yet save all of the properties displayed in the “Properties” view to the arc file. The arc file content will be updated to support more of the displayed properties in future releases.

  8. WindowBuilder does not yet accurately render the controls in the graphical layout pane. The control representations will be enhanced in future releases. As of BBj 14.20, the supported controls are now rendered correctly in the graphical layout pane (the Design tab).

  9. WindowBuilder currently allows you to place any new control onto any other control in the graphical layout pane. This is not always a valid option - only some of the controls (Window, Group Box, etc.) should be treated as “container controls”. This issue will be corrected in future releases. As of BBj 14.20, this problem has been corrected and no longer applies.

  10. WindowBuilder currently allows you to place any new control directly onto the “Composite” drawing canvas (the gray rectangle in the graphical layout pane) control in the graphical layout pane. This is not valid - only top-level controls (Window, ChildWindow, etc.) should be able to be placed directly onto the “Composite” drawing canvas. This issue will be corrected in future releases. As of BBj 14.20, this problem has been corrected and no longer applies.

See Also

Creating a Window Builder Project