Feedback on [BETA] wxcrafter

[frank_frl]

I must admit I'm a little bit sad about the licence of this plugin, but I fully understand why you do that way.

Hi Jérémie,

I don't see this point.
With CodeLite you'll get a very good (for me even the best) cross platform IDE for free and like you said, with wxCrafter it will become a full-fledged RAD tool, so why Eran shouldn't get a 'small fee' for it. I admire anyway the endless effort, time and support he is putting in CL and it costs him definitely money to do that. Furthermore people who don't want to pay for wxCrafter can always stay with wxFormBuilder or any other GUI tool and still use CL for free.

- Defining custom controls (this is something I am working on) the ability to add custom controls and define them as templates. For example, atm, in wxFB you need to fill like 5 / 6 lines each time you want to add new control
my idea is to create those controls once, store them and by a single click they will be added

I like the way DialogBlocks is handling custom controls, it's very similar to your idea.

Regards

Frank

[jfouche]

Hello Frank,

I totally agree with you,CodeLite is the best IDE IMHO, and all this work should be reward. I was just (a little bit) sad because I'll probably not be able to buy this plugin, as I just code for fun. In my company,the top managment decided to switch from wxWidgets to java swing application (even if I'd rather work with C++ and wxWidgets).
Well, nevermind... Whatever Eran decides, I wish long live to CodeLite (I use it at home) and wxCrafter. As you said, there are other RAD.
See you

[EDIT] I hope you understood that my previous post was not critism at all

[frank_frl]

Hi Jérémie

I was just (a little bit) sad because I'll probably not be able to buy this plugin, as I just code for fun.

I'm sure, that if Eran talks about a 'small fee' it will be something that everybody will be able to afford.

I hope you understood that my previous post was not critism at all

I didn't understand it as criticism, it was just my 2 cents

Regards

Frank

[SlimFast]

Here are some first impressions:

First of all: I was impressed how far this is already developed. I was expecting something un-stable, pretty limited stuff, but it seems to be a ready component...

Hence while playing with the functionality I would like to provide some feedback on UI (intuitive design). please note that this is my personal feeling: I always try to come as far as possible without reading any docs, so I did with wxCrafter, too. My feedback is therefore accordingly, maybe.

• I would expect something like a wxCrafter wizard. I was opening a workspace, then creating a wx enabled project, then adding a wxCrafter component in the well hidden wxCrafter tab (if you have a limited resolution). Maybe the popup-dialog in the project tree or the toolbar should offer some more possibilites. Like you have there "new QT" stuff, there should be "new wx stuff", too.
• When creating a dialog I entered in "virtual folder" simple "wx_res". This caused an error "Invalid project name 'wx_res'". Huh?! The I pressed the button and simply selected a folder I was presented. This caused an error "Could not create resource file ''". Huh?! It took me a while to understand that if you haven't created a virtual folder yet you simply cannot finish this "Create wxDialog" wizard.
• Back at the workspace I was looking for how to create a virtual folder. I was expecting an entry in "File" menu or any other menu but I didn't find it. Finally I found it in the popup-menu of the workspace tree... ok. Sorry, but this is the first time I am working with virtual folders. So I created a virtual folder (Why can't the wizard do that for me?!)
• When I entered the wizard dialog again I was forgetting to create a resource (actually I thoughts its still there, but as I didn't finish the wizard last time it seems it wasn't). So I again got the error "Could not create resource file ''". A bit hard to understand, because the actual error is I didn't setup any, I was under the impression my class name was wrong... But then finally - a dialog.
• The dialog I was presented was as shown in the attached image - I've remarked what my impression was.
• I added two box sizer, in it a notebook with three pages. The notebook didn't expand visually, although I setup the sizer to proportion=1 and expand. Once you are used to the icons they are very helpful, btw. I don't know, why it doesn't expand, but this maybe an error on my side.
  Then I generated code. And this is where I am stuck at the moment. Generation works fine, bit I simply don't know how to use it. The class "MyClass" derived from "MyClassBaseClass" which derives from wxDialog. The constructor takes a "parent" argument which I provided with NULL (as I've setup a wx project initially, the designed dialog is the only window).
• CC doesn't seem to work. When I write: MyClass mc = new MyClass(0); mc. -> nothing happens.
• When I try to compile I get: C:\Devel\CodeLite\wxWidgets\include/wx/msw/dialog.h: In copy constructor 'MyClassBaseClass::MyClassBaseClass(const MyClassBaseClass&)':
  C:\Devel\CodeLite\wxWidgets\include/wx/msw/dialog.h:139:5: error: 'wxDialog::wxDialog(const wxDialog&)' is private
  C:/Users/martin/Desktop/MyWS/MyWX/my_wxcp_file.h:18:7: error: within this context
• I'll continue to investigate, its surely a bug on my side...

Hence for now I thought I collected enough impressions. As I've said: IMHO good software is intuitive. I tried the same with DialogBlocks and I had a first tiny app with a dialog really fast. Next, I'll read the tutorial and start from scratch. But still: Especially if this becomes a commercial component (which isn't a bad idea, btw - except, it costs as much as Visual Studio ) there should be an easy way to get in touch with. Look how easy it is to get a "Hello World" dialog in Visual Studio, and DialogBlocks. I think you should be able to achieve that initial "success!" feeling with wxCrafter, too. Often software is doomed if you cannot achieve this.

Maybe you agree on the one or other point though...

Keep it up - my initial statement is still valid.

[eranif]

I would expect something like a wxCrafter wizard

Workspace -> New Project -> wxCrafter (dialog or frame). Right click on *any* folder in the tree view -> "wxCrafter -> Add new wxWidget UI form" this will open up the wizard you are looking for (+ it will populate default values)

Back at the workspace I was looking for how to create a virtual folder.

This is a basic concept of codelite...

When I entered the wizard dialog again I was forgetting to create a resource (actually I thoughts its still there, but as I didn't finish the wizard last time it seems it wasn't)

If you used the correct project type, you should have had one

MyClass mc = new MyClass(0)

surely you meant to write:

Code: Select all

MyClass *mc = new MyClass(0)

I don't know, why it doesn't expand

;
By default controls dont have the EXPAND / proportion values set
Also, when you change a value in the properties view or in any of the sizer flags, you need to hit enter (this is true for text controls)

CC doesn't seem to work

It should have...did you try workspace -> retag workspace (full) ?

When I try to compile I get: C:\Devel\CodeLite\wxWidgets\include/wx/msw/dialog.h: In copy constructor 'MyClassBaseClass::MyClassBaseClass(const MyClassBaseClass&)':
C:\Devel\CodeLite\wxWidgets\include/wx/msw/dialog.h:139:5: error: 'wxDialog::wxDialog(const wxDialog&)' is private
C:/Users/martin/Desktop/MyWS/MyWX/my_wxcp_file.h:18:7: error: within this context

If you could post some code here, I can have a look in it

Also, try following this tutorial:
http://www.codelite.org/LiteEditor/WxCrafter

Eran