I've considered an Electron app in the past. One negative is you lose access to existing Java code, but perhaps there is a way around this I've not seen.
Examples: - Existing code to read model XML files. - JDBC drivers. - Velocity (assuming we want to continue using Velocity templates). For anyone curious, I thought JavaFX was looking good before I lost momentum: https://github.com/apache/cayenne-modeler If you look carefully, you'll see some of the extra features in the screenshots I was planning on adding, plus multiple windows (same project or different projects) in the video. On Tue, Dec 14, 2021 at 6:58 PM Lon Varscsak <lon.varsc...@gmail.com> wrote: > What about an Electron app? 😬 > > On Tue, Dec 14, 2021 at 3:59 PM John Huss <johnth...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > My 2 cents is that Java desktop UI is effectively dead. So switching to > > another UI library that is either already dead or is dying isn't a great > > use of time. So I would try to change it as little as possible. > > > > For the tables with editable cells problem, my recommendation would be to > > move editing into a separate "inspector" area that is laid out as a > > vertical form. Then the table can be read-only. > > > > For layout, I liked MigLayout when I did Swing apps back in the day. But > > that doesn't solve the problem with the existing usage of JGoodies. > > > > > > On Tue, Dec 14, 2021 at 12:37 AM Andrus Adamchik <aadamc...@gmail.com> > > wrote: > > > > > I see a couple of problems with the current UI (beside it being > > > subjectively old) : > > > > > > * We are effectively blocked from any significant evolution of the > > > Modeler. Any time we want to do anything fancy (e.g. improve usability > of > > > tables with editable cells, etc.), we quickly run into the wall with > > Swing > > > capabilities. > > > * JGoodies library that we depend heavily upon for layouts is no longer > > > free/open source [1], creating risks for JVM upgrades. > > > > > > So modernization of the Modeler is a practical matter. > > > > > > Looks like Fleet is not using Compose [2], but a lesser known JetBrains > > > Toolbox does [3]. And everyone admits it is still raw. > > > > > > Andrus > > > > > > [1] https://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/libraries/ > > > [2] https://twitter.com/jetbrains/status/1465245360973131777 < > > > https://twitter.com/jetbrains/status/1465245360973131777> > > > [3] > > > > > > https://blog.jetbrains.com/kotlin/2021/08/compose-multiplatform-goes-alpha/#toolbox > > > < > > > > > > https://blog.jetbrains.com/kotlin/2021/08/compose-multiplatform-goes-alpha/#toolbox > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Dec 14, 2021, at 12:48 AM, John Huss <johnth...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > I believe that compose UI library is used to build the new upcoming > IDE > > > > from JetBrains called Fleet. So I expect it will continue to be > > supported > > > > unless that product completely flops. > > > > > > > > I don't mind the current modeler UI. It's good enough for me. > > > > > > > > https://www.jetbrains.com/fleet/ > > > > > > > > > > > > On Sat, Dec 11, 2021 at 2:15 AM Andrus Adamchik <aadamc...@gmail.com > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > >> A datapoint to our perennial discussion of technology to use for the > > > >> future CayenneModeler... With Swing being old and crusty, and JavaFX > > no > > > >> longer supported by Oracle, perhaps we should be looking for > something > > > >> fresh. I just came across a new "Compose Multiplatform" desktop UI > > > >> framework by JetBrains [1]. It is programmed in Kotlin and is based > on > > > >> Google toolkit for Android. Their GitHub examples [2] are not that > > > visually > > > >> impressive, but I would imagine it is a matter of styling. A > million $ > > > >> question is whether it will be around and open source in 10-15 > years. > > > >> > > > >> Anyone knows anything about it? > > > >> > > > >> Andrus > > > >> > > > >> [1] https://www.jetbrains.com/lp/compose-mpp/ > > > >> [2] > > > >> > > > > > > https://github.com/JetBrains/compose-jb/blob/master/artwork/readme/apps.png > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > > > > > > >
