Hi all,
I've tried freemarker macros, and have found them to add a double punch to my work with forms. I
get clean codes: some 10 lines or so of <table> glue and I get a complex layout done. I also get
all the power (for pretty UIs) that HTML/CSS gives.
Personally, I think it's just as easy (or difficult?) to learn Freemarker syntax as it is to learn
Widget Forms. Yes, you do have to know Freemarker syntax up-close-and-personal to create macros.
However, with OpenTap's ready-made freemarker macros (some generic constructs), using freemarker
macros may just not require learning so much freemarker syntax after all. See
http://www.opentaps.org/javadocs/version-1.0/tools/opentapsFormMacros.html .
And for those who do know freemarker syntax, digging into OpenTap's freemarker macros (to learn
how they work and how to use them?) should be much easier than digging into Widget Forms Engine's
Java codes.
What do you think? Is this the next step for UIs? After all, I think we are often advised to go
back to ftl for UIs that are anything more than outright simplistic? If we are using ftl, why not
freemarker macros?
Jonathon
