IMHO, extensibility. RAD doesn't not pay off when extensibility is
limited.
Extensibility must be a key consideration in any UI control framework.
Unless there is overriding reason for limiting extensibility, that is.
regards,
Bjorn
On 21/02/2007, at 10:17 AM, Matt Chotin wrote:
Actually when we posted our component plans (http://
weblogs.macromedia.com/flexteam/archives/2007/02/
the_flex_teams.cfm) we made clear we definitely want the community
to participate in building these things too. Bruce, it sounds like
you have a set of components in mind and I know that there are
plenty of folks who watch both flexcoders and flexcomponents who
would love to know what you’d be interested in paying for. Feel
free to send ideas my way, I might even be able to keep a
repository of requests, but I think that there are plenty of folks
out here who would love to hear them as well.
The larger point, as has been made by others, is we can’t do
everything at once, and sometimes we decide to advance the
framework rather than focus on individual component improvements
(though in some of these DG cases we are actually looking at
incorporating things into the next release). Rather than saying
that you don’t want to create a separate new component for every
new feature, maybe you guys should set up a components project
where popular extensions are built into framework subclasses. Then
you can use the extended component that will cover more of your use-
cases, rather than rewriting each time.
Bruce brings up a separate interesting issue though: we sometimes
make decisions in our components to keep them as flexible as
possible. The background color of a row or cell is one example,
rather than building in logic where we weren’t sure if we’d cover
all cases we made it possible to implement by writing a subclass.
This particular decision is a compromise between extensibility and
RAD capabilities (if you’ll allow me to make a gross
generalization). How many of you would prefer we make things more
RAD capable at the potential expense of extensibility? Are you
willing to make a tradeoff? I know the answer you really have is
“both,” but if you had to make a choice would you tell us to go
down the RAD path?
Matt
From: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Gordon Smith
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 3:00 PM
To: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [flexcoders] Gordon Smith - Some Answers about the
Datagrid
> please create more components and charge extra for them. I could
give you a list of about 20
that would have a value to most business developers.
I'm sure the frameworks team would be interested in seeing your
list. Please post it on flexcoders or send it to our product
manager Matt Chotin [EMAIL PROTECTED]
- Gordon
From: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of boy_trike
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 2:20 PM
To: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [flexcoders] Gordon Smith - Some Answers about the Datagrid
--- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com, "Gordon Smith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> After all, we
> can't provide every feature that developers need without bloating
our
> components, and we've assumed that subclassing will be a commonly
used
> technique.
Gordon: Instead of making components FATTER, create MORE
components. Just like there
is a vertical and horiz. grid. I used to have a T-shirt that said
"he who dies with the most
toys wins" Let me paraphrase, "He who has the MOST components wins
" (with faster,
more focused solutions" Just like the chart components are an extra
price option, please
create more components and charge extra for them. I could give you
a list of about 20
that would have a value to most business developers. (esp. those
getting paid a fair
amount for their work.
> By the way, when you say "for each cell" do you mean that each cell
> needs to render differently based on the data it displays? Or
every row
> might be different, but each column in a row is the same? Or that
each
> column is different, but every row in a column is the same?
>
I mean EACH cell, not row or column. while alt. coloring of rows is
asthetically pleasing,
and coloring columns can make one stand out, I want to solve a
business problem (i.e.
customers over credit limit have that amount in bold, Orders over
90 days have the due
date in RED
Bruce
