Hi!
Andreas Schaefer wrote:
> >From the developer perspectiv EJX is easy to use when you understand its
> structure and design (the only thing I miss is the lacking docu -> JavaDoc
> etc.).
Agreed.
> >From the user perspective EJX is difficult to use because it relay on the
> underlaying XML structure and it is a "all in one" tool lacking user
> friendly
> features (like the separator tree/detail pane does not keep its set position
> if you which the selected detail).
It does not rely on the underlying XML structure. The current code does
this to some extent, but this is a design choice and can be changed.
> That's my goal for the administration GUI:
> - easy to use
In terms of ease-of-use this is pretty much up to the EJX handler
writer. You have complete freedom to do whatever you want on
getComponent(). The first version returned a fairly simple GUI, which
has progressed to be more complex currently. And it can be even more
sophisticated if desired.
> - use of look and feel already used in other GUIs
Since EJX has a couple of general-purpose GUI classes this is supported.
> - help support
This can be added to EJX.
> - tailored GUIs for know services (MBeans)
This can be added to EJX. Or rather, this is something that the GUI
handler would do, but it is fairly trivial.
> - all purpose GUIs for unknown services
EJX supports this through the GenericCustomizer.
> - save and retrieve of user settings
This is already supported by EJX. It is extensible too.
> - use of advanced GUI elements like sliders, radio buttons, checkboxes,
> icons etc. to make it more appealing for the user
This is supported by EJX since it relies on the JavaBeans API.
> I don't think that EJX can deliver that
Well, it does..
> and because of the lack of
> documentation
> I think I will waste more time than I will save through EJX because there is
> no XML structure available (naturally).
EJX has nothing to do with XML really. I have one EJX plugin that
doesn't use XML at all (the EJBench).
> I had to learn in the past (even when I hate it) that the acceptance of a
> tool
> or an application depends on big parts on their GUI and therefore I think
> that the administration GUI is very important and that I has to be appealing
> and sexy because this is what the user see and not the sexy design behind
> it (I also do not like this but it seems to be true). Therefore I like to
> make
> the administration GUI like this to boost jBoss.
>
> What do you think?
I think you're right about this last part, but I don't see how EJX
cannot be that. It contains lots of stuff that would make most of it
trivial to implement. If it's just a matter of doco please just ask me.
I *HATE IT* when people go "I don't understand it. Let's write a new
one" instead of trying to communicate with the one that wrote it. I do
not understand this line of thinking at all.
Let me know what you need to know about EJX, and let's get started.
regards,
Rickard
--
Rickard �berg
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.telkel.com
http://www.jboss.org
http://www.dreambean.com
