Quick status update on the gskinner.com lightweight interface components. Technically, the components are done, and have been run through a battery of test suites. In fact, we have significantly expanded the number of components we anticipate releasing. From the 11 we originally planned, we are now up to 18:
- Accordion
- Button
- CheckBox
- ColorPicker
- ColorPickerRGB*
- ComboBox
- DataGrid**
- FieldSet*
- List
- NumericStepper
- RadioButton
- SmartClipList*
- ScrollBar
- ScrollPane
- Slider
- TabBox*
- TextArea
- TextInput
* No comparable component in MM v2
** May not initially implement entire MM v2 API
All of these components (except those marked) are polymorphic with MM’s components, so you don’t have to relearn the API or even modify existing applications significantly to upgrade them with GLIC. We’ve even extended the API in many cases – how often have you wished that List and DataGrid had a “scrollToSelected” method? GLIC has one, and that’s just a small example of our new functionality.
We also have fully implemented our advanced FocusManager, that works with ALL of our components seamlessly, and allows for easy the creation of tab groups, and advanced features such as having one tab group continue automatically into another tab group. The coolest thing is that you don’t have to use (or even understand) the advanced features if you don’t need them. You can just stick with tabIndex.
// add myComponent to a tabGroup
myComponent.tabIndex = 3;
myComponent.tabGroup = “myGroup”; // named tab group
// alternately:
myComponent.tabGroup = this._parent; // scope-based tab group
// set up myGroup to tab into mySecondGroup when it reaches it’s end:
FocusManager.getTabGroup(“myGroup”).nextGroup = “mySecondGroup”;
All of our controls are completely accessible via the keyboard, and in the future we will be working to implement full standards-compliant accessibility.
IMHO, another super cool feature with GLIC is that our components are non-invasive. They do not rely on scads of mix-ins, they do not plug new functionality into built-in objects. For example, instead of turning every single Array in your application into a data provider, we utilize a RecordSet class that wraps an array – we leave poor Array alone. We even silently manage the process for you in our List based components, so you don’t have to know about it if you don’t want to.
I’m working on the business details, and should have news on the expected availability date and licensing details late next week, at which point we will set up a GLIC mailing list to keep everyone interested fed with info.
PS. we’re still about 65-75% smaller than MM’s components, and use massively less CPU power.
Related links:
Announcement: Gskinner Lightweight Interface Components
The only question is: WHEN THE HELL ?
des nouvelles de GLIC
Grant Skinner daigne enfin donner des nouvelles de GLIC. Le nombre de composants proposés dans ce framework est passé de 11 à 17. Seront proposés : Accordion, Button, CheckBox, ColorPicker, ColorPickerRGB, ComboBox, DataGrid, List, NumericStepper, Radi…
– above:
“…should have news on the expected availability date and licensing details late next week”
Do the components support XML data binding ?
Bernd
Can you say anything more about the “TabBox” component? Is it visual-tabs interface? Or does it deal with your tabGroup stuff?
The TabBox component is a visual tab interface, including support for tab run-over (ie. too many tabs to display) and full keyboard control.
perfect- just what I was hoping for.
Back to anxiously waiting…
Hi Grant,
Any idea on the estimated price of all the components? I assume you are very close to actually releaseing them, so just wondering if you can give out this info now.
Thanks,
Chris
*THUD*
Crap.
I just died of anticipation.
any updates on this? After all, if one reads this closely, one would think that you had the details the week of 11/19/2004. I understand that you went through a wholesale change for your site, but some of us are very interested in replacements of certain MM V2 components (specifically the data grid).
I agree to the posting of jim. PLEASE GRANT, GIVE US AN UPDATE ! The world is waiting for GLIC !!!
Kai
Are we nearly there yet?
Are we nearly there yet?
Are we…
hehe 🙂
Is this going to come out before 8ball?
any news?
Is it true, that they will never be released?
No news?
Guess I’ll have to write my own then…
Did you droped this project with no furhter notice ?
No, me don’t like