RAD TOOL developers wanted

[rickg22]

OK guys. This is serious. I realized that there is NO wxWidgets designer tool in C++. At least not open source. You can read my blog to see how i realized this. (I wish to be wrong, somebody correct me please)

Since I want Code::Blocks to have one by version 2.0, we need to start working on this part of the project. Since yesterday.

So, here's my idea, more or less:

A RAD plugin for code::blocks. The RAD plugin will need to have the following:

* Design window, where you paint your frame (a.k.a. VB "form")
* Widgets Palette
* Object tree (it would go in a separate tab along with the project tree in codeblocks)
* properties window (it would also go in a separate tab)
* And finally, the interaction with the source code.

The central object will be an XML tree used to represent the frame.

Each of these elements will need to have its own C++ class, and they need to interface with each other. How? With the RADPlugin class, who will be the "manager".

Still, the design area is what's troubling me. How to implement it? Has anyone worked with wxdev-cpp to enlighten us about it?

Remember, fellow adventurers! We're pioneers in this unknown area of programming. YOU will be the ones who bring cross-platform RAD development to the world! Those who succeed in this mission will become heroes, and their names shall be remembered by the future generations.

Would you like to become a Codeblocks Hero? Please sign up, and volunteer!

[hd]

Hi,

(Possibly you already know it, but..)

There is an ongoing discussion about this very subject in wx mail list.
Subject: A new dialog editor for wxWidgets


Maybe you can contact with them ?


--
Regards,
Hakki Dogusan

[rob]

take a lok at wxFormBuilder, its in c++, when I first saw it, i immediately thought that it would be the perfect base for a RAD plugin to codeblocks

[cyberkoa]

I would like to join.  :oops:

However, I must mention earlier that I am really really new to wxwidgets . My C/C++ development is only up to DOS-GUI level, no experience in  MFC , OWL all kind of framework before. Furthermore, I have not use C/C++ for 5 years.

I am still in the process of learning wxwidget. Hope that you don't mind to have a inexperieced C++ programmer to volunteer to join.

[spawn]

Hi,

i´ve read about your dessicion to create an frame(forms)-designer for code::blocks.

I´m coding since a few years in ASM and some C/C++, i have collected some experiences with wxWidgets during some boring sparetime...and some fights
with MFC ! :twisted:

now i´m searching some real interresting "todo´s", i mean projects, where i can spend some time on ( I HAVE TO MUCH ! ) And to get some more experiences in c/c++.

I would like to help you, so if you have some little ore little bigger "todo´s" for a bored coder, tell me!  p.s: wxDev-Cpp have some some little bugs, look at sharpDevelop, they have a good design decision for the problem of   Forms - Designer and XML. The Patterns can be used in c++ also...

Hope to hear form you soon...

[rickg22]

However, I must mention earlier that I am really really new to wxwidgets . My C/C++ development is only up to DOS-GUI level, no experience in  MFC , OWL all kind of framework before. Furthermore, I have not use C/C++ for 5 years.

Hey that's no problem at all! I hadn't TOUCHED C++ before starting to work on code::blocks. Oh wait. No GUI C++ that is. My first experience with code::blocks began by tracking down segfault bugs (and i really messed up on my first "fix" )

Then it got all the way up. See, you can start by READING the code. You learn a lot that way.

And a wxWidgets tutorial wouldn't hurt, either. See, all the GUI is done with wxwidgets. So all you need is a handy class reference (i don't have one, so I search the web when I want some info), and of course, the wxWidgets source code.

The way i see it is not "GUI stuff", but "class stuff". That's all you need to know! It's C++ classes, so you read how the classes work, and ta-da.

Now, about JOINING the team:

Currently i'm the "teenage helper holy crap batman!" sidekick. It'd be unwise to let "newcomers" in just because we felt like it.

However, you CAN:
* download and install tortoiseCVS in your machine (or any cvs if you use linux)
* use CVS to get the codeblocks source code (using anonymous -readonly- account) and study it.
* make any changes you wish to YOUR copy. If you mess up, you perform a "clean update" CVS operation on your copy so it's left untouched. (Ah, the advantages of CVS
* post suggested fixes and questions in this forum. That's what it is for, after all!

Your first assignment would be to download CVS, download the wxWidgets 2.4.2 source code, and compile it according to the "compiling codeblocks" posts in the forums. You should download and install beta 6 mingw bundle, to make sure we're having the same setup.

So if you do this, you'll have taken the first step in the stairway of the Code::Blocks development team. You wouldn't be "officially" in the team, but more like "fandevs" (invented term of mine), and you would help us a lot! After all, I was a fandev before becoming a team member.

I would like to help you, so if you have some little ore little bigger "todo´s" for a bored coder, tell me!  p.s: wxDev-Cpp have some some little bugs, look at sharpDevelop, they have a good design decision for the problem of   Forms - Designer and XML. The Patterns can be used in c++ also...

Hope to hear form you soon...

Yes, I know about wxDev-Cpp's bugs. After all, it's not dealing with xml, but with c++ source code. And that's ALWAYS asking for trouble.

I plan to use XRC for the forms. I hope we'll be working on an XML tree structure, with the visual stuff being only an INTERFACE to access it. The selection would be a list of xml nodes, and so on. But then again, it's only in my head

So, what's sharpDevelop? Mind enlightening me?

[rickg22]

take a lok at wxFormBuilder, its in c++, when I first saw it, i immediately thought that it would be the perfect base for a RAD plugin to codeblocks

wxformbuilder homepage

Yes, it definitely looks very interesting. I tested it. Unfortunately, I couldn't add any controls yet.

Yes, you're right, it looks perfect. The ideal thing would be to make a "form builder" plugin for code::blocks. The first to do would be to have the "properties" window, and the "object tree" window in the left pane of code::blocks. The editor window would be the panel or frame in question.

Anyone interested in making the port?

[cyberkoa]

Now, about JOINING the team:

Currently i'm the "teenage helper holy crap batman!" sidekick. It'd be unwise to let "newcomers" in just because we felt like it.

However, you CAN:
* download and install tortoiseCVS in your machine (or any cvs if you use linux)
* use CVS to get the codeblocks source code (using anonymous -readonly- account) and study it.
* make any changes you wish to YOUR copy. If you mess up, you perform a "clean update" CVS operation on your copy so it's left untouched. (Ah, the advantages of CVS
* post suggested fixes and questions in this forum. That's what it is for, after all!

Your first assignment would be to download CVS, download the wxWidgets 2.4.2 source code, and compile it according to the "compiling codeblocks" posts in the forums. You should download and install beta 6 mingw bundle, to make sure we're having the same setup.

So if you do this, you'll have taken the first step in the stairway of the Code::Blocks development team. You wouldn't be "officially" in the team, but more like "fandevs" (invented term of mine), and you would help us a lot! After all, I was a fandev before becoming a team member.

Hi ,  downloading CVS using Tortoise CVS , wxWidgets package I already compile , now is only the beta 6 mingw bundle matter.

I already have mingw & msys installed , I do not download the beta 6 with mingw bundle.

I plan to download and install beta-6 mingw bundle , I just wonder do need to uninstall the mingw that already installed in my PC first ?

Where the mingw bundle will be installed to ?

And where the "compiling codeblocks" posts is ? I could not find the post under the development section ..

To start the "fandev" (<- I like this term   ) life,  I plan to start using code block to write a wxwidget program , and at the same time if I found any bug of code block , I shall try to fix it .

[rickg22]

That's cool! About the bundle, I don't use it. I prefer to have codeblocks use my already existing mingw directories.

If you REALLY want to install the bundle, you have to uninstall the other version, and then install the bundle... i think... actually I only tried to download and run once, and I gave up ^^;.

Anyway, good luck, and welcome to the Codeblocks fandev club!

[cyberkoa]

That's cool! About the bundle, I don't use it. I prefer to have codeblocks use my already existing mingw directories.

If you REALLY want to install the bundle, you have to uninstall the other version, and then install the bundle... i think... actually I only tried to download and run once, and I gave up ^^;.

Anyway, good luck, and welcome to the Codeblocks fandev club!

oic , I thought all the developer use the bundle , that why I want to configure in that way .  If in this case , I also stay with currently configuration .

And , I try to find the resource on developing Code::Block using Code::Block in the forum and Wiki but could not get . May you tell me where can I find those information because I want to try to add some simple code in the code::block and build it.   :oops:
Thanks.  

[apexhk]

First of all, I am sorry that I just could do nothing to help out for the GUI builder because I am not a developer at this moment.  But I know the difficulties in realizing a GUI designer is so huge that without a large team of volunteers it may be a long way to go!  So we have to make C::B known to as much people as possible.  In that way, all the guru out there may know the good gene of it and get interested in joining to help.  May I therefore suggest that download links be placed in popular sites such as the "download.com" to promote C::B to the fullest extend.  Finally, I know there is a GUI designer known as "wxGlade" (written in python) which is also an open source project on SourceForge.net .  It is a "WYSWYG" visual designer which can generate both C++ code or XRC file format.  Although it is still a beta release, it may be worthwhile for a reference purpose.

[rickg22]

Yes, well... let's wait till beta7 is released. Then we can start promoting codeblocks.

[Anonymous]

Well, this is for those of you looking for a rad tool: wxGlade and XRCed. Both are in Python, but that shouldn't stop you from using them. At least wxGlade can even generate C++ code.

[David Perfors]

let's wait till beta7 is released.

I is already released, you probably ment beta8 oops, no, it is an old post  :lol:

[rickg22]

I got a mail from Yiannis. This weekend we have b8, yay!