B4J Library [B4X] BalConverter - Convert the layouts files to JSON (and vice versa)

Erel · Jun 1, 2014

BalConverter is a B4J app (desktop app) that converts between the designer layout files and JSON format.

This allows you to edit the layout with a text editor. Note that the format is not so simple as the layout files were not designed to be edited this way.

The converter app is simple. You choose a folder and it will convert all layout files from one format to another. The original files are not deleted.
It filters the files based on the extension (bal or bal.json).

The JSON format is made of three main elements:

The Data element is a tree of views. All the views properties are stored here.

The first view is the Activity view. The other views are stored under the :kids node (recursively). Note that the fields order is not important and is not consistent.

The Variants element is a list of the variants. You will probably won't need to edit this section.

The LayoutHeader element holds other information about the layout file. Note that all the views names are stored in this section under ControlsHeaders. This means that if you change the name of a view then you need to change it here and in the Data element.

The b4j project is attached.

It is recommended to backup your layout files before working with this tool.

Updates

v2.30 - Designer script is now decoded and encoded. This means that it can be modified in the json file.
- Layout recreated with the internal designer.
- FontAwesome / Material Icons usage is preserved.

ilan · Sep 8, 2020

Erel said:
Sounds like a bad idea. You should learn how to use anchors and designer script...

i do know how to use anchors. for me anchors is not the way i want to work with. i like more my approach and the results are much better. i agree that if i do an app for ipad and iphone then i will get bad results but this i solve with variants or 2 different layouts 1 for ipads and 1 for iphones.

LucaMs · Sep 8, 2020

ilan said:
for me anchors is not the way i want to work with

Anchors PLUS script!

hwatech · May 19, 2021

I created a number of JSON files in the Forms Builder and now I would like to convert those to layouts for another project but I'm having trouble using this utility. All my libs are up to date and I'm running B4J 8.90. Initially when I ran the app I got the following error

Waiting for debugger to connect...
Program started.
ConvertJsonToBal: expenses.bal.json
Error occurred on line: 199 (BalConverter)
java.lang.RuntimeException: Object should first be initialized (Map).
at anywheresoftware.b4a.AbsObjectWrapper.getObject(AbsObjectWrapper.java:32)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.objects.collections.Map.Get(Map.java:67)
at b4j.example.balconverter._writelayoutheader(balconverter.java:659)
at b4j.example.balconverter._convertjsontobalinmemory(balconverter.java:604)
at b4j.example.balconverter._convertjsontobal(balconverter.java:151)
at b4j.example.main._btnconvert_action(main.java:227)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:566)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.shell.Shell.runMethod(Shell.java:632)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.shell.Shell.raiseEventImpl(Shell.java:234)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.shell.Shell.raiseEvent(Shell.java:167)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:566)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.BA.raiseEvent2(BA.java:91)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.shell.ShellBA.raiseEvent2(ShellBA.java:98)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.BA$1.run(BA.java:216)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runLater$10(PlatformImpl.java:428)
at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runLater$11(PlatformImpl.java:427)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.glass.ui.InvokeLaterDispatcher$Future.run(InvokeLaterDispatcher.java:96)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication._runLoop(Native Method)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication.lambda$runLoop$3(WinApplication.java:174)
at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:834)

It didn't seem as though I should have needed to but after I made a change to initialize the Map, I got a bit further but then this error occurs

Waiting for debugger to connect...
Program started.
ConvertJsonToBal: expenses.bal.json
Error occurred on line: 201 (BalConverter)
java.lang.RuntimeException: Object should first be initialized (Map).
at anywheresoftware.b4a.AbsObjectWrapper.getObject(AbsObjectWrapper.java:32)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.objects.collections.Map.Get(Map.java:67)
at b4j.example.balconverter._writelayoutheader(balconverter.java:664)
at b4j.example.balconverter._convertjsontobalinmemory(balconverter.java:609)
at b4j.example.balconverter._convertjsontobal(balconverter.java:156)
at b4j.example.main._btnconvert_action(main.java:227)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:566)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.shell.Shell.runMethod(Shell.java:632)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.shell.Shell.raiseEventImpl(Shell.java:234)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.shell.Shell.raiseEvent(Shell.java:167)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:566)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.BA.raiseEvent2(BA.java:91)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.shell.ShellBA.raiseEvent2(ShellBA.java:98)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.BA$1.run(BA.java:216)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runLater$10(PlatformImpl.java:428)
at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runLater$11(PlatformImpl.java:427)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.glass.ui.InvokeLaterDispatcher$Future.run(InvokeLaterDispatcher.java:96)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication._runLoop(Native Method)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication.lambda$runLoop$3(WinApplication.java:174)
at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:834)

I'm not exactly sure what to do at this point...

hwatech · May 19, 2021

Just realized that the 2 errors I included in my previous post are the same error. I guess the code I put in to initialize the Map didn't do anything except make the error appear 2 lines later

hwatech · May 30, 2021

Any help here? Does this tool even work anymore?

Erel · May 31, 2021

You are confusing different things.

Forms Builder -> creates templates for B4XPreferencesDialog. It has nothing to do with layout files.

hwatech · May 31, 2021

OK, sorry for the trouble , but the first line of this this thread is

Erel said:
BalConverter is a B4J app (desktop app) that converts between the designer layout files and JSON format.

And the first line of the thread in which you announced this utility

Layout file (.bal) binary format.

Can we modify a batch of layout files in any way? I'm sure this was asked before and the answer was that the layout files use a binary format and can only be opened using the Designer. I have the task to modify a batch of around 50 layout files, many of the layout files contain complex layouts...

www.b4x.com

is

Can we modify a batch of layout files in any way?

and since the FormBuilder saves as JSON file and is Loaded in the code...

You might see where a bad assumption could be made

so, where do I find the specification of the binary format of the layout files? I'd like to write a utility that converts some VS Designer files if possible

I may still be interested in this utility because I have 100s of programs that I have written in visual studio, some with fairly large form designs. I would just like to save some time if I convert them to to B4X. I already have the designer files in JSON but this utility doesn't like them either, it might help if I could go directly to the binary format

I'm an old C guy so binary formats don't bother me.

Larry

Erel · Jun 1, 2021

This tool converts designer layout files to json and vice versa.

hwatech said:
so, where do I find the specification of the binary format of the layout files?

See the source code of this tool.

iHunner · Sep 18, 2023

Is the Exe still in the attached files? I downloaded the zip but don't see it. Apologies if this is a dumb question, I'm rather new here

Erel · Sep 18, 2023

There is no executable file. It is a B4J project.

iHunner · Sep 18, 2023

Erel said:
There is no executable file. It is a B4J project.

Ahh, I see. Apologies, I just stumbled across this attempting to convert my own layout files to json

B4J Library [B4X] BalConverter - Convert the layouts files to JSON (and vice versa)

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