Share My Creation B4XDesigner Pre-Preview

Well,

already said about our B.O.S.S. team here... and this a pre-preview of B4XDesigner...

That's what i was talking... please see the video... no speaker, no music... silent... (not having time to create other for now, but i hope will have.. if "you" come at our Team)


When we finish it... not know when... this tool will be Free for all B4X Community (Caution: this is Not Open Source Code, but the projects we are going to create next of it with the help of it)...

* If you come at our Team - (first you must write some code to be accepted) - we will share the full code of it. But you must have ideas and you must turn your ideas to code :)
* Sorry for bad quality of video - need new pc :)

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B4XDesigner - What is this ?
It is a layout designer (but with some auto-generating code) - also we are not want that to be only for B4X but also for other jobs (like report generator, web interface, or anything need design) - It is not official yet (hope Erel manage-us / help-us and may be want to make it official) and may be not come official ever :)

Why not use Internal Designer and why use our "ugly" tool (B4XDesigner) ?
Well... as i said before will not only for B4X but also report generator and designer... but also many member know that i am too lazy and i want to create apps on the fly (remember easycode - if not, just search the forum). Generating automatic code (no AI) for specific works like business forms using databases and etc.

So some reasons for using it:
* Easy to create fast apps (business apps with tables, fields, etc)
* Live Preview of controls.. (trying to do for all)
* Other way of designing

Ofcourse there is no scope to replace internal designer - because in future versions may be have more controls - so generating compatible "bjl" (hope bal and bil in future) - to loadlayout and re-design them at internal designer.

In the point we are - what is possible to do with it...
Okay... that is something - may be - not understandable in version uploaded.. Because saving/loading not dialog... but working - saving into bin folder some files...
- Design Controls with live preview for b4j
- Has some extra properties at those controls using pure code of b4j (for example maxlength, only numbers, assign with table - field)
- Not showing all properties of controls and targetting at business app creation (i think that this is a feature.. to have less properties or properties you only want - may be have it customizable on next versions)
- Load / Save one project form only ...
- Open Folder is for selecting working folder for project (and specif. for db)
- DB selecting (works only for showing table and fields of it at some controls)
- Generating Code... creates bjl for start... and works only for some controls yet... you can try it... to see what works.. not creating .bas code yet..
- Play Previews the Form as real app / stop stop it...
- Calculations... you can have many lines with the sequence you wanna make the app automatically for example: sum;[ a ]+[ b ] (no spaces) ... sum,a,b will be a textfield... When going into "a" field and type number and enter... will make the calc into "sum" textfield...

What not works and need help or time...
- Custom controls like my "date control having textfield beside with swift button" - may be works at "play" but can't make it bjl yet... that because i "reverse engineering" bjl layout and need some help with all that...
- Generating code is easy.. but need time now working
- Assigning Table..fields and saving/loading from database is easy - also need time...
- Some bugs need fix too..
- Also need to generate bal bil with the same trick generating bjl
- the same time need to generate code for b4a, b4i
- jrdc2 support will be nice to add it too...
- History undo redo steps...
- changes at UI
- make it more user friendly

- more than one form editing at the same ui (if it's possible)

We need you ! (Ofcourse we need Erel too... may be if he tell us to use some hidden secrets... or if he want to edit-delete our ugly code... because one line of his code, is one our paragraph)
Also, if you get the code you may be lost with the logic - not a "Super-Expert" code, also not commenting a lot... may be big parts of code need to replace, we are open in new ideas... I know it is difficult to organized something with the vision of other - but i think that our community "have the nuts" (sorry for nuts).

Download Pre-Preview from Google Drive
 
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Magma

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Just uploaded the executable...

You can "open" folder for work (where is an sqlite database - if you want) - to see Tables, Fields - at controls you can assign with database records...

Play with the app... tell your thoughts...

Are we just loosing our time ? - or we must create a tool like this...

For now... (not added dialogs needed):
When you click Save - the file "test.b4xd" saving into the bin folder of build (b4xdesigner)
When you click Load finding the test.b4xd...
Generating code not working good yet... not all controls assigned with code... is a pre-preview for now...
For example text, and textfield working... so the bjl will work too...

...creating some bjl file to see how compatible is with internal designer...

Custom controls of date, time not designed well at internal for the moment...

Tomorrow i will post the problems we have and we need solution.
 
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kimstudio

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Is there a system requirement specificatoin document addressing key advanced features or selling points? I am not sure I understand the advantages comparing to the original designer yet.

I think for these kind of apps one important control is a propertysheet, to list/edit properties of a view. Sadly the JavaFx one is bulky. In my view it's better to be pinned other than floating.

It seems there are some bugs for dragging the from to change form size and the floating propertysheet is not always shown.

Looking forward to next version!
 

aeric

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I think it is like creating forms in MS Excel where you can bind dropdown list or combobox with data from a database or do calculation with less coding. It is compatible with B4X and support cross platform.
 

Magma

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It seems there are some bugs for dragging the from to change form size and the floating propertysheet is not always shown.
no... is more my mouse problems, when clicking to controls always showing propertysheet :)

Dragging the Form... maybe loosing some points... need to count the distance from left and top to mouse x,y
 

Magma

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Is there a system requirement specificatoin document addressing key advanced features or selling points? I am not sure I understand the advantages comparing to the original designer yet.

I think for these kind of apps one important control is a propertysheet, to list/edit properties of a view. Sadly the JavaFx one is bulky. In my view it's better to be pinned other than floating.
No specs... nothing... why nothing...?

Because, imagine it as "universal designer" this is "our" scope (not only for b4x but for creating reports and may be web interface - i want this too)... What we want is to do a designer that you will use any control you want (first need to set many settings, assign json of bjl/bal if its is for b4x, assign the properties you wanna show, may be it a layout that will give a control - for example check date-control, there is a textfield and swift button) and design everything you want... It is something more than internal designer... prefer call it external designer :)
Also there will be assigned code too, so for example if have forms - with fields and buttons - the database/record will be automatically retrieved and saved (remember vb6 pro)...
And check also calculations...
TextFields has maxlength !
For me, for example there is no meaning having colors at properties and styles, so i have not having them at propertysheet... if need them i will put them... so may be some things be easier...
 

kimstudio

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I kind of get some points, wait for next update 👍

Dragging to change size: drag the left top resize point of the form and the form size is not updated correctly.
Propertysheet show: add some controls then click the form, then click the control again the propertysheet is not shown
Actually these are minor issues, they are not important as it is a preview version.
 

Magma

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I kind of get some points, wait for next update 👍
First target after creating the b4xdesigner is to create an open source business software .. invoice erp software....

Why targeting on business... ? Because this will help B4X in my opinion... and secondly the developers believe in b4x.. Companies also preferring an app like open source invoice will feel safety that there are thousands of programmers.. it is a vision..hope not stay vision.

As for bugs and ideas and fixes hope have you in Team.. we have no boss here...
 

LucaMs

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It is not clear to me why this Designer should be created.

I suppose the main reason is to be able to generate layouts for all platforms (B4X) but...

1 - I'm thinking that maybe the original Designer could do this with a "Save for" or, even simpler, have a platform selector on it.
2 - will this Designer be able to manage custom views?

Is this a bug or a deliberate thing, being able to duplicate the view directly with the mouse?
Once duplicated, I can delete it by pressing the "Del" key but then the focus goes to the first view and if I press that key it is not deleted (as if it had no focus).

B4XDesigner_zsCxDVjLxi.gif
 

Magma

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It is not clear to me why this Designer should be created.

I suppose the main reason is to be able to generate layouts for all platforms (B4X) but...

1 - I'm thinking that maybe the original Designer could do this with a "Save for" or, even simpler, have a platform selector on it.
2 - will this Designer be able to manage custom views?

Is this a bug or a deliberate thing, being able to duplicate the view directly with the mouse?
Once duplicated, I can delete it by pressing the "Del" key but then the focus goes to the first view and if I press that key it is not deleted (as if it had no focus).
May not said all the "specs" and how works due "a lot of work" (but not at this project for now)...
This designer will be not only for b4x (report generator, web interface designer, everything needed)...

1. yes... will be great - also if Erel has the time to add SQL Tables and Fields will help us creating faster business apps.. I hope Erel see the discussion and may be can include what we need... I am sure that he can do everything or at least help us somehow to make this tool better for all... (i am not having bad scope... i love b4x)
2. depends... the date control is a custom control... have some problems at generating it's bjl... but is not difficult if have some help from all..

Not duplicating... every time clicking in point not having any control draws a new control...

Duplicating is selecting the control and CTRL-D (try it... i love this)
also CTRL-C, CTRL-V works...
and DELETE when selecting the control and you are not in a field of propertysheet...
 

LucaMs

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This designer will be not only for b4x (report generator, web interface designer, everything needed)...
For all that stuff... that Designer will be ready (bug-free) in 2081 and I won't be here anymore by 2023 😄

A friend of ours had started developing a desktop software, using b4j, creating objects for managing DBs, VB6 style I think (even if .Net is better).
A dedicated sw would be better, I think.

However, congratulations for the work already done, it is not easy at all.
 

Magma

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For all that stuff... that Designer will be ready (bug-free) in 2081 and I won't be here anymore by 2023 😄

A friend of ours had started developing a desktop software, using b4j, creating objects for managing DBs, VB6 style I think (even if .Net is better).
A dedicated sw would be better, I think.

However, congratulations for the work already done, it is not easy at all.
i was hoping will be ready at 2079... but what the hell... my little kid may be make it :)

...That;s why we need help... to reduce years... and make it in months :)
 

Magma

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It's not good publicity for B4X to have created the Designer with Net instead of B4J :oops:
it is b4j... not .Net :)

Well i know it is "EXTREMELY" difficult but in the end even if we don't have success... we will have tried... we will gain more knowledge...

after all knowledge will make us better... or not ?
 
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