Designer Scripts Wish List

[rgately]

1) I'd like to be able to put 2 different scripts in "All Variants Script" and be able to switch between them depending upon the orientation. I figured out that all I needed to write is one set of variants (landscape and portrait). I can copy the code to other variant pairs that I add later. The code works the same in each variant. The only downside is the duplicity of code - thus making it more difficult to maintain. It would be great if I could write the code once and put it in one place.

2) I like the new Designer Scripts properties. I wish they were available in the Main tab Properties list so that they could be used together with the Abstract Designer without locking it out.

Also would like to see the Designer Script properties made available in the code modules and SetLayout() made available in Designer Scripts.

3) Please improve the Designer Scripts editing environment. Make it less different than the main code editor which includes: block comment, a horizontal scrollbar, etc.

4) I wish there was a way, while in Designer Scripts, to get the Abstract Designer's view size/position values. You can see the results of the Designer Scripts when you click "Run Scripts". I'd also like to see the reverse be true. If you make adjustments in Abstract Designer then there could be a way to reflect those changes back into Designer Scripts.

In my situation, I had already designed the variants using Abstract Designer and when I used Designer Scripts, I had to do the layout over again by repeated trial & error coding until I got the same look. I'm thankful for Designer Scripts but it was a slow and tedious process compared to the Abstract Designer.

5) Please show all views in the Abstract Designer when in Designer Scripts. Not just the ones that have their visible properties set true. In other words show everything that Abstract Designer shows when the Main tab is selected.

I am always appreciative of your hard work and wonderful development tool.

Please point me in the right direction if I'm wrong about anything.

 

[Mahares]

All your suggestions are great. As you well know, Erel just introduced the Designer script recently in the 1.90 version. I am sure he is thinking of improvements to it too. Frankly, I have not used it much because I have not grasped its full concept yet. In addition, I would like to see both designers (script and abstract) combined into one and interlocked instead of locked from each other.

 

[Erel]

I would like to see both designers (script and abstract) combined into one and interlocked instead of locked from each other.

I'm not sure that I understand what you mean. Abstract designer and designer script are two different components with different purposes. The abstract designer is actually much closer to the WYSIWYG component (which runs on the emulator or a real device).

 

[gavind]

+1 on this.

"5) Please show all views in the Abstract Designer when in Designer Scripts. "

I would really love to see that happen. Makes us efficient since it's all in one page.

 

[rgately]

Abstract designer and designer script are two different components with different purposes.

From my naive perspective, they both serve the same purpose which is to lay out the views.

Is it possible to achieve the same results as Designer Scripts by using just Abstract Designer? Would it be feasible/possible to have Designer Script properties in Abstract Designer?

I'd like to do all of the visual layout from Abstract Designer.

Forgive my ignorance if I'm missing something. Just ideas. Appreciate that you listen.

 

[Erel]

Is it possible to achieve the same results as Designer Scripts by using just Abstract Designer?

The power of designer scripts is that it allows you to write complicated scripts and that "fine tune" the UI based on the actual device values. This cannot be achieved with simple properties.

See the tutorial link in my signature for an example.