Wish Visual Designer, new feature, Import bal file

[Jmu5667]

Hello

I think it would be a cool feature to import bal files from within the Visual Designer, or at least attempt to import most of the controls. If it can't convert a control, just create a label with the same name. A small import report could be displayed in a window showing what it did. You could copy the report if you so wish.

Thanks in advance

John.

 

[Magma]

Hello

I think it would be a cool feature to import bal files from within the Visual Designer, or at least attempt to import most of the controls. If it can't convert a control, just create a label with the same name. A small import report could be displayed in a window showing what it did. You could copy the report if you so wish.

Thanks in advance

John.

In General... would nice if any designer of B4X can open/import any layout of 3 platforms... without need to copy-past... general be compatible someway...

 

[Jmu5667]

In General... would nice if any designer of B4X can open/import any layout of 3 platforms... without need to copy-past... general be compatible someway...

Yep, something simple, no copy paste or external tools.

 

[AnandGupta]

Since when we copy + paste from one layout to another (may it be between two B4A or B4A and B4J), the designer knows how to paste the copied view.
So import can also employ the same and do the trick.

Lets hope Erel gets some time, as he did for Snippets

 

[Jmu5667]

Since when we copy + paste from one layout to another (may it be between two B4A or B4A and B4J), the designer knows how to paste the copied view.
So import can also employ the same and do the trick.

Lets hope Erel gets some time, as he did for Snippets

Yes, lets hope

 

[Alexander Stolte]

Or a single designer where you can switch. Then I don't have to have 3 designers open and 3 projects.

B4XDesigner - just a few thoughts

I just want to share my thoughts, whether it makes sense to implement so, I do not know. Maybe this is a way to find a compromise or inspiration. I have an idea how to simplify this. Since in my case I always have to have 2 designers open and therefore 2 projects (B4A and B4I), it would be...

www.b4x.com

 

[Sandman]

As long as we're tagging on more wishes for the visual designer in this thread, I'd like to bring along an old wish: Switch so the visual designer uses a text-based file format, to make it work better with source tools like Git, Mercurial, etc. (I do remember that Erel has some good reason for why it's better to keep it binary, but that doesn't help when I review source and just see a binary blob.)

 

[Magma]

As long as we're tagging on more wishes for the visual designer in this thread, I'd like to bring along an old wish: Switch so the visual designer uses a text-based file format, to make it work better with source tools like Git, Mercurial, etc. (I do remember that Erel has some good reason for why it's better to keep it binary, but that doesn't help when I review source and just see a binary blob.)

you mean something like xml /json for design ?

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

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...

www.b4x.com

 

[Sandman]

Yes, as the built-in, default format.

 

[epiCode]

As long as we're tagging on more wishes for the visual designer in this thread, I'd like to bring along an old wish: Switch so the visual designer uses a text-based file format, to make it work better with source tools like Git, Mercurial, etc. (I do remember that Erel has some good reason for why it's better to keep it binary, but that doesn't help when I review source and just see a binary blob.)

That will be super helpful esp. in scenarios where you have to change a control type to another or do a regex find and replace to change some values in bulk.

 

[AnandGupta]

That will be super helpful esp. in scenarios where you have to change a control type to another or do a regex find and replace to change some values in bulk.

Only this feature stops it from using for Git or Backup or sharing codes between developers.
Hope Erel keeps the designer file in json format and temporarily converts to binary when editing the design.