[Mork]

Hello,

MyEclipse 4..0.3.

How do you view code from a UML diagram?

I was suprised to see I couldn’t right-click a UML diagram entry and see a “View Code” option.

Also, when adding an operation, all that seems to happen is that a “newoperation()” stub gets added to the UML. How do I then double-click it to bring up a code window to actually add the code?

I’m probably just missing something here since not being able to view/edit the code from the UML really keeps this from being a two-way tool.

Perhaps, if these useful UML features are not in the product, they’ll be added in 4.1?

Thanks in advance for any input and help.

— M

[Kapil Kapre]

Mork,
Yes, there isnt any way currently to enter code. We agree that it is a valid request as well. The current level of support for entering the source code is buggy and was not included in the final release. There quite a bit of space left for improvement yet, so dont count it out from future releases.

[Mork]

Thanks for your reply.

Based on my initial review for my current project, the UML part of MyEclipse has a long way to go to be really useful. I actually didn’t find the MyEclipse UML tool useful for my project and need to use my standalong UML tool. I couldn’t view code from the UML, I couldn’t add a method and then edit the code in the UML tool, etc.

———————————————

I’m also hopeful that the MyEclipse 4.1 edition of JSF will have what the other JSF IDEs now seem to all have –when you drag a control to a form and double click on it, you get an open code window. This, IMHO, would be much more productive than the current iteration of the MyEclispe JSF tool.

Thanks for your note.

— M

[Scott Anderson]

I couldn’t view code from the UML, I couldn’t add a method and then edit the code in the UML tool

Mork,

Our UML tools do not (and likely will not) try to automatically sync code constantly. The UML tools we supply are intended to support agile modeling techniques for the use of UML, not be an “automatic documentation / sync” tool. The intent is just different. However, we do both reverse engineer Java into class diagrams and forward engineer class diagrams into Java. We simply make you specify when and if you want that done. More information on that, if you’re interested, is in the UML quickstart in the documentation section here:

[Mork]

Hi Scott,

Thanks for your reply.

Actually, since I use a standalone UML tool, I’m a lot more hopeful in huge JSF productivity enhancements — hopefully in 4.1.

Have a great weekend.

— M

[support-michael]

I’m also hopeful that the MyEclipse 4.1 edition of JSF will have what the other JSF IDEs now seem to all have –when you drag a control to a form and double click on it, you get an open code window. This, IMHO, would be much more productive than the current iteration of the MyEclispe JSF tool.

What code are you expecting to be viewable when you dbl-click a control when in design mode, the generated source (jsp) or the JSF tag source?

[Mork]

Before I reply, let me remind you I’m a huge MyEclipse fan. I think it’s the best IDE I’ve used for Java/JSP development in a long time.

OK, now for JSF in MyEclipse…. not so great.

Have you played with Sun’s JSF Creator?

It has the following features that should be in MyEclipse (in 4.1 hopefully)…

1. Abiltiy to add calendar and tree controls (and others) from the native JSF tool bars. MyEclipse only has a small subset of controls I want to include in applications! This is a real problem.

(MyEclipse should *at least* have these other controls or *at least* give me the ability to add third party controls I buy or write on to the MyEclipse JSF toolbar).

2. Ability to lay out a JSF form by putting controls anywhere on it I like. Currently, MyEclipse (in 4.0.3, anyway) is very clunky and IMHO non-productive. I can’t just put a control anywhere on the form I like. MyEclipse’s JSF designer is more like working with Dreamweaver than with a true free-form IDE.

3. Ability to double click a control and add code. What happens when you double click a control would depend on the type of control.

Please take a look at Sun’s $99 offering to see what MyEcllipse might include soon.

———————————–

I prefer MyEclipse’s other tools and ways of doing things, but JSF in MyEclispe is a long way from these other tools *current* offerings.

I’m not planning to buy Sun’s tool; I prefer MyEclipse. That’s why I’m writing you about things I hope are in JSF soon. <s>

The Web support alone with MyEclipse keeps me loyal. <s>

I hope this helps.

Thanks.

— M

[support-michael]

Mork,

Thanks for taking the time to provide this feedback. Yes we are familiar with Sun and most other vendors IDE products but I hate to assume things and then communicate the wrong conclusion when sharing user feedback with the other developers.

We are currently working on a mechanism for adding 3rd party JSF controls to the designer palette. The ETA on that is post the upcoming ME 4.1 release.

As for direct placement in design mode, do you prefer an absolute layout of controls. We took an approach of trying to much more closely approximate the runtime layout while in design mode.

Again, thanks for the constructive feedback so far.

[Mork]

You asked “As for direct placement in design mode, do you prefer an absolute layout of controls. We took an approach of trying to much more closely approximate the runtime layout while in design mode.”

==================

That brings up another point — the design mode and code modes of the JSF designer sometimes get out of sync (4.0.2, at least) — you have to click the “refresh” button before you can edit the code. This refresh should be automatic. In my view, there shouldn’t even “be” a refresh button. Refresh is just automatic (maybe user selectable if there’s a coimpelling reason why I’d want to actually have to hit a refresh button) and done by MyEclipse behind the scenes.

Regarding your question at the top here, when I build forms, I like to do the layout — where things appear – while I’m desiging. This has always been a pain with Web tools — requiring tables and such but now appears to be becoming more like the rich client development tools.

What I’d like to be able to do is to just drag a bunch of controls on the form — where I want them– then edit the code I need to and go.

I know this is more difficult with the Web, but I’m really just tryign go get as much of the GUI done graphically so I can concentrate on the business logic and not building this layout table and that layout table, …

Perhaps you could have an option to let the developer swtich between the two modes?

Hope this helps.

Thanks.

— M

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