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#102038 - 2003-06-11 06:10 AM KiXforms Designer BETA 1 Goes Live!
Stevie Offline
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Registered: 2002-01-09
Posts: 199
DOWNLOAD HERE!

As previously announced, this is the official launch of KiXforms Designer BETA 1.

For those who don't know, this Designer is based 100% around Shawn Tassie's superb KiXforms product. The purpose of this Designer is to make it easier to create the initial look and feel of your forms so that you can spend most of your time programming the actual forms' behavior.

REQUIREMENTS:
--KiXforms Designer requires version 1.0 or 1.1 of the .NET Framework. This may be downloaded from Windows Update.

Upcoming features/fixes:

--When opening and closing the properties window, there is often a 1-2 second delay. This is due to horrible XML parsing routines. This will definitely be fixed in BETA2.

--In BETA 2 the properties window will be permanently docked to the right side of the screen (where the banner is now) instead of having to open it up for each object.

--The properties window will support dropdowns.

--Even though the default font size is 8.25 (in XP), BETA1 does not support float values so if you change the font size it will have to be an integer.

If the datatype is set to Boolean then double-clicking the entry will change the value.

If the datatype is set to color then double-clicking the entry will open the select color dialog. If you want to change the color manually, double click on the actual color and select cancel when you get the color dialog. (I’ll change that interface in BETA2 also)

You may want to spend some time tailoring the xml file for the most commonly used properties. I just took a stab in the dark on that one. As new properties get added we’re sure to find ones that don’t work correctly—we can fix them as we go.

XML file data points:

--Do NOT change (or add) the control type value for any controls

--If you add a property that exists in KF but not in .NET:
The property will be written in the script but you will not see any realtime changes in the Designer

--If you add a property that expects an enumeration return type:
You must add a "mapname" attribute that contains the .NET name of the enumeration

--If you add a property and assign the wrong data type:
You will not be able to successfully change the value from the default value in the Designer

Bugs and feature requests should be reported here
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#102039 - 2003-06-11 10:08 AM Re: KiXforms Designer BETA 1 Goes Live!
NTDOC Administrator Offline
Administrator
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Registered: 2000-07-28
Posts: 11631
Loc: CA
Stevie,

Very cool program. [Cool] [Big Grin]

This should make it much easier now for all of us to create KFs the way we want them to look.
Very easy program to use and understand.

I do have a few requests for the upcoming beta 2.

1. The button and most objects take on the form background color. Please allow
a method to change the back color of the objects to a normal GRAY, or better, a
user selectable back color.

2. Add a File Menu with Save and Save-As so that you can save changes to your
current form instead of overwriting the whole thing each time you modify it.

3. At the bottom maybe add a STATUS BAR to allow the user to view maybe selectable
items such as the current objects size and location on the form or the forms size and
location and/or other items of value.

4. Allow the options menu to store items such as the preferred editor to use when you
generate and open a script. Also allow the user to store the path and version of KiX
to use. i.e. KIX32.EXE or WKIX32.EXE and the path if KiX is not in the path.

5. Add browse dialog boxes for items which might ease the process like a Font dialog box
when modifying the Font. The user could browse to the font and add it instead of typing it
all in.

6. Enable items such as TABS control which is now available in the current KF beta

7. When items such as the CHECKBOX are too small from the begining you can't seem to
resize them. The cross-arrow pointer may be too large to access the object. I tried
turning off snap to grid, but was still not able to resize until I added more text which
then allowed me to resize with the mouse.

8. Add a history or option to re-open the last opened form, or start a new one by default
depending on what the user chooses.

9. Enable multiple forms to be created at the same time. I don't see how to add a new
form to the current project.

Thanks again for taking the time and initiative to create such a very useful program and make
it available for FREE

Cheers!!!

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#102040 - 2003-06-11 03:09 PM Re: KiXforms Designer BETA 1 Goes Live!
Kdyer Offline
KiX Supporter
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Registered: 2001-01-03
Posts: 6241
Loc: Tigard, OR
Doc,

While it is great that you put the suggestions/feature requests in response (hate to be a stickler [Wink] )..

He asked that you put them here -
Bugs and feature requests should be reported here

Thanks,

Kent
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#102041 - 2003-06-11 06:41 PM Re: KiXforms Designer BETA 1 Goes Live!
NTDOC Administrator Offline
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Registered: 2000-07-28
Posts: 11631
Loc: CA
LOL...

Your right Kent. I'll try and do that later on today.

Thanks for keeping my honest Kent. [Wink]

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#102042 - 2003-06-12 03:32 PM Re: KiXforms Designer BETA 1 Goes Live!
Stevie Offline
Starting to like KiXtart
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Registered: 2002-01-09
Posts: 199
Thanks for the comments, Doc!

1--Do you mean turning off the changing of other controls' background color when the main form color is changed? Or do you want an option to change all the background controls' color?

3--BETA 2 will see the properties window permanently docked to the edge of the MDI parent form. That way, when clicking on a control, you'll see all the properties right up front.

7--Because the form and control background are the same color it's tough to tell where the edges are. What I'm going to try for BETA 2 is another rip-off from VS--when you select a control there will be small rectangles marking the edges of the control, so you will easily know where the control edges are.

8--Parsing an existing script to retrieve all the control info and then recreate that in a form is quite a bit of work. As of now, it only goes the other way, from the form to the script. This is something I've been pondering for a while how to do. It will take some time.

Everything else will likely get incorporated as is. Thanks again for the comments.
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#102043 - 2003-06-14 02:21 AM Re: KiXforms Designer BETA 1 Goes Live!
Shawn Administrator Offline
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Registered: 1999-08-13
Posts: 8611
Steve,

I just performed a scan of all the properties in Kixforms that are not already 100% dotnet compatible. I also left out all the properties that do not have an equivilent in dotnet. The list below are the properties that would be immediately impacted if I realigned them to dotnet (and the designer) ... not quite as big as i thought. Most of them are relatively new.

What I would like to start is a dialog about whether we should make the switch now (during the beta of 2.3.0) or talk about other alternatives. Its always been my goal to make kixforms as dotnet compatible as possible, so this is just the next step. If anyone has any thoughts on this, would love to hear.

There would probably be some other behavioral changes as well, maybe some color differences or some border differences, think those changes can be done gradually over time. I just want to focus in on these in particular because of the CHM file ...

Anchor Property

Current:

0. None
1. Left
2. Top
4. Right
8. Bottom

Proposed:

0. None
1. Top
2. Bottom
4. Left
8. Right

Alignment Property (TabControl)

Current:

2. Top
8. Bottom

Proposed:

0. Top
1. Bottom
2. Left
3. Right

CheckAlign Property

Current:

4. MiddleLeft
6. MiddleRight

Proposed:

16. MiddleLeft
64. MiddleRight

FlatStyle Property

Current:

0. Normal
1. Flat
2. Popup

Proposed:

0. Flat
1. Popup
2. Normal

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#102044 - 2003-06-16 11:12 PM Re: KiXforms Designer BETA 1 Goes Live!
Stevie Offline
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Registered: 2002-01-09
Posts: 199
My vote is to move these to match dotnet as early as possible. The sooner it gets done, the less time it will take for people to modify their existing forms to compensate.

The longer we wait, the more KF scripts will be floating around out there and the more difficult it will be to make this transition.
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#102045 - 2003-07-02 09:15 PM Re: KiXforms Designer BETA 1 Goes Live!
Jose Offline
Seasoned Scripter
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Registered: 2001-04-04
Posts: 693
Loc: Buenos Aires - Argentina
Stevie:
I have installed Microsoft.Net FrameworkSDK on 2000 Spanish as well as Kixforms Designer, but when i try to launch it i get an error ".NET framework Initialization Error. C:\WINNT\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322\mscorwks.dll could not be loaded"

Question:
Is this cause i have installed FrameworkSDK instead of Framework? wich is the folder that the editor id looking for.
If yes...coul u pass me the right link?

Thanks very much in advance. I dont have a clue about .NET ... ja! [Embarrassed]
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#102046 - 2003-07-02 09:20 PM Re: KiXforms Designer BETA 1 Goes Live!
Stevie Offline
Starting to like KiXtart
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Registered: 2002-01-09
Posts: 199
You really just need the 1.1 (or 1.0) .NET Framework. The SDK includes a bunch of extra stuff but it does include the Framework, so you should have everything you need.

You can try reinstalling just the Framework. Instructions for getting it can be found at http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframework/downloads/howtoget.aspx
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#102047 - 2003-07-02 09:23 PM Re: KiXforms Designer BETA 1 Goes Live!
Stevie Offline
Starting to like KiXtart
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Registered: 2002-01-09
Posts: 199
Doc,

I'm stealing your list to post over at kixscripts so I can have a master list of things I need to do in one place. Hope you don't mind.

Even if you do, I'm one post closer to hitting the century mark [Wink]
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#102048 - 2003-07-02 09:28 PM Re: KiXforms Designer BETA 1 Goes Live!
Richie19Rich77 Offline
Seasoned Scripter
*****

Registered: 2002-08-16
Posts: 624
Loc: London, England
Very nice program, so much improvement on the last one I saw.

One problem..... It takes all the fun out of KixForms, the number of hours I have spent creating forms and now it can be done it minutes. [Big Grin]

Carry on the good work.

Rich

[ 02. July 2003, 21:30: Message edited by: Richard Farthing ]

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#102049 - 2003-07-02 09:31 PM Re: KiXforms Designer BETA 1 Goes Live!
Sealeopard Offline
KiX Master
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Registered: 2001-04-25
Posts: 11165
Loc: Boston, MA, USA
However, creating the correct form logic still has to be done manually, and that can be a lot of work if you have interacting elements inside a form.

[ 02. July 2003, 21:34: Message edited by: sealeopard ]
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#102050 - 2003-07-03 02:42 AM Re: KiXforms Designer BETA 1 Goes Live!
Jose Offline
Seasoned Scripter
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Registered: 2001-04-04
Posts: 693
Loc: Buenos Aires - Argentina
well...

U have surprised me Stevie congratulations for the editor, this will be an injection for KXfrm.
I let u know my feedback after using it.
Thanks very much for the quik answer.

Havent u thought in giving the kicker a face?....want me to give a try? [Wink] [Razz]
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