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Posted to dev@ofbiz.apache.org by Paul Piper <pp...@ilscipio.com> on 2016/11/28 10:20:22 UTC
Re: [DISCUSSION] Improving the OFBiz User Interface
As discussed here:
http://ofbiz.135035.n4.nabble.com/OFBiz-Premier-League-Reviewers-Choice-Award-tp4699250p4699699.html
I think that is a pretty good idea. Good luck
--
View this message in context: http://ofbiz.135035.n4.nabble.com/DISCUSSION-Improving-the-OFBiz-User-Interface-tp4699708p4699709.html
Sent from the OFBiz - Dev mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
Re: [DISCUSSION] Improving the OFBiz User Interface
Posted by Jacques Le Roux <ja...@les7arts.com>.
I like (all) the ideas, but that sounds like a long term plan :)
Jacques
Le 28/11/2016 � 23:02, Taher Alkhateeb a �crit :
> Hi Sharan and All,
>
> I believe this is a very important topic. The user interface is the weakest
> part in OFBiz and I think we should focus our attention on it. Based on
> your points discussed above and our brainstorming session in Apachecon I
> suggest we start with the following initiatives:
>
> - Create a base theme. This theme would be raw (no colors, no design) that
> just works and renders things correctly. It also houses the low-level
> libraries and utilities shared among the themes (e.g. bootstrap, jQuery,
> etc ...). In addition, this theme would also house a unified FTL macro
> library to render _everything_
> - Create at least one higher level theme based on the above mentioned base
> theme.
> - Modify the widget system to allow the creation of custom widgets. A
> custom widget can then be implemented _outside_ the framework (in the theme
> itself, or whatever user interface you choose like swing or FOP)
> - Create a component (we can call it backend or something like that) that
> provides all the back-end user interfaces for managing the system. The
> critical part here is to have _zero_ FTL, HTML, CSS or JavaScript in this
> component. All the web stuff should reside in the themes and the widgets
> remain a pure DSL.
>
> The current user interface is full of <platform-specific ...> tags for
> dropping in freemarker templates. So refactoring would be a huge pain. A
> fresh start makes sense and that's why I make the above proposition.
>
> Ideas? Thoughts?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Taher Alkhateeb
>
> On Tue, Nov 29, 2016 at 12:25 AM, gil portenseigne <
> gil.portenseigne@nereide.fr> wrote:
>
>> Hi Paul,
>>
>> Nice point, i really think you're right about standardization, and that
>> will be a very important step to write down and to ensure it will be well
>> used/updated in future implementations.
>>
>> And indeed it will be huge work to migrate all component to this
>> standardization, and will be easier to write down from scratch new
>> standardized components.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Gil
>> On 28/11/2016 21:39, Paul Piper wrote:
>>
>> That wasn't meant as trolling, Nicolas. It is a good idea and absolutely
>> needed. Perhaps as a cautious advice: your problem is going to be
>> standardization, more so than the UI.
>>
>> The html in stock ofbiz is a mess and the apps don't really share a common
>> pattern. For Scipio ERP we cleaned it all up, which took weeks by itself
>> before we were even able to start on anything useful. Besides that, you will
>> have to think about the difference in development techniques used. Some apps
>> rely on *widgets, others on plain ftl. Whatever approach you choose, you
>> will have to either reimplement all apps, or take care of these differences.
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> View this message in context: http://ofbiz.135035.n4.nabble.com/DISCUSSION-Improving-the-OFBiz-User-Interface-tp4699708p4699747.html
>> Sent from the OFBiz - Dev mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>>
>>
>>
Re: [DISCUSSION] Improving the OFBiz User Interface
Posted by Taher Alkhateeb <sl...@gmail.com>.
Hi Sharan and All,
I believe this is a very important topic. The user interface is the weakest
part in OFBiz and I think we should focus our attention on it. Based on
your points discussed above and our brainstorming session in Apachecon I
suggest we start with the following initiatives:
- Create a base theme. This theme would be raw (no colors, no design) that
just works and renders things correctly. It also houses the low-level
libraries and utilities shared among the themes (e.g. bootstrap, jQuery,
etc ...). In addition, this theme would also house a unified FTL macro
library to render _everything_
- Create at least one higher level theme based on the above mentioned base
theme.
- Modify the widget system to allow the creation of custom widgets. A
custom widget can then be implemented _outside_ the framework (in the theme
itself, or whatever user interface you choose like swing or FOP)
- Create a component (we can call it backend or something like that) that
provides all the back-end user interfaces for managing the system. The
critical part here is to have _zero_ FTL, HTML, CSS or JavaScript in this
component. All the web stuff should reside in the themes and the widgets
remain a pure DSL.
The current user interface is full of <platform-specific ...> tags for
dropping in freemarker templates. So refactoring would be a huge pain. A
fresh start makes sense and that's why I make the above proposition.
Ideas? Thoughts?
Cheers,
Taher Alkhateeb
On Tue, Nov 29, 2016 at 12:25 AM, gil portenseigne <
gil.portenseigne@nereide.fr> wrote:
> Hi Paul,
>
> Nice point, i really think you're right about standardization, and that
> will be a very important step to write down and to ensure it will be well
> used/updated in future implementations.
>
> And indeed it will be huge work to migrate all component to this
> standardization, and will be easier to write down from scratch new
> standardized components.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Gil
> On 28/11/2016 21:39, Paul Piper wrote:
>
> That wasn't meant as trolling, Nicolas. It is a good idea and absolutely
> needed. Perhaps as a cautious advice: your problem is going to be
> standardization, more so than the UI.
>
> The html in stock ofbiz is a mess and the apps don't really share a common
> pattern. For Scipio ERP we cleaned it all up, which took weeks by itself
> before we were even able to start on anything useful. Besides that, you will
> have to think about the difference in development techniques used. Some apps
> rely on *widgets, others on plain ftl. Whatever approach you choose, you
> will have to either reimplement all apps, or take care of these differences.
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://ofbiz.135035.n4.nabble.com/DISCUSSION-Improving-the-OFBiz-User-Interface-tp4699708p4699747.html
> Sent from the OFBiz - Dev mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>
>
>
Re: [DISCUSSION] Improving the OFBiz User Interface
Posted by gil portenseigne <gi...@nereide.fr>.
Hi Paul,
Nice point, i really think you're right about standardization, and that
will be a very important step to write down and to ensure it will be
well used/updated in future implementations.
And indeed it will be huge work to migrate all component to this
standardization, and will be easier to write down from scratch new
standardized components.
Thanks,
Gil
On 28/11/2016 21:39, Paul Piper wrote:
> That wasn't meant as trolling, Nicolas. It is a good idea and absolutely
> needed. Perhaps as a cautious advice: your problem is going to be
> standardization, more so than the UI.
>
> The html in stock ofbiz is a mess and the apps don't really share a common
> pattern. For Scipio ERP we cleaned it all up, which took weeks by itself
> before we were even able to start on anything useful. Besides that, you will
> have to think about the difference in development techniques used. Some apps
> rely on *widgets, others on plain ftl. Whatever approach you choose, you
> will have to either reimplement all apps, or take care of these differences.
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://ofbiz.135035.n4.nabble.com/DISCUSSION-Improving-the-OFBiz-User-Interface-tp4699708p4699747.html
> Sent from the OFBiz - Dev mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
Re: [DISCUSSION] Improving the OFBiz User Interface
Posted by Nicolas Malin <ni...@nereide.fr>.
Completely Paul for the standardization.
Currently we try to go out all ftl templating from framework to push on
theme with the purpose to have only the screen logic on the framework.
All the rendering would be define and surcharge on the theme.
But standardization on what ?
We have different classification on screen like :
* dedicate screen EventMessages, geoChart, countries
* main decorator screen : GlobalDecorator, LookupDecorator, SimpleDecorator
* embed decorator screen : FindScreenDecorator
My idea like sharing with Julien, Gil and Taher would be to define these
different standard screen as an API you can be use to structure a screen
as guideline.
If the API screen is strong, the theme can rendering it as a like, and
each contributer can create a theme and keep the coherence.
Yes it's a long work but the better way it's start with good base.
Nicolas
Le 28/11/2016 21:39, Paul Piper a crit :
> That wasn't meant as trolling, Nicolas. It is a good idea and absolutely
> needed. Perhaps as a cautious advice: your problem is going to be
> standardization, more so than the UI.
>
> The html in stock ofbiz is a mess and the apps don't really share a common
> pattern. For Scipio ERP we cleaned it all up, which took weeks by itself
> before we were even able to start on anything useful. Besides that, you will
> have to think about the difference in development techniques used. Some apps
> rely on *widgets, others on plain ftl. Whatever approach you choose, you
> will have to either reimplement all apps, or take care of these differences.
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://ofbiz.135035.n4.nabble.com/DISCUSSION-Improving-the-OFBiz-User-Interface-tp4699708p4699747.html
> Sent from the OFBiz - Dev mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>
Re: [DISCUSSION] Improving the OFBiz User Interface
Posted by Paul Piper <pp...@ilscipio.com>.
That wasn't meant as trolling, Nicolas. It is a good idea and absolutely
needed. Perhaps as a cautious advice: your problem is going to be
standardization, more so than the UI.
The html in stock ofbiz is a mess and the apps don't really share a common
pattern. For Scipio ERP we cleaned it all up, which took weeks by itself
before we were even able to start on anything useful. Besides that, you will
have to think about the difference in development techniques used. Some apps
rely on *widgets, others on plain ftl. Whatever approach you choose, you
will have to either reimplement all apps, or take care of these differences.
--
View this message in context: http://ofbiz.135035.n4.nabble.com/DISCUSSION-Improving-the-OFBiz-User-Interface-tp4699708p4699747.html
Sent from the OFBiz - Dev mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
Re: [DISCUSSION] Improving the OFBiz User Interface
Posted by Nicolas Malin <ni...@nereide.fr>.
Troll inside: it's easier to increase the UI in its own corner instead
of sharing with other, sure.
But the work is in progress and maybe you could try to participate with
a good spirit :)
Regards
Nicolas
Le 28/11/2016 11:20, Paul Piper a crit :
> As discussed here:
> http://ofbiz.135035.n4.nabble.com/OFBiz-Premier-League-Reviewers-Choice-Award-tp4699250p4699699.html
>
> I think that is a pretty good idea. Good luck
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://ofbiz.135035.n4.nabble.com/DISCUSSION-Improving-the-OFBiz-User-Interface-tp4699708p4699709.html
> Sent from the OFBiz - Dev mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>