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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: How to load UI files directly be a factory?
From:       Dirk_Schönberger <dirk.schoenberger () sz-online ! de>
Date:       2003-09-11 19:22:18
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> > Another reason is that the XML which is generated by Qt Designer rather
> > ugly, i.e. you don't really want to edit it manually (just IMO of
course)

> and why does this matter? you don't hand-edit it, though i have done just
so
> on several occassions. it's like saying that the code MOC outputs is ugly.
> yeah, so?

> > > I think it would greatly enhance KDE as a whole, if UI files are used
> > > to create dialoges and GUIs instead of hardcoded widgets. This makes
> > > it possible even for non-programers to change the GUI (e.g. for
> > > improving usability) and it would greatly reduce the time needed to
> > > develop an application. I think, NextStep and Apple OSX have a similar
> > > method, using InterfaceBuilder (or Gorm in the case of GnuSTEP).
> >
> > I think it would be the right direction, but I am not quite sure if Qt
> > Designer is the right tool. I would prefer a XML DTD similar to Mozilla
XUL
> > (please see also the KaXul and uXul projects in kdenonbeta), or based on
> > XMLGUI.

> the DTD is largely irrelevant and XMLGUI is completely not suited for this
> sort of thing (it's very good at something rather different).

> Qt Designer as a tool is _very_ useful, and has several important positive
> side effects. please use it whenever and wherever possible for complex
(e.g.
> more than a 2 or 3 widgets) dialogs and sets of widgets.

You are right if you view Qt Designer and an XML GUI definition as a
developer's tool.
I think my points apply if you see XML GUIs as an distributor's or user's
tool.
I.e. distributors (think SuSE, Mandrake here) can ship customized
applications based on a run-time editable GUI definitions.
Or Power users can change the GUI of there often used applications, like
they could already do with the toolbars and menubars via XMLGUI and related
dialog (configure toolbar et al)

The question is if such a flexibility is wanted for GUI elements like
dialogs, sidebars and such.

If you want to put such power into user's hand, the Qt Designer file format
is not especially useful. You hae not longer a clean
connection between GUI elements and tags (a Page tag is used to create a
dialog page, a Sidebar create a Sidebar / Tab in the Mainwindow GUI).
Instead in Qt designer file format you have an ultra-flexible grammar base
on "object" and "value" tags.

Regards
Dirk

 
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