[ic] IC GUI

[Steve & Patti Getzinger]

Mike Heins wrote:

> Quoting Steve & Patti Getzinger (steveandpatti@wubs.org):
> > I am taking suggestions for features / desires for a GUI frontend to
> > Interchange. Having been a Minivend user since 2.08 I have a fair idea
> > of what I would like a GUI to provide. This project is slated for Linux
> > users with porting to UNIX OS's to follow. Since Akopia is playing with
> > MAC it will most likely be the next platform supported. For anyone
> > wanting to take a peek at where I presently am (which isn't far) it can
> > be viewed at:
> >
> > http://www.wubs.org/~steve/patricia/
> >
> > As stated at the url I am taking any help anyone wants to provide along
> > with suggestions. I have tons of code to pour through so if you want a
> > section of the app let me know :)
> >
>
> I am interested. 8-)
>
> Do you have a current feature list? Is there some reason the current
> web-based GUI doesn't do what you want? Is it latency, security, or
> some other reason that prompts this project?
>
> --
> Akopia, Inc., 131 Willow Lane, Floor 2, Oxford, OH  45056
> phone +1.513.523.7621 fax 7501 <heins@akopia.com>
>
> I have a cop friend who thinks he ought be able to give a new ticket;
> "too dumb for conditions".
>
> _______________________________________________
> Interchange-users mailing list
> Interchange-users@lists.akopia.com
> http://lists.akopia.com/mailman/listinfo/interchange-users

Well Mike first on the list of reasons why is I am bored :) Anyway there
really isn't anything the UI doesn't do per say in fact I actually only set
up the UI for customers I still hard code. My main complaint with web based
is ability to work on several catalogs within reason simultaneously. One of
the main "suck you in's" of NT is Front Page and the integration back and
forth between apps. With Bonobo and CORBA that same type of integration
potential exists. I believe with a strong GUI Interchange hooked with Red
Hat (already present) could / would pose a serious threat / competitor to
the MS package available. Red Hat keeps working on making the OS better and
more GUI (not necessarily my preference but for marketing to the masses).
Akopia keeps working on making Interchange better and I / whoever helps
brings the GUI into play. Hooked with Apache and I see a very strong package
for any company looking to implement e-commerce in-house.

Naturally with GUI you get Drag-n-Drop along with many other things not
normally found with web based interfaces.

Here is my basic plan of flow:

on execution check the preferences file for entry -> none -> search the
drives for an interchange.cfg file. In a case like my machines more than one
is present so we give a dialog asking if any of these are the correct file
and the ability to browse for the correct one if not. Once the correct file
is located we rip through it for the Catalog lines and take the catalog name
and path to cat root. Cat names are counted and the notebook in the left is
generated with the same # of pages with the cat names collected being the
labels on the tabs. In each page is a tree of that cat.

Right side holds another notebook which is basically hardcoded for pages as
it holds lists but the Templates list will be generated from available
templates in that cat. Change cats in the left entire app repaints with
correct data. Center area is the work zone. First tab is a WYSIWYG editor
for pages that when complete will split the page into the correct templates
and such. This will be refelcted in the the second tab as a text based
editor like FP has. Further down the line we get a db editor which will
allow loading of any type of file much like Access or Approach does. Then we
have search and menu builders. I had a perl builder page but am wrestling
with that at this point since it can just as easily be done in the text
editor area.

Files get loaded from the left area or a new mentality. I plan direct
interaction with makecat along with server restart plus a create a catalog
which will load up basic required's and from there you are on your own but
will make necessary ties across everything to make a true IC site.

Naturally if you are running X as a reg user you only get access (including
read) to the cats you own. As root you have full access to everything just
like any UNIX system.

Features will include WYSIWYG, Drag-n-Drop, SQL interface, highlighting of
code and basically everything the UI does just a little more convenience for
the admin types.

What I could really use right now is the logical grouping of IC tags for
highlighting of tags. I am building the scanner which will be given to the
GTK community as a scanner for [ ] type tags. I have a scanner for HTML and
perl which when I get the ic tag scanner complete I will merge all 3 into a
main scanner for this app. Later plans include js scanner and css and all
that stuff.

Pick an area and it's yours :) Right now my main concern is the opening
portion. The scanning of drives an collecting of correct data so func's that
complete the correct tasks would be great.

Today I am working on the functions to build the toolbar and icons. About
done there with the exception of callbacks and ties to menubar which I am
still thinking about.

Thanks for the interest,
Steve