Preview Version 1.0.7

[Beni]

A new preview of version 1.0.7 is available (Link).

Preview 5 (1.0.7p5) brings some new features:

Common: Recovery mechanism for layouts.
If a CControl loads a layout but some CDockables are missing, and the CDockables are added later to the CControl, then the CControl can try to put these CDockables at the location where they would have been if they were present earlier.

There is a short description of how this mechanism works and how to use it here. This mechanism builds upon the recovery mechanism of Core which was introduced in 1.0.7p4.

I've written an application to test this feature. The name of this application is "commonLayouts". Source and binary file can be found in the zip-file for 1.0.7p5. The source code is in "dock/src/commonLayouts", the binary version in "dock/bin". You can start the application with "java -jar commonLayouts.jar".

This feature is disabled per default. You need to enable it by calling the method "CControl.setMissingStrategy", use the argument "MissingCDockableStrategy.STORE" for the beginning.

Core & Common: Fonts
It is now possible to replace the fonts that are used for titles and for tabs.

Core: DockController has an additional method "getFonts()". This method grants access to a map of key-font pairs. If you need something more sophisticated than just a map, a "FontBridge" can help. Such a bridge can exactly tell which font should be used where.

Common: CDockable has an additional method "getFonts()". This method grants access to a map of key-font pairs. Each font is associated only with one CDockable, so it is possible to have different fonts for different Dockables. Instead of just using a hard coded font you can also use "FontModifiers". Such a modifier takes the original font and transforms it, i.e. changes the size of a font.

Core: DockFrontend has a new listener
The "VetoableDockFrontendListener" gets informed before and after a Dockable is shown or hidden. It can cancel the operation, i.e. you can ask the user whether to really close the Dockable with the unsaved changes...

This does not prevent a Dockable to disappear because of a changed layout!

Bugfixes
Many...

Plans for the future
As some of you might wonder whether I have a plan at all, these are the things that will happen next:

• I will finally take a closer look at Parag Shah "LbSplitLayoutManager".
• I will update the guides for Common and Core. There might eben be pictures!
• And there are issues with the look of EclipseTheme, some lines do not look nice.
• Fix every bug that I find.

I plan to make one last preview 1.0.7p6, and shortly afterwards release 1.0.7.



Some infos that were missing for versions <= 1.0.7p4

Core: ScreenDockStation supports custom windows
With the key "ScreenDockStation.WINDOW_FACTORY" one can register a "ScreenDockWindowFactory". This factory creates the windows which are used for floating Dockables.
The factory "DefaultScreenDockWindowFactory" should suffice for most clients. It can create JDialogs and JFrames, decorated and undecorated, with custom icon and text.

Install the factory with "DockController.getProperties().set( ... )".

[Beni]

Ah, if I just forgot a feature that I promissed to someone... please tell me.

[Peter]

Thx Beni.

I'll test it next weekend.

[Peter]

OK, it works for me

Thx again.

[Beni]

Thx for the reply

[Beni]

New preview up. There are no new features but some bugfixes (all reported somewhere in this forum).

[Beni]

The new guide for Core is up. Core.pdf.

I now start on updating the guide for Common.