Re: Drag & drop

[Joe Pluta <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Nathan Andelin wrote:
> > How do you interface with an input field?
> >     
>
> The value property.
>
>   
> > How do you tell it its length?
> >     
>
> The size and maxlength properties.
>   
Wait, wait, wait, wait.  You said: "I only insert two (2) things in an 
HTML page to interface with an RPG  program. <RECORD> and {{FIELD}} 
delimeters. Nothing more."

So you say maxlength={{FIELD}}, or something like it?  Meaning that 
every field that has to be changed in the HTML, you have to define a 
field and then go into the HTML and replace the flag with a FIELD.  Now 
how can you edit that in DreamWeaver??? 


> > How do you specify numeric editing?
> >     
>
> %editc() BIF in RPG.
>   
No, I mean allowing only numeric keystrokes when entering data.  But 
it's clear there is a LOT more work here than you initially intimated.

> > How do you change its class when it is in error?
> >     
>
> element.className = "error";
>   
How do you do that with a <RECORD> and {{FIELD}} delimiter?

> How do you create a dropdown?
>   
>
> I use an ILE procedure that converts an array into an HTML dropdown.
>   
How do you edit THAT with DreamWeaver???


> > How do you initialize the state of these things based on dynamic data?
> >     
>
> Set the value property.  When the page is generated, or later through an 
> xmlHTTP response.
>   
Again, you have to either go in and futz with tags in such a way that 
DreamWeaver can no longer render the data, or you have to use 
JavaScript, which belies your <RECORD> and {{FIELD}} statement.

> > How do you specify classes for columns?
> >     
>
> element.className="class";
>
> And rows?
>
> element.className="class";
>
>   
> > How do you change the class for a table cell based on the data?
> >     
>
> This is very basic.
>   
It's very basic, but it again flies in the face of your statement that 
all you do is <RECORD> and {{FIELD}}.  What I'm trying to point out is 
that all but the simplest interaction (basically dumping a bunch of text 
in tables) requires some pretty sophisticated HTML - much more 
sophisticated than can be done with <RECORD> and {{FIELD}} tags.  When 
you start using a tagged approach, be it RPG-CGI, your approach, or even 
JSP, it's hard to do anything but the simple stuff.

In reality, you have your own formatting routines to generate widgets on 
the fly, you use JavaScript to update elements, and we haven't even 
gotten to the part where we get the data OUT of the page!  ESPECIALLY 
with Ajax!

JSF addresses these issues, which is why I like it.  EGL knows how to 
work with JSF.  In EGL, you create a field.  Drop the field on the page, 
and it is automatically formatted and bound.  Or, you specify an EGL 
field as an attribute to a widget.  Again, automatically bound.  You can 
still edit the WYSIWYG screen, even after adding these attributes.

Your screen, once you've added tags, can no longer be edited by 
DreamWeaver.  That's a huge problem!

Anyway, enough.  Remember, anything you're generating in HTML, there's a 
good chance I did it a long time ago.  I don't just generate HTML.  My 
tools generate JSPs with embedded JavaScript that in turn generate 
HTML.  I know of which I speak <smile>.

Joe