Re: modeler, RC1 - misc. feedback

From: Tomi NA (hefes..mail.com)
Date: Sun Jun 04 2006 - 17:44:48 EDT

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    On 6/4/06, Andrus Adamchik <andru..bjectstyle.org> wrote:
    > My experience is that class generator is actually much more usable in
    > B3/RC1 than it was in B2. So I guess some usage scenarios work better
    > than others (e.g. I used it extensively on an ROP project, meaning
    > standard server and client templates, but rarely with custom
    > templates). BTW, before retesting any of these could you please reset
    > the preferences by deleting ~/.cayenne/prefs directory, just in case.

    I'll see what I can do, but my experimenting time is at the moment
    very, very short: I'm limited to reporting what I see as best as I
    can.
    Update: I just tried it again and now I can't reconstruct the invalid
    code generation. I suppose I somhow put the modeler in an anforseen
    state yesterday which gave me invalid (and in a couple of variants!)
    generated code every time. Today's only run was flawless.

    > > * previous code generation behaviour was:
    > > a) select a class->generate code-> result: only one class preselected
    > > in the code generation dialog
    > > b) select a map->generate code-> result: all classes are preselected
    > > in the code generation dialog
    >
    > I think I recognize this issue - will work on it.
    >
    > > * the modeler can't seem to remember the output directory for code
    > > generation, that is, it always appends "cayenne" to an otherwise valid
    > > (remembered) directory path
    >
    > I am not seeing that. Could you open a bug report with some screenshots

    I would but I've lost my jira password (tnakic user acc.), used "send
    password to e-mail address" and haven't received anything in any of my
    inboxes (I can't recall which address I used to open the acc.) If
    someone could do something about it (Andrus?), I'd be gratefull - I
    don't like opening new accounts because of lost passwords.

    > > * I had a lot of problems working with custom code generation
    > > templates: once modified, they generated completely invalid
    > > (super)classes, sometimes not parsed at all, other times with weird
    > > import statements
    > > - the solution? used beta 2 with the same templates, worked
    > > like a charm
    >
    > Also works for me - please log the details in Jira

    See first comment. I couldn't repeat the error today.

    > > * the template properties dialog doesn't allow modification of
    > > existing templates
    >
    > Can you elaborate?

    Sorry, I ment modify as in "allow the user to change the name of the
    template". I should have been more clear. An added bonus would be
    "open with arbitrary editor" or ad a text editor preference or...well,
    I could go on with suggestions. :-)

    > > * the template properties dialog doesn't remember the last directory
    > > from which the user loaded a template so the user has to navigate the
    > > whole path for every template version he uses if he defined a couple
    > > of templates in advance (as I did, for example)
    >
    > Will fix this.
    >
    > > * the modeler would be *sooo* much more understandable alltogether if
    > > it had a tooltip (a sentence or two explaining what the user's looking
    > > at) attached to most components, so that users wouldn't have to wonder
    > > what e.g. "generation mode: Once per every Entity" means or have to
    > > look it up on the Internet.
    > > A couple of other examples where tooltips would help are "allow client
    > > entities", "[Entity object] Qualifier", "Import EOModel". I could name
    > > about several dozens more.
    >
    > It's been asked by other users recently as well. Won't happen in 1.2,
    > but we may do this in the future releases.

    Funny, doesn't really seem like a major change, certainly not
    technically - if anything, the possibility of breaking current code by
    adding tooltips is close to zero. Not that I'm in a hurry, it's just
    that I don't know what the problem is. I suppose it isn't as easy as
    it seems, writing 100+ thought through explanations about misc.
    elements of the modeler...

    > > To wash away the aftertaste left behind by such a list of rought
    > > edges, I can only say I look forward to developing cayenne-powered
    > > apps in the future as well as returning to work on my current
    > > cayenne-powered app, now that beta 2 came through where RC1 failed. :)
    >
    > And you can also recall that 1.1 didn't have most of this
    > functionality at all. It is new, and we are still testing it, so
    > thanks for the feedback - we will certainly fix all these wrinkles.

    I've been using 1.2 so long now it's hard to recall a time when there
    was anything else. :) Of course, I started using cayenne just a couple
    of months before 1.2 appeard on the horizon.

    t.n.a.



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