Web Flow XML Editor available

[Christian Dupuis]

Hello community,

the latest nightly build on our way towards Spring IDE 2.0 M3 contains XML editing support for Spring Web Flow flow definitions and Web Flow's 2.0 configuration namespace.

More details are available at http://springide.org/project/wiki/WebflowXmlEditor. The build can be installed from our nightly build updatesite (http://springide.org/updatesite_nightly/).

Please provide us with your thoughts and feedback on this, as we want to make the Web Flow support as valuable as possible. Comments in this thread are welcome.

Cheers
Christian

[alpheratz]

I'll jump in and say 'thanks'...lots of hard work must have gone into this.

*My* major issue at this point in time is not having a graphical visualisation tool. Managers LOVE pretty pictures and I'd like to be able to give them what they want...

Less facetiously, I have a flow with about 60 nodes now and keeping the complexity straight in my head is becoming an issue that a visualiser would REALLY help with. It would also be a very useful tool to have on hand when sitting down with clients...the people who are actually going to be driving my app through its flow, and also with the people who are designing the business processes that my flow is supposed to mimic.

Looking forward to M3!

Cheers,

Alph

[Paul Newport]

One thing I noticed that since installing the nightly build, I now have a menu item called %refactorMenu.label !

That could be because I did a Callisto update as well, but might be worth investigating.

I do agree with the other post that the most important thing is the visualization, I can cope with hand coding the XML, but the pretty picture is better than a thousand words/lines of XML !

Excellent plugin none the less !

[Christian Dupuis]

One thing I noticed that since installing the nightly build, I now have a menu item called %refactorMenu.label !


Hey, you came across a newly added feature: Refactoring of Java elements triggered form the Spring XML files; just use the normal Shift+Alt+R and Shift+Alt+V on class names, property names and bean ids. I've created a ticket for the missing menu label. http://springide.org/project/ticket/485


I do agree with the other post that the most important thing is the visualization, I can cope with hand coding the XML, but the pretty picture is better than a thousand words/lines of XML !If you guys are keen on getting read-only visualization of flow definitions, you will be happy to hear that this will be part of coming M3 (due ~next week).

Christian

[Paul Newport]

If you guys are keen on getting read-only visualization of flow definitions, you will be happy to hear that this will be part of coming M3 (due ~next week).

Christian

I noticed the refactor thing on the context menu as well, but the missing label threw me a bit.

Great on the visualisation bit !

[garpinc2]

org.osgi.framework.BundleException: The activator org.springframework.ide.eclipse.beans.core.BeansCo rePlugin for bundle org.springframework.ide.eclipse.beans.core is invalid

[alpheratz]

Whopee! Visualisation!

I'm SOOO looking forward to M3.

Alph

[Keith Donald]

Here here to Web Flow visualization!!!!!

[Paul Newport]

Hey, you came across a newly added feature: Refactoring of Java elements triggered form the Spring XML files; just use the normal Shift+Alt+R and Shift+Alt+V on class names, property names and bean ids. I've created a ticket for the missing menu label. http://springide.org/project/ticket/485

If you guys are keen on getting read-only visualization of flow definitions, you will be happy to hear that this will be part of coming M3 (due ~next week).

Christian

I am demoing SWF to developers on Monday, it would be great if it was there before then - no pressure ;-)

[Paul Newport]

Odd one this one.

I have the plugin working fine on my laptop. I copy the entire eclipse installation directory to my work desktop, and get this when I try and show a graph view:

The only differences are JRE level the work is JRE 1.5.0_10 and laptop is _11, and the work PC is behind a firewall.



java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.springframework.ide.eclipse.beans.ui.navigator .BeansExplorer
at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.BundleLoa der.findClass(BundleLoader.java:402)
at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.BundleLoa der.findClass(BundleLoader.java:347)
at org.eclipse.osgi.internal.baseadaptor.DefaultClass Loader.loadClass(DefaultClassLoader.java:83)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:2 35)
at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.BundleLoa der.loadClass(BundleLoader.java:278)
at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.BundleHos t.loadClass(BundleHost.java:227)
at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.AbstractB undle.loadClass(AbstractBundle.java:1245)
at org.eclipse.core.internal.registry.osgi.RegistrySt rategyOSGI.createExecutableExtension(RegistryStrat egyOSGI.java:147)
at org.eclipse.core.internal.registry.ExtensionRegist ry.createExecutableExtension(ExtensionRegistry.jav a:759)
at org.eclipse.core.internal.registry.ConfigurationEl ement.createExecutableExtension(ConfigurationEleme nt.java:243)
at org.eclipse.core.internal.registry.ConfigurationEl ementHandle.createExecutableExtension(Configuratio nElementHandle.java:51)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPlugin$1.run(Work benchPlugin.java:242)
at org.eclipse.swt.custom.BusyIndicator.showWhile(Bus yIndicator.java:67)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPlugin.createExte nsion(WorkbenchPlugin.java:238)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.registry.ViewDescriptor.cr eateView(ViewDescriptor.java:69)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.ViewReference.createPartHe lper(ViewReference.java:292)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.ViewReference.createPart(V iewReference.java:197)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPartReference.get Part(WorkbenchPartReference.java:566)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Perspective.showView(Persp ective.java:1675)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.busyShowView (WorkbenchPage.java:987)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.access$13(Wo rkbenchPage.java:968)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage$13.run(Workb enchPage.java:3514)
at org.eclipse.swt.custom.BusyIndicator.showWhile(Bus yIndicator.java:67)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.showView(Wor kbenchPage.java:3511)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.showView(Wor kbenchPage.java:3487)
at org.eclipse.ui.handlers.ShowViewHandler.openView(S howViewHandler.java:148)
at org.eclipse.ui.handlers.ShowViewHandler.openOther( ShowViewHandler.java:104)
at org.eclipse.ui.handlers.ShowViewHandler.execute(Sh owViewHandler.java:70)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.ShowViewMenu$3.run(ShowVie wMenu.java:114)
at org.eclipse.jface.action.Action.runWithEvent(Actio n.java:499)
at org.eclipse.jface.action.ActionContributionItem.ha ndleWidgetSelection(ActionContributionItem.java:53 9)
at org.eclipse.jface.action.ActionContributionItem.ac cess$2(ActionContributionItem.java:488)
at org.eclipse.jface.action.ActionContributionItem$5. handleEvent(ActionContributionItem.java:400)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.EventTable.sendEvent(Event Table.java:66)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.sendEvent(Widget.ja va:928)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.runDeferredEvents( Display.java:3348)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.readAndDispatch(Di splay.java:2968)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.runEventLoop(Wor kbench.java:1930)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.runUI(Workbench. java:1894)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.createAndRunWork bench(Workbench.java:422)
at org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI.createAndRunWorkbench(Pl atformUI.java:149)
at org.eclipse.ui.internal.ide.IDEApplication.run(IDE Application.java:95)
at org.eclipse.core.internal.runtime.PlatformActivato r$1.run(PlatformActivator.java:78)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseA ppLauncher.runApplication(EclipseAppLauncher.java: 92)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseA ppLauncher.start(EclipseAppLauncher.java:68)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.ru n(EclipseStarter.java:400)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.ru n(EclipseStarter.java:177)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Nativ e Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Native MethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(De legatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:324)
at org.eclipse.core.launcher.Main.invokeFramework(Mai n.java:336)
at org.eclipse.core.launcher.Main.basicRun(Main.java: 280)
at org.eclipse.core.launcher.Main.run(Main.java:977)
at org.eclipse.core.launcher.Main.main(Main.java:952)

[ronwheeler]

Did you try a -clean start on Eclipse?

[Torsten Juergeleit]

I copy the entire eclipse installation directory to my work desktop, and get this when I try and show a graph view:

The only differences are JRE level the work is JRE 1.5.0_10 and laptop is _11, and the work PC is behind a firewall.

Somedays the BeansExplorer extended Eclipse 3.2's CommonNavigator (part of the Common Navigator Framework) and overwrote CommonNavigator's implementation of the interface "org.eclipse.ui.part.IShowInTarget" to provide a different behaviour [finally "super.show(context)" was called]. With a newer version of Eclipse the CommonNavigator didn't implemented this interface anymore and our base class implementing "org.eclipse.ui.part.IShowInTarget" wasn't available anymore. Since 16th of January this is fixed by letting BeansExplorer implementing "org.eclipse.ui.part.IShowInTarget" and not calling super anymore.

Ok, this lengthy description leads to the following recommendation:

It seems that you're running an outdated version of the "*.beans.ui.navigator" plugin. So please delete all Spring IDE plugins "org.springframework.ide.eclipse.*" from your Eclipse installation and install Spring IDE from scratch via the update manager.

If you're using our nightly builds then I would like to recommend to create a separate Eclipse product extension (http://help.eclipse.org/help32/index.jsp?topic=/org.eclipse.platform.doc.isv/guide/product_extension.htm) exclusively for Spring IDE and delete the content of this extension before installing a new nightly build of Spring IDE. This "clean install" of Spring IDE's nightly builds is necessary because we're modifying the OSGI bundles as well. E.g. for the Spring OSGI bundle (provides the upcoming version 2.0.3) we're updating the spring.jar from their nightly builds without modifying the bundle's version number.

[Paul Newport]

Thanks for this.

I think half the problem is related to our network/firewall at work - as everything works fine from home I'll just carry on with the home environment for the moment.

[Paul Newport]

Did you try a -clean start on Eclipse?

Yes ta but the same effect. Don't worry, I think it's a work networking/firewall issue.

[jozoo]

Hello,

I would like to ask you if I do ane mistake because I have installed nightly build from your update site (this is version before M3). Everythink seems to be installed correctly but when I open my xml web flow file there is nothing in outline just classic xml outline.

Thank you for your answers.