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How are user developed components distributed? |
Mon, Jan 26 2015 8:09 AM | Permanent Link |
Rick | Hi.
I know this will be answered in due course when EWB2 is released but I wouldn't mind a little pre-release understanding of how user developed components will be packaged and deployed. Is there the concept of a package that I can create to include a set of my own controls/components that I can then distribute and have a target developer import into EWB2? How will imported controls appear on the control palette? -- Rick |
Mon, Jan 26 2015 2:13 PM | Permanent Link |
Tim Young [Elevate Software] Elevate Software, Inc. timyoung@elevatesoft.com | Rick,
<< Is there the concept of a package that I can create to include a set of my own controls/components that I can then distribute and have a target developer import into EWB2? >> No, there aren't any packages. The installation of a control simply involves a unit name, the name of the control, and a .png (16x16) that is used for the component palette icon. Batch installing a set of controls is simply a matter of modifying the ewbide.ini file accordingly from an installation program. EWB automatically builds the component library at application startup, and any time you install a new control interactively using the IDE, EWB will prompt you to rebuild the library. << How will imported controls appear on the control palette? >> You can specify any category that you wish to use for where a control resides on the component palette. Each category has a separate tab on the component palette. Tim Young Elevate Software www.elevatesoft.com |
Tue, Jan 27 2015 1:32 AM | Permanent Link |
Rick | On 27/01/15 06:13, Tim Young [Elevate Software] wrote:
> > No, there aren't any packages. The installation of a control simply > involves a unit name, the name of the control, and a .png (16x16) that > is used for the component palette icon. Batch installing a set of > controls is simply a matter of modifying the ewbide.ini file accordingly > from an installation program. EWB automatically builds the component > library at application startup, and any time you install a new control > interactively using the IDE, EWB will prompt you to rebuild the library. > Thanks Tim, but does raise several more questions ... 1. How many controls can a single unit file contain (is it one-to-one or multiple)? 2. If multiple controls require multiple unit files then where do they get stored? In their own directory? If I ship a suite of components can they remain separate from other controls in the file system? 3. I'm not sure I feel good about creating an installation program to modify the ewbide.ini file. This sounds dangerous! Do I need Delphi or some other means to create the installation program? What if I don't own Delphi? Don't want to slow you down by answering my questions but it would be of value to know what type of environment and potentially other tools will be needed to support component development and distribution. -- Rick |
Tue, Jan 27 2015 4:05 AM | Permanent Link |
Matthew Jones | Rick wrote:
> On 27/01/15 06:13, Tim Young [Elevate Software] wrote: > > > > No, there aren't any packages. The installation of a control simply > > involves a unit name, the name of the control, and a .png (16x16) > > that is used for the component palette icon. Batch installing a > > set of controls is simply a matter of modifying the ewbide.ini file > > accordingly from an installation program. EWB automatically builds > > the component library at application startup, and any time you > > install a new control interactively using the IDE, EWB will prompt > > you to rebuild the library. > > > > 3. I'm not sure I feel good about creating an installation program to > modify the ewbide.ini file. This sounds dangerous! Do I need Delphi > or some other means to create the installation program? What if I > don't own Delphi? I realise I'm talking without even having installed it yet (have downloaded though!) but I think my ideal, given I'll be giving away any components I make, and would like to have an easy life using those of others, would be a way to package components into a zip file with an INI that describes the contents. Then, as a user, EWB 2 would just be pointed at the zip (different extension obviously) and would say "this contains "Matthew's Magic components" - install?" and I could click Yes and it does what is needed. Removing should be relatively easy too. More work, but nicer experience and not a terrible amount of work (probably a breeze compared to the main product!). Perhaps something for 2.1? Feel free to ignore. 8-) Matthew |
Tue, Jan 27 2015 5:38 AM | Permanent Link |
Rick | On 27/01/15 20:05, Matthew Jones wrote:
> > I realise I'm talking without even having installed it yet (have > downloaded though!) but I think my ideal, given I'll be giving away any > components I make, and would like to have an easy life using those of > others, would be a way to package components into a zip file with an > INI that describes the contents. Then, as a user, EWB 2 would just be > pointed at the zip (different extension obviously) and would say "this > contains "Matthew's Magic components" - install?" and I could click Yes > and it does what is needed. Removing should be relatively easy too. > Yep, that's how I envisaged component packaging might work. ZIP is a good enough format and keeps everything in one file. I don't really care how EWB2 stores the imported controls behind the scenes but the process of packaging/installation would benefit from being easy. I'm hoping for V2.00 Build 2 -- Rick |
Tue, Jan 27 2015 6:19 AM | Permanent Link |
Tim Young [Elevate Software] Elevate Software, Inc. timyoung@elevatesoft.com | Rick,
<< 1. How many controls can a single unit file contain (is it one-to-one or multiple)? >> As many as you want, just like with any source unit. You tell EWB which class you're adding, so it knows which one to go looking for. << 2. If multiple controls require multiple unit files then where do they get stored? In their own directory? If I ship a suite of components can they remain separate from other controls in the file system? >> You can store them in any location that you want. The only requirement is that they are part of the component library search paths, and if you interactively install a control, then EWB will automatically add the specified unit location to the library search path. << 3. I'm not sure I feel good about creating an installation program to modify the ewbide.ini file. This sounds dangerous! Do I need Delphi or some other means to create the installation program? What if I don't own Delphi? >> Most installation programs can do .ini modification, but I'll look into adding something more streamlined for packaging up a set of units for a control set, but it probably won't be available until after the initial release. What I might do in the meantime is simply add a command-line utility for installing a control. It's about 10 lines of code, so no big deal. Tim Young Elevate Software www.elevatesoft.com |
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