2. User-friendly editors in practice

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Introduction
The different editors
Project editor
Data model editor
UML editor
Query editor
Window editor
Report editor
Code editor
Help editor
Image editor

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2. User-friendly editors in practice

Table of contents

Introduction

WINDEV is built around a set of editors operating in a single environment and adapted to the developer requirements:

project editor.
data model editor.
UML editor.
query editor.
window editor.
report editor.
code editor, debugger and compiler.
help editor.
modeling editor.
document editor.
image editor.

These editors allow you to create the different elements (windows, reports, databases, programs, ...) handled by the application.

The different editors

Project editor

The project editor allows you to:

quickly view all the elements of a project (mainly windows, reports and queries).
know the status of the project:
- necessary updates (window models, components, etc.),
- elements from SCM (Source Code Manager)...

Let's see some characteristics of the project editor:

Managing the project via a dashboard.
Interaction between the different panes and the project elements.

Data model editor

The data model editor is used to describe the characteristics and the structure of data files.

The data model editor supports the Merise method (CDM and LDM).

The data model editor allows two types of database descriptions:

direct description of analysis linked to the project (also called Logical Data Model (LDM))
description of the Conceptual Data Model (CDM) then automatic generation of the analysis.

Let's see some characteristics of the data model editor:

WYSIWYG editor ("What You See Is What You Get"). You can directly view all the data files and the links of your project.
Creation and description of the data files and their items.
Automatic formatting of analysis links.
Information about the links via tooltips.
Simplified retrieval of the description of an external database (SQL Server, Oracle, ...).
Description independent of data files.
Encryption of data files.
Automatic modification of data files when modifying the structure of files.
Check of referential integrity.
Automatic analysis generation.
Zoom in the data model editor.
Insertion of comments into the analysis graph.
Interaction between the different panes and the analysis elements.

UML editor

The UML language is a graphical language allowing you to:

represent the information system studied as objects.
generate the object structure of the application (skeleton of application as object classes) corresponding to the information system studied.

The UML editor is mainly used to:

describe one or more UML diagrams.
build a UML model by reverse engineering of your project.

For more details on how to create a UML model, see The UML model.

Let's see some characteristics of UML editor:

Creation and description of UML diagrams.
Automatic formatting of links.
Automatic generation of a class (or set of classes) from a class diagram.
Zoom in the UML editor.
Insertion of comments into a UML model.
Interaction between the different panes and the elements of UML model.

Query editor

The query editor is used to automatically create queries on the data files. Programming is simplified: windows, Table or Combo Box controls, reports, ... can be based on queries.

A wizard helps you create queries: choose the items to include and type the selection conditions via the wizard. The query is automatically generated (in optimized SQL code) and the query test can be immediately run.

Let's see some characteristics of the query editor:

WYSIWYG editor ("What You See Is What You Get"). You can directly view the query and its result.
Simplified query creation via a wizard.
Automatic generation of SQL code of each query.
Ability to immediately run the test of queries.
Zoom in the query editor.

See the online help for more details about the query editor.

Window editor

The window editor is used to describe the characteristics of the user interface for your project.

Several skin templates (style sheet associated with the window) and types of windows are proposed. They help you make your windows more ergonomic and make your applications more user friendly.

For more details on how to create a window, see The windows in practice.

Let's see some characteristics of window editor:

WYSIWYG editor ("What You See Is What You Get"). Ability to directly view your window as it will appear to the user.
Creation and description of windows and controls.
Drag and Drop to copy, paste or move controls from a window to another one.
Skin templates of windows and preset control styles
Presence of several icon catalogs used to associate images with controls.
Real-time interface checker to simplify the positioning of controls.
Anchoring of controls in the window.
Ability to type the captions of controls in the work area of the editor.
Management of context-sensitive help in the windows.
Zoom in the window editor.
Interaction between the different panes and the editor elements.

Report editor

The report editor is used to easily create printed reports.

Let's see some characteristics of the report editor:

WYSIWYG editor ("What You See Is What You Get"). You have the ability to view the reports as they will be printed.
Simplified report creation without writing a single code line.
Drag and Drop to copy, paste or move controls from a report to another one.
Skin templates of reports and preset control styles.
Real-time interface checker to simplify the positioning of controls.
Use of a form in a report background.
Creation of multi-column labels.
Ability to edit a report in HTML format (to publish it on Internet for example) or in RTF format (to use it in a word processing software for example).
Zoom in the report editor.

See the online help for more details about the report editor.

Code editor

The code editor allows you to write all processes/events in WLanguage (the programming language included in WINDEV). For example, it allows you to enter the source code of the following elements:

controls,
windows,
reports,
local and global procedures,
classes and methods, etc.

Let's see some characteristics of code editor:

Automatic formatting of information typed.
Automatic completion.
Glossary of functions.
Immediate detection of typos and help for correction.
Incremental compilation.
View of the different WLanguage events associated with a window, control or report in the project.
Insertion of WLanguage events specific to the use of the mouse or keyboard.
Management of the code modification history with ability to rollback.
Ability to open several code windows (to perform code comparisons for example).
Zoom in the code editor.
Interaction between the different panes and the editor elements.

See the online help for more details about the code editor.

Help editor

The help editor is used to create a set of help pages ("CHM" file) that documents your project.

A help page is created for each window found in your project. These pages are used to describe the different operations that can be performed by the users.

Let's see some characteristics of help editor:

WYSIWYG editor ("What You See Is What You Get"). Ability to directly view the help pages of your project.
Compilation of help pages and creation of a CHM.
Creation of index and summary.
Insertion of images.
Insertion of links between the help pages.
Ability to display the titles of pages in a bar.
Zoom in the help editor.

Image editor

The image editor is used to edit the images and icons of project (and elements).

Let's see some characteristics of image editor:

Centering.
Resizing.
Symmetry, rotation.
Management of texts.
Management of layers.
Access to images of image catalog.
Preserving transparency.