Version History
Lava 1.4
The next and perhaps final step in Lava development comes through the use of
a general JavaBean model for all components used inside Lava. In line with most
other GUI Builders, the user can specify the components they wish to use and Lava
analyses and imports them so they can be drawn on the design form. Although not
a WYSIWYG tool, Lava 1.4 improves the render window by removing the need to compile
code and introduces an algorithm to build the GUI on the fly. The VB style modeless
properties editor drastically speeds up design.
- Always visible properties window to edit component properties. This does
away with the slow and ugly edit windows used in the past.
- Intergrated JavaBeans and Swing components.
- Changed file format to serialisation method hence invalidating the claim
of backwards file compatibility in Lava 1.3
- Fixed problems with render window to speed up operation.
- Streamlined code generation and improved GridBagLayout acuracy.
- Added further code version support so JDK 1.0 complient GUIs can be built.
Lava 1.3
Lava 1.3 was an attempt to move Lava into serious contention as far as GUI builders go.
Increased support for different layout managers and components signal the beginning of
Lava actually becomming useful. This is underlined by the fact Lava is now used to
design its own GUI.
- Added real awt component display.
- Added FlowLayout, CardLayout and the custom LavaLayout resulting in a more
flexable tool and more acurate outcome of GUIs designed with Lava.
- Added Undo/Redo.
- Added more container components. You are no longer stuck to editing a Panel.
- Added better file format. Releases of Lava after 1.3 will be backwards compatible
as regards files as a result.
- Moved toolbar into floating window to make interface cleaner and speed things up.
- Added CheckboxGroups.
- Added ability to run Lava from anywhere.
- Each container can have different layout manager. Before this one manager was
user throughout the project.
Lava 1.2
Lavas next stage in evolution was to take a more general view of GUI design.
By implementing the ability to load plugins, Lava can now potentally deal
with many more languages than Java.
- Added plugin support.
- Added layout scheme support.
- Added alterable code options and ability to turn off grid snap.
- Added limited tooltips.
- Cleaned up source code and finalised object model.
- Fixed Render Window re-view problem.
- Need wider testing program to ensure 100% compatibility over all JDK based platforms.
- Improved documentation.
Lava 1.1
The next version of Lava concentrates more on grouping of components. It
also extends it's own user interface to be easier to use and better to
look at.
- Improved graphical side by optimising more or less everything.
- Added image button bar to make GUI look better.
- Documentation included in release.
- Multiselection editing/moving and clipboard implemented.
- Added render window for on the fly viewing of GUI.
- Need more info about ClassLoader to implement plug-in's.
Lava 1.0
The first version of Lava was written to produce quick and easy forms for
use on HTML pages. It implemented only basic editing functions and a small
number of GUI components.
- Java only code generation.
- Single component based editing - no multiselection.
- Simple, ugly component editing system.
- Native file saving.
- Added resizing support for main window and grid system.
Future Enhancements
- Allow jar files to be added to the lava.components.ini file instead of having
to specify all components.
- Have visual interface to toolbox allowing drag and drop style adding and
removing of the required JavaBean components.
- Support the generation of code for the excellent ALE system by John F. Dumas.
This allows GUIs to be specified outside the actual Java code and hence removes bulky code
from your main classes.
- Selective code updates. This will enable users to put their own code into the
Java file and Lava will only update its own bits, allowing users to alter the GUI
in mid design. I need a decent Java parser that produces a parse tree so I can
insert and delete bits of it to realise this feature. Any offers ???
- A menu editor - too long in the making, this is sure to be in the next release.
- Give Lava code editing ability and make a full IDE of it ???
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