[Opensource] ?Expresso OpenTool for JBuilder

[Sandra Cann]

Snip 
I'm interested in Expresso Wizards, but where I can got and join it?

I have put the project online under the Project link in the header. I am
still working on setting up the project details but should have some
design documents published under the 'Documenation" later today. Will
have a discussion forum setup momentarily as well. Here's the link
directly to the project:
http://www.jcorporate.com/econtent/Content.do?state=template&template=2&
db=default&resource=799

While I am completing the setup of the project, here is something to
perhaps further the discussion, written by contributor, Jan Moons:

Here is a summary of what functionality we are aiming for in the first
release of Expresso Wizards. 

Create Application Wizard
===========================
A wizard which guides the user in creating an Expresso based web
application: Giving your application a name, creating the web app
directory structure, creates all the necessary xml files, like the
web.xml, struts-config.xml, expresso-config.xml, sets up the connection
pool, ... . Even for real Expresso pro's this should be of great help,
because they don't have to spend too much time setting up an
application, or copying it from another one. So, a wizard that guides
the developers in setting up the application.

Create DBObjects Wizard
========================
A wizard for visually creating DBObjects. A dialog where the programmer
can 
choose a database, on another window a list of views and tables from
which 
he/she can pick one, next screen selection of the different columns
he/she 
wants to use. So the creation of a DBObject should be very visual, just
by 
clicking the mouse. The user should select (from a list) the type of
DBObject 
he/she wants to use : DBObjects, SecuredDBObjects, MultiDBObject. When
the 
user finishes creating the DBObjects all configuration files should 
automatically be updated. So again the developer should concentrate on
the 
design of the application and much less on the configuration of it.
Once a DBObject is created, the developer should be able to test it from

within the IDE (more or less in the same way BC4J data objects can be
tested 
in Oracle's JDeveloper).So the developer could place the mouse pointer
on a 
specific DBObject, select "test DBObject" from the menu and he would get
a 
swing window where he could create, browse, update records using the 
DBObject. So logic you've put in the DBObject should be tested against
during 
this testing phase.

JSP Wizard
=============
A wizard for creating insert, update, delete, browse JSP pages. Select
the 
DBObject you want to use and let the wizard create straight forward JSP
pages 
for controlling the DBObject. Again all controllers necessary should be 
created and again the configuration files should also be updated.

Controller Wizard
==================
A wizard for creating the controllers. Create the different states,
define 
input and output JSPs of every state. Create blocks where the developer
can 
enter his/her own code. Again when the controller is created update all
the 
configuration files.

Schema Wizard
===============
A wizard for creating the Expresso schema.

Tag Wizard
===========
When a JSP gets opened in the IDE a panel should appear with all
available 
Expresso/Struts JSP tags, so a JSP designer picks a tag, a dialog
appears and 
he should be able to fill out or select values. So he doesn't have to 
remember the exact syntax of each tag.
The most important thing is that all wizards should be re-entrant. After

you've created objects with the wizards, you should be able to
change/add 
code by hand. After that you must be able to use the wizards again, on
the 
object you've changed by hand in order to alter code with the wizard. So
you 
should be able to create and maintain objects by hand, through the
wizards or 
both.

So, I hope you have a better understanding now of what we are
envisioning.