innov-14: a look inside the openedge® ui research lab bruce gruenbaum [email protected]...

INNOV-14: A Look Inside the OpenEdge® UI Research Lab

Bruce [email protected]

Principal Software Engineer

Shelley [email protected]

Architect

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation2INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab

Purpose of this Talk

UI is a critical component of a successful business application

• Provides sizzle for functionality• Differentiator during a sale

Recent focus has been SOA components

Expanding our focus on UI• Share our research efforts with you• Get your feedback (today, e-mail, PSDN)• You can influence future UI direction!


D I S C L A I M E R

Under Development

This talk includes information about potential future products and/or product enhancements.

What we are going to say reflects our current thinking, but the information contained herein is preliminary and subject to change. Any future products we ultimately deliver may be materially different from what is described here.

D I S C L A I M E R


Agenda

What’s available today in OpenEdge

Future UI Industry Trends

A look inside the OpenEdge Research Lab

Next steps - discussion


OpenEdge GUI Options Today

OpenEdge GUI Comparison

Products Benefits Limitations Future

OpenEdge GUI

WebClient™

Built-in widgets plus ActiveX

controls

Supported by OpenEdge

frameworks

Rich client requires ActiveX

for modern UI

Built-in controls tied to Win32 API

ActiveX has limited

lifecycle

Vista doesn’t use Win32

API

WebSpeed®Zero footprint –

no install

Runs anywhere

Browser security limitations

Moving towards rich

client (AJAX)

Open Client

Supports de-facto standard

Leverages host environment

Requires expertise

in .NET™ / Java™

Requires expertise

in .NET / Java


OpenEdge UI Product Landscape

Support for thin to rich clients

Rich UI

ThinUI

WebSpeed OpenEdge GUIOpen Client

WebClient


Modern UI “Today” – Outlook Look and Feel

Microsoft Office 2003 – de-facto standard

Listbar control

Toolbar control

Main panel

Dockable Panels


OpenEdge UI - In Summary

OpenEdge developers can build state-of-the-art UI today using….

• Third party controls (ActiveX) – Built-in GUI widgets are limited– Frameworks (ADM2, Progress Dynamics®) are

based on built-in widgets

• Open Client (Java, .NET)– Need to use Java / .NET development

environment for client


OpenEdge UI - In Summary

OpenEdge developers can build state-of-the-art UI today using….

• Third party controls (ActiveX) – Built-in GUI widgets are limited– Frameworks (ADM2, Dynamics) are based on

built-in widgets

• Open Client (Java, .NET)– Need to use Java / .NET development

environment for client

MOVE–5: Improving the Look and Feel of Your Application


Agenda






Industry UI Landscape

Exciting UI work within the industry

• Support for full range from thin to rich

Rich UI

ThinUI

WebSpeed AJAXWebClientFlex/Flash

OpenEdge GUIOpen Client

MS .NET / VistaJava / SWT


Industry UI Landscape

Exciting UI work within the industry

• Support for full range from thin to rich

Rich UI

ThinUI

WebSpeed AJAXWebClientFlex/Flash

OpenEdge GUIOpen Client

MS .NET / VistaJava / SWT

INNOV–16: Rich User Interface for the Web? AJAX to the Rescue


VISTA (formerly “Longhorn”)• New operating system with extended graphics

capabilities

• Supports WinFX programming model– Replacement for Win32 APIs– Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)

formerly “Avalon”– Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)

formerly “Indigo”

• Promotes Vista User Experience Guidelines (UX)

Future Microsoft Technologies


WPF and XAML• WPF: Framework classes and engine

– Will ship for XP as well as Vista

• XAML: Declarative language for UI layout– Separates UI design from UI logic code– UI roles: designer and developer

Future Microsoft UI Technologies

Aero• Authentic, Energetic, Reflective, Open• New user experience


Windows Vista – Sample Explorer Window

INNOV–8: Demystifying Windows Vista


Office 2007 – Enhance Productivity• Controls used to simplify common use cases

– Ribbons, Quick Launch Toolbar– Not based on WPF, uses some Aero concepts

Shorter Term - Microsoft Office 2007

Microsoft Office continues as the de-facto standard


Future UI Trends - In Summary

The industry is investing heavily in rich client user interfaces

• Microsoft is the leader– Short term: Office 2007 look and feel– Long term: Vista, WPF, XAML, Aero


Agenda






Back in Bedford…

After looking at the industry…

Focus on Microsoft’s UI direction

• Look and feel of Office 2007 is our first target

• Vista / WPF is longer term strategy

– Analysts say: Vista’s UI impact is not an immediate driver for business applications

Combine MS and OpenEdge technologies• Full .NET UI support (Future: Vista support)


Build UI applications fully in ABL and OpenEdge tools

• Extend ABL to support modern UI natively–Development done using ABL exclusively

• UI Design done using OpenEdge Architect–Integrate with T4BL, Catalog, DB NAV, etc.

• Leverage work in industry, use standards

Goals of a New UI


OpenEdge

New UI Runtime Architecture

OpenEdge and .NET CLR communicate through a bridge

ABL Programw = NEW Form( ).WAIT-FOR CLOSE OF w.

EventHdlr1( ) …EventHdlr2( ) …

Window

OpenEdge Runtime

Microsoft

CLR

OpenEdge UI (Controller)

.NET UI (View)Bridge

1

2

6

3

4

57

Bridge


Closer Look at Possible ABL – Create Form

DEFINE VAR w AS System.Windows.Forms.Form.DEFINE VAR b AS System.Windows.Forms.Button.DEFINE VAR e AS System.Windows.Forms.Edit.

w = NEW System.Windows.Forms.Form( ).b = NEW System.Windows.Forms.Button( ).e = NEW System.Windows.Forms.Edit( )....

/* Add controls to form */w:Controls:Add(b).w:Controls:Add(e).

Leverage Object-oriented extensions in OpenEdge 10.1A


Closer Look at Possible ABL - Events

/*Subscribe handler to event */SUBSCRIBE THIS-OBJECT:BtnClick

TO CLASS-EVENT b:Click. .../* WAIT for form to be closed */WAIT-FOR w:Show().

/* Handler to run when event published */METHOD PUBLIC VOID BtnClick(Object o, Object arg):

b:Text = “I’ve been clicked”.END.

Leverage Object-oriented extensions in OpenEdge 10.1A


OpenEdge Architect – Prototype support

Eclipse (foundation platform)

Tools for Business

Logic

Meta CatalogDB

NavigatorDebuggerABL Editor

Future:

New Plug-ins

OpenEdge Runtime

Data Administration

OpenEdge StudioAppBuilder

Pro*Tools, ProxyGen

WebSpeed Workshop

OpenEdge Database

OpenEdge Development ServerApplication Server

WebSpeed Transaction Server

Client Networking

OpenEdge Runtime / Microsoft CLROpenEdge Runtime / Microsoft CLR

New Visual

Designer


New UI Demos

Demo 1• OpenEdge ABL

– Modern UI Look and Feel

Demo 2• Build using OpenEdge

Architect– Reduce hand coding

required for Demo 1


OpenEdge New UI Goals – In Summary

OpenEdge developers need to build a state-of-the-art UI where:• ABL natively supports state-of-the-art GUI

• Built using OpenEdge Architect

• Customization available at design time and runtime

Developers can focus on building business applications


Agenda






Frequently Asked Questions

I love it, when can I have it?• No specified release / commitment

I hate it, are you open to changing direction?• Let us know your needs/requirements. Contact

Salvador Vinals at [email protected]

Will .NET forms and existing GUI windows be allowed in a single application?• Of course

What should I do now?• Move to OpenEdge 10, learn OO, follow MVC model


Questions for You?

What do you think of this direction?

Did we miss something?

Was this sharing of information useful?

Open Q & A


In Summary

OpenEdge development is researching a UI solution that is:• Build entirely in the ABL

using OpenEdge tools

• State-of-the-art

• Positioned for the future


Thank you foryour time

innov-14: a look inside the openedge® ui research lab bruce gruenbaum [email protected]...

Documents

progress software corporation

stateoftheart ui

ui layoutseparates ui

progress dynamics

future ui direction

software engineershelley

openedge ui research

modern ui today outlook