Re: Refection vs Code Generation

Lutz, 

This is been very informative!  I didn't realize this could be done. 

Thanks, Fred 


Lutz Neumann writes: 

> Yes as Kate said, background="WHITE" works for sure,
> background="Color.WHITE" does not (by the way - background="xxx, xxx,
> xxx" works also.)
> Because SwixML includes the Color class as a constant provider, all
> predefined colors will work this way.
> Have a look at PrimitiveConverter.java to see all included providers. 
> 
> If you have special needs you can always register a new provider like: 
> 
>     PrimitiveConverter.addConstantProvider(Font.class); 
> 
> .. and use PLAIN, BOLD, ITALIC, ... 
> 
> If you want to use system colors (as I do), try the following: 
> 
> import javax.swing.*; 
> 
> import org.jdom.Attribute;
> import org.swixml.Localizer;
> import org.swixml.converters.ColorConverter; 
> 
> /**
>  * Extends SwixMLs ColorConverter to use system colors.
>  * 
>  * @author Lutz Neumann
>  */
> public class ExtColorConverter extends ColorConverter
>     {
>     public Object convert(Class type, Attribute attr, Localizer localizer)
>         {
>         if (attr.getValue().startsWith("UIColor."))
>             {
>             return UIManager.getColor(attr.getValue().substring(8));
>             }
>         if (attr.getValue().startsWith("Color."))
>             attr.setValue(attr.getValue().substring(6));
>         return super.convert(type, attr, localizer);
>         }
>     } 
> 
> Register it with: 
> 
>         ConverterLibrary.getInstance().register(Color.class, new ExtColorConverter()); 
> 
> Now you can use foreground="UIColor.activeCaptionText",
> background="UIColor.Button.background", etc. - even "Color.WHITE"
> works ;-). 
> 
> Hope this helps, 
> 
> -Lutz 
> 
>  
> 
>> I agree about extending attributes needing to be more obvious. I think 
>> this is mostly a documentation issue although I haven't actually tried it.
> 
>> The biggest problem with things like new  Color(xxx, xxx, xxx) as an 
>> attribute value is that there are just too many possibilities that 
>> people would want  and too little time to code them all. I think the 
>> best approach is to do the main ones (see below) and just really 
>> document how to extend it. Plus get this all the things like this into a 
>> plug-in archictecture (old discussion see archives) so that we can all 
>> contribute our little bits to the whole.
> 
>> While Color.WHITE may not work I *think* that WHITE does. I think all 
>> the Color.xxx have been implemented.  But, it's been a while since I 
>> tried that I just remember it working and not having to specify hex vals.
> 
>> -Kate
>  
> 
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