Re: UI/Forms Desginer for XUL

> Is it philosophically anti-luxor to use a visual
> builder to drag-drop 
> and copy/paste a GUI in a builder to effect a
> specific, crafted look and 
> feel?

  Luxor XUL follows the HTML model, that is, you can
test drive your "dummy" UI without a backend (that is,
 without a single line of Java code). All you need is
a XUL browser/runtime/motor such as Mozilla or
Luxilla.

  It's not anti-luxor to use a visual designer as it
is not anti-HTML to use designers such as Dreamweaver
or Frontpage.

  Ideally XUL like HTML lets you pick your designer
and  your browser/runtime/motor. For now the choice of
XUL designer tool is somewhat limited.

  One way to get started is using UI designers that
spit out XML formats (e.g. Glade, Qt Designer) and
than convert it to XUL. Check out the luxor-contrib
download  section for examples.

> I have a visual need to visually work
> with what is, at the 
> end of the day, a visual product. Perhaps, this is
> just me but I have a 
> feeling there are a lot of graphic designers that
> would assert that 
> working with Illustrator, Photoshop et al would not
> be feasible without 
> the visual canvas, palette and controls.

  Sure. Good tools always help you to be more
productive. 

  Also note that XUL is XML which makes it easy to
create and parse.

> It seems to me that any Builder that reads/writes
> property XUL files as 
> an integral part of the Builder's design would be a
> welcome addition. 

  You're right.

> Perhaps this is in the works I have not seen this
> thread.

  I'm not going to build a UI/forms designer but I'm
sure someone else will.

  You might wonna check out Theodore or Franklin
(Upcoming) for a start online at
http://www.carlsbadcubes.com/theodore/ and
http://www.carlsbadcubes.com/franklin/

  - Gerald
  


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