JBoss IDE and Seam Development Ideas
Hi All
I thought as a change I would post some of my (whacky) ideas, rather than just continuing to ask questions!! So here goes.....
I didn't know where to post this part of the post , JBoss IDE or here but.. (caution the first idea is a bit work load heavy)
Jboss-Seam IDE
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1) It would be incredible if the Seam deployment scanner was adapted to work at development time within a Seam project to add the elements that it detects as components to a global component map (which may also include jsf managed beans and others!) so that:
a) When developing .xhtml/.jsp/.jsf pages context sensitive autocomplete could operate.
b) JPDL development could also use the same context sensitive autocomplete mechanisms for any expression within the process def.
c) This could also provide valuable build time debug facilities.
This component map (to be referenced by editors) would perhaps best be served within eclipse WST and then plugged into by the various plug in writers, which would be where your Seam deployment scanner would come in.
On a more realistic note for JBoss-Seam IDE:
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2) A method to add Seam capabilities to a standard (non altered) JBoss Web App / JBoss EAR project (Similar to how MyEclipse handle say Struts capabilities to a standard Web APP).
3) An added project template in the new Project Wizard called JBoss Seam Web App or JBoss Seam EAR, with options thereafter to include JBPM, pageflow, JBOSS PORTAL (in future). This could also help automate the creation for developers of microcontainer, tomcat / embeded EJB3 type projects.
4) Generate shell view backing beans and web pages from EJB3 entity model (adding generated annotations to the EJB3 entities, then generate the view backing SFSB, then the web pages), rather than just straight from the database. Effectively jumping one step in you existing reverse engineering process.
5) In line with the above comments I believe that to make JBoss-Seam as developer friendly as possible Seam should move its standard example project structure to something that fits in with the JBoss IDE folks. Thus facilitating point 1 and 2. This could also allow hot(as in as it is saved) redeployment of the web pages, obviously the Seam components would be a little bit more tricky!
This type of standardising development is obviously most relevant to a post Seam 1.0 as it would heavily rely on a stable base (libraries, required meta files etc).
I feel passionately about this as I REALLY appreicate this framework, making developments so much easier and a little ide magic could really push Seam up against Spring/ Ruby on Rails in terms of setup and go type development.
As Far as Seam ideas go:
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1) You obviously have Portal integration already in hand.
2) Plug into/onto the eclipse rcp project (if thick client agnostic behaviour is unobtainable).
3) Similar model as @Datamodel to SelectItems. (The post in the forum covers this in a way, but a more generic method for a seam anotated entity would be invaluable, perhaps adding a annotation to the getter method of the getKey and getName method, then dynamically loading the available list from persistence). This would enhance the auto generated seam apps from database schema.
There are probably a million and one ideas out there from the people that have been appreciating your development framework, so please destroy my ideas or add your own to the ever increasing work load of Gavin and Thomas. You never know something a tiny bit as good as Seam could be dreamt up in the discussion.
Many thanks again,
James
