To simplify the user interface (UI) design, both XML UI Engine and XML UI Editor are provided as new components in BTT version 6.1.1.
XUI Editor is a WYSWYG tool that creates BTT XML based transaction UI files. This tool makes it easy to design the widget layout by dragging out and putting different widgets from palette to the design panel. The XML based file whose extension is xui can be created for XML UI Engine to use.
In BTT version 6.1.1, XUI Editor only supports Windows® systems.
XUI Editor provides the following functions:
You can create new XML UI files in RAD/WID easily.
There are eleven types of widgets, which can be dragged out from the palette and put on the design panel. The layout of widgets can be designed as you require.
You can use the up/down/left/right arrow button on the keyboard instead of the mouse to move the widget on the design panel.
On the design panel, the ruler is added to help you to locate the widgets. By clicking the ruler, the Guides can be created to help widgets be attached to.
You can undo or redo the actions or the property modifications in the XUI Editor.
The created layout design can be saved as a formatted XUI file whose extension is xui, and an existing XUI file in the file system can be loaded to the design panel.
In the Outline view of an XUI file, you can get the tree structure of the widgets by clicking the Show Outline button. The overview of the widgets layout is available after the Show Overview button is clicked.
Open the Source view on the design panel, you can get the source code of the XUI file. The modification of the codes can take effect on the design panel. The XML based code is formatted in a good manner.
The basic properties of the selected widgets, such as foreground color, font, text, can be modified in the Properties view of the XUI Editor.
You can edit the logic classes, such as Initializers, Before&After validation, Actions, and add attributes for the classes in the Properties view as well.
The Properties view can be extended according to the widget customization.
The widget palette contains eleven predefined widgets. You can extend the palette by newly developed widgets.
The preference configuration of the XUI file is added into the RAD/WID preferences, which can be found and modified.
In an XUI file, you can take the widgets in other XUI files as references and put them on the current design panel.
The XUI previewer simulates the runtime of the current XUI file. Both the appearance and behavior of the file are similar to those in the actual runtime environment.
You can debug the XUI files as preview. If the break points are set in the logic classes, the previewer stops at the break point and the debug information is displayed in the Console view.