INNOV14: A Look Inside the OpenEdge UI Research Lab

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INNOV-14 A Look Inside the OpenEdge UI Research
Lab
Bruce Gruenbaum bgruenba_at_progress.com
Shelley Chase schase_at_progress.com
Principal Software Engineer
Architect
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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!

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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.

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Agenda

• Whats available today in OpenEdge
• Future UI Industry Trends
• A look inside the OpenEdge Research Lab
• Next steps - discussion

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OpenEdge GUI Options Today
OpenEdge GUI Comparison
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OpenEdge UI Product Landscape

• Support for thin to rich clients

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Modern UI Today Outlook Look and Feel
Microsoft Office 2003 de-facto standard
Toolbar control
Dockable Panels
Listbar control
Main panel
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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

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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

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Agenda

• Whats available today in OpenEdge
• Future UI Industry Trends
• A look inside the OpenEdge Research Lab
• Next steps - discussion

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Industry UI Landscape

• Exciting UI work within the industry
• Support for full range from thin to rich

WebSpeed
AJAX
WebClient Flex/Flash
OpenEdge GUI Open Client MS .NET / Vista Java /
SWT
Thin UI
Rich UI
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Industry UI Landscape

• Exciting UI work within the industry
• Support for full range from thin to rich

WebSpeed
AJAX
WebClient Flex/Flash
OpenEdge GUI Open Client MS .NET / Vista Java /
SWT
Thin UI
Rich UI
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Future Microsoft Technologies

• 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)

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Future Microsoft UI 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

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

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Windows Vista Sample Explorer Window
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Shorter Term - Microsoft Office 2007
Microsoft Office continues as the de-facto
standard

• Office 2007 Enhance Productivity
• Controls used to simplify common use cases
• Ribbons, Quick Launch Toolbar
• Not based on WPF, uses some Aero concepts

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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

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Agenda

• Whats available today in OpenEdge
• Future UI Industry Trends
• A look inside the OpenEdge Research Lab
• Next steps - discussion

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Back in Bedford
After looking at the industry

• Focus on Microsofts UI direction

• Look and feel of Office 2007 is our first target
• Vista / WPF is longer term strategy
• Analysts say Vistas UI impact is not an
  immediate driver for business applications
• Combine MS and OpenEdge technologies
• Full .NET UI support (Future Vista support)

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Goals of a New UI

• 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

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New UI Runtime Architecture
OpenEdge and .NET CLR communicate through a bridge
ABL Program w NEW Form( ). WAIT-FOR CLOSE OF
w. EventHdlr1( ) EventHdlr2( )
OpenEdge
OpenEdge Runtime
Microsoft CLR
OpenEdge UI (Controller)
.NET UI (View)
Bridge
Bridge
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Closer Look at Possible ABL Create Form
Leverage Object-oriented extensions in OpenEdge
10.1A

• 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 /
• wControlsAdd(b).
• wControlsAdd(e).

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Closer Look at Possible ABL - Events
Leverage Object-oriented extensions in OpenEdge
10.1A

• /Subscribe handler to event /
• SUBSCRIBE THIS-OBJECTBtnClick
• TO CLASS-EVENT bClick.
• ...
• / WAIT for form to be closed /
• WAIT-FOR wShow().
• / Handler to run when event published /
• METHOD PUBLIC VOID BtnClick(Object o, Object
  arg)
• bText Ive been clicked.
• END.

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OpenEdge Architect Prototype support
OpenEdge Runtime / Microsoft CLR
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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

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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

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Agenda

• Whats available today in OpenEdge
• Future UI Industry Trends
• A look inside the OpenEdge Research Lab
• Next steps - discussion

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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 svi_at_progress.com
• 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

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Questions for You?

• What do you think of this direction?
• Did we miss something?
• Was this sharing of information useful?
• Open Q A

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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

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Thank you foryour time
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