[TYPO3-hci] GUI Toolkit Qooxdoo

[Patrick Broens]

Hi all,

Franz Koch wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> first. I just stumbled over this list and find it very interessting. 
> Unfortunately I'm to late to join the team :(
Why?
> 
> 
> @ QooXdoo
> 
> Yes, it looks nice - but I'm for myself no friend of a pure JavaScript 
> driven gui that doesn't use basic html (no real tables, no real 
> dropdowns etc.) as it will never be accessible. And for me a major wish 
> for the future is that the backend would be accessibile (which will also 
> improve useability in most cases) and fully templateable to be able to 
> provide not only different skins but really different interfaces 
> (implemented as extensions). - one with all the blown up web2.0 stuff - 
> skinable for the different OSs or whatever you like (default)
> - one simplyfied for purists like me
> - one really accessible interface for blind or disabled people!
The meaning of my posting about Qooxdoo is not to promote this 
framework, but the way they did it. TYPO3 lacks a GUI framework, and in 
my opinion we need one. Most of the things done by Qooxdoo can also be 
done with PHP, which I prefer also, together with AJAX. Don't let there 
be a misunderstanding about that. Qooxdoo is a good place to start with 
when building a GUI framework. They thought about a lot of functionality 
  that has to be in a framework, which we can adopt, be it in PHP/AJAX. 
Have a look at their API to see what I mean.

I see a lot of advantages working with a GUI framework. All backend page 
building will be done through this framework, which makes it very easy 
to change the skins and the interfaces, because it will be all done OO, 
server and client side. Right now there is only little support in some 
classes to use some 'GUI' functionality. For instance, backend modules 
almost always have their layout hardcoded, which is not preferrable. 
It's all about consistency and reusability.

The biggest advantage is that we get reusable objects for each and every 
layout functionality of TYPO3, and not a lot of separate snippets 
scattered all around the core and extensions of TYPO3.
> 
> Drag'n'drop and that DHTML/Web2.0 stuff are nice gimmics - but in my 
> eyes not really necessary for useability. Useability for an editor means 
> in my eyes:
> - a light-weight understandable interface
> - a context sensitive menu/functions-area where all currently possible 
> things he can do are shown
> - a consistent workflow for almost any action he will have to do 
> (doesn't have to be a wizard, but rather work in the same way)
> - no cryptic developer-based explanaitons.
DHTML/Web2.0 stuff are not only nice gimmics. It makes the backend work 
faster, especially with AJAX. Pages are not reloaded completely. Another 
advantage is you can give the user the functionality of applications 
they're already used to, like drag and drop, column resizing in tables 
for better views, the way menu bars are handled etc. TYPO3 needs to 
adopt the functionality users know from other applications, not 
inventing other ways to do it.

The GUI framework can always be enhanced, according to the wishes of 
developers. If they invent something that can be usefull in the GUI 
framework, we have to embed it.

So what I like to see is that we get building blocks which can be used 
over and over again for every layout functionality there is, which every 
developer, core and extensions, use.

Patrick
> 
> 
> I haven't searched the whole NG for currently planed features (maybe 
> some of them are allready planned) - but that would be my "wishlist".
> 
> 
> PS: almost every of my clients didn't get the point why there is 
> web->page and web->list to manage content. I think the different "views" 
> of the content have to be implemented in a different way.
>