DDT Based Dialog Designer - only $12.95 (on sale)

[Chris Boss]

Once again I am offering a sale on the EZGUI 4.01 Utility Dialog Designer.

From December 1, 2008 until December 31, 2008

You can get this amazing DDT based Dialog Designer for only $12.95 !
(a savings of $16.05 off the regular $29 price)

Where can you buy a full blown Visual Designer front end for PB for only $12.95 ?

To order quickly, use the link below:

http://www.cwsof.com/order.htm

I'll describe this designer in the following posts.

[Chris Boss]

Some screenshots.

[Chris Boss]

Some more screenshots:

[Chris Boss]

Some more screenshots:

[Chris Boss]

Some more screenshots:

[Chris Boss]

This Designer supports the following:

- Full Project Development (multiple forms)
- All the Standard controls
- Third Party Custom controls (in DLL form)
- even add Common controls via the Custom Control object
- Smart Parser code generator
- select Colors and Fonts for controls

The Designer generates an Event based style of code similiar to EZGUI 4.0 Pro, but uses 100% DDT code and no runtimes.

Much of the supplied event engine code is in an include file which you can modify.

Use your favorite code editor. The Smart Parser technology allows you to use any compatible external code editor, including the PB IDE and JellyFish.

Designer works with PB 8.0 or 9.0.

[Chris Boss]

How does the Smart Parser work ?

When you first generate the source code for your project, the Designer generates all the routines for you in a BAS file and automatically runs your favorite code editor which auto loads the file.

Any code editor can be used, as long as it supports passing a filename as a parameter to the EXE (ie. pbedit.exe "c:\somepath\somefile.bas").

The Designer will freeze itself, until you exit your code editor. Once you exit the code editor, you will return to the Designer.

Now you can make changes to your projects Forms and Controls.

When you regenerate the code again, after making changes to the GUI of the application (Forms, Controls), the Smart Parser kicks in.

First, the Smart Parser will backup your previous source code file. It does this up to three levels.

ie.

If your source code file is:

myproj.bas

Then the following occurs:

myproj.bs3 is deleted if it exists
myproj.bs2 becomes myproj.bs3
myproj.bs1 becomes myproj.bs2
myproj.bas becomes myproj.bs1
designer generates a new myproj.bas file

When the Smart Parser generates the new source code file it does the following:

Compares the previous source code file and what is has newly generated and compares subroutine/function names of both.

Only subs/functions generated by the Designer are allowed by the Smart parser.

Certain Subs/Functions are considered "Protected" by the Smart Parser and the contents of the routine are totally rewritten. Such routines can not have user edited code in them.

The rest of the routines are considered user editable. The Designer only generates the contents of those routines, the first time they are created. After that, every time the code is regenerated, the contents of those routines is saved from the previous source code file and put into the routines.

When you delete Forms or Controls, a number of routines previous generated are no longer needed and the code regeneration and comparison (with previous source) will show up which ones are no longer needed. The Smart Parser will purge those routines from the file, but rather than delete them totally, it does the following:

All unneeded routines are pushed the the end of the source code file and embeded between two compiler directives like this:

#IF %EZ_NOSKIPCODE 
     ' all the unused subs are now here
#ENDIF 'PARSE END

The compilers directives remove the code from being compiled, but the code is still in your source code file. This allows you to retrieve any code which you don't want to lose.

Now if the Smart Parser only allows routines generated by the Designer, then how do you add your own code ?

First, any code in user editable routines is not lost.

Next, any non-sub/function code before any Designer routines is also saved and not lost (an exception is the first routine EZ_Main).

ie.

' any comments before routine are saved
' any globals, constants or declares before routine are saved
GLOBAL MyVar&
%SomeConstant% = 100
Declare SUB SomeSub(BYVAL N&)
'
SUB FORM3_Events(BYVAL hDlg&, BYVAL CID&, CMsg&, CVal&, Cancel&)
     SELECT CASE CID&
          CASE %EZ_Window
               SELECT CASE CMsg&
                    CASE %EZ_Loading
                    CASE %EZ_Loaded
                    CASE %EZ_Started
                    CASE %EZ_Close
                    CASE ELSE
               END SELECT
          CASE ELSE
     END SELECT
END SUB

But what about user defined subs/functions ?

They can be added to your source code in two fashions.

One, you can put them in an include file and add that include file to the project.

Two, you can embed subs/functions into the main source code file by using the Code Tags recognized by the Smart Parser.

ie.

'<<SAVE>>
SUB MySUB(BYVAL N&)
   ' do something
END SUB
'<<END>>
 
GLOBAL MyVar&
%SomeConstant = 100
 
SUB FORM3_Events(BYVAL hDlg&, BYVAL CID&, CMsg&, CVal&, Cancel&)
     SELECT CASE CID&
          CASE %EZ_Window
               SELECT CASE CMsg&
                    CASE %EZ_Loading
                    CASE %EZ_Loaded
                    CASE %EZ_Started
                    CASE %EZ_Close
                    CASE ELSE
               END SELECT
          CASE ELSE
     END SELECT
END SUB

The code tags above are simply a remark to the compiler, but the Smart Parser recognizes them (they are case sensitive and must have no spaces). The user defined subs/functions between the code tags ('<<SAVE>> and '<<END>>) are kept with the Designer generated routine as part of it and not changed by the Designer.

The Smart Parser technology allows you to move seemlessly between the Designer and your favorite code editor.

You aren't locked into a specific code editor either. As long as the editor is compatible with the Smart Parser it can be used.

[Chris Boss]

Some interesting features:

The Designer displays real drag handles on selected controls for sizing.

You can display the drag handles outside of the control or inside.

You can select what colors to use for drag handles.

Drag Handles can have two modes:

- Locked
- UnLocked

When the drag handles for specific control have been locked, the color changes and the control can not be resized or moved.

You can lock and unlock controls via the right click menu and you can do this individually or for all the controls on a form at one time.

There is a user defineable Snap To Grid.

You can display the Grid or not, whichever you choose.

The Snap To Grid can be displayed as Dots or Lines. It can be drawn solid or XOR'ed.

The user definable features of the Snap To Grid allow a variety of configurations.

You can group controls together and act upon them. By holding the CTRL key down, you can select multiple controls. Once you do this, you can right click and display options for acting upon them such as:

- Copy Controls
- Move Controls (donw through a popup dialog)
- Delete

From the main menu you can select any one of the group options such as:

- Left Aligned
- Right Aligned
- Top Aligned
- Bottom Aligned
- Vertical Center Aligned
- Horizontal Center Aligned
- Set Size
- Set Width
- Set Height
- Space Horizontally
- Space Vertically

The Designer uses the first selected control as the key control (ie. align all controls selected to the left position same as key control).

The Designer supports Form Templates.

When you save a Form as a template, it will appear in the New Form Dialog as one of the options for a new form type. This allows you to reuse Forms, without having to use the actual form files. The Designer will create copies of templates in a special folder for you and will automatically display them in the New Form dialog.

The Designer supports Bookmarks, rather than an Undo feature.

You can define as many bookmarks as you like when designing a form. You can save a bookmark, make changes and then return to that bookmark and the form will revert back to the state it was when the bookmark was created. Bookmarks are only good as long as the form is displayed in the Designer.

There is a full screen mode for the Designer, so you can hide the designers borders, menus and toolbars.

The project palette window can also be partially hidden (everything but its caption bar). Double click the project palette windows caption bar and it hides all but the caption bar. Double click it again and it shows again.

[Chris Boss]

Features for Advanced Users

There are a number of features available for advanced users.

The Designer may appear simple on the surface, but there are a number of features which allow experienced programmers to push the designer beyond it basic design.

First, you can expand the number of controls supported by using the Custom Control object. This object can even be used to add the Common controls or any custom controls you write yourself. Even controls like EGrid, SIGrid, MLG or GDImage can be used with this designer visually.

Next, the Event engine can be expanded to add your own user defined events. A template is provided so you can hook into the event engine (which is in the Library code) so you can create events for any control you like. Once the event engine is enhanced, it will make it easier to work with any custom controls you add.

There is also a code template feature.

If there is code you often like to be added to all of your apps, you can select a code template (easily created in notepad) and define where code is added to different sections of the application. The Code generator with then treat this code as its own and embed it right into the app for you.

Next there are Code Plugins.

When the Code generator generates the code, it first passes it to the currently selected code plugin. The plugin can them modify the code any way it likes. That modified code is what is sent to your code editor.

By using these advanced features, one could extend this Designer far beyond its basic design and be customized into a full blow development system customized the way you like.

[Chris Boss]

The nice thing about this designer is that you can select project properties which turn off specific features of the library code.

For example, let's say you want an application to be as small as possible (tiny) and you don't need fonts, colors, etc. You can select the appropriate properties and turn these features off. By using conditional compiling directives, the library code will not compile those sections.

This allows you to compile very, very small apps, when needed.

[james klutho]

If you are a DDT programmer you need to ante up the $12.95 USD for this "loss leader" designer. It is a powerful program to put in your ansenal. It has an open design which allows customization of code and is reliable. Though Chris is marketing this as an entry level designer, with a little tweaking, you can use this to generate complex applications. With all the quality designer out there, this one has a solid niche.

Jim

[Chris Boss]

You can download the Help file for the Designer here:

http://cwsof.com/ezutdlg.zip

This will give you a better understanding about some of its features, particularly library code.

[Chris Boss]

Don't let this sale pass you by!

It is a very small investment for such a powerful tool.

The Utility Dialog Designer is based on the EZGUI 4.0 Pro designer.
Actually it is the same code which has been modified to turn it into a DDT designer and some features turned off, which were not needed (or will only be available in another high end designer I am working on).

The form files are basically compatible with EZGUI's Designer.

Also this Designer should be able to read the form files created by any of my freeware DDT designers, which you can download from my web site, as long as they only use the controls supported by this designer.

You can also import Visual basic form files (ascii only), if they use only the controls supported.

If you want "lean" applications, this designer will use a minimum amount of code (and you can turn off features in the library code). Not a lot of overhead.

The designer generates clean and easy to read code as well.

[Chris Boss]

For the price of a pizza!

For the price of a good pizza, you can get this powerful, professional DDT based tool. You won't find any Visual Tool cheaper than this.

Like James said, I am almost giving it away.

If you like working with the PB Graphic control, this designer supports it directly.

[Darrell Price]

For the price of a good pizza, you can get this powerful, professional DDT based tool.

Not exactly. Where are you going to find a really good pizza for $12.95!??!

[Chris Boss]

Ok, while I do get pizzas at the big chain pizza places (you know what they are), I am partial to real Italian cooking at a real italian restaurant.

Where I grew up (Connecticut) most pizza places were not chains, but real italian restaurants where the guy behind the counter throwing the pizza in the air was speaking italian and not english. There is a difference.

To buy a large pizza (with lots of stuff on it) at such a restaurant today would easily cost you $10 to $15.

Please note I said, about the price of a "good" pizza!

[Chris Boss]

Now I may have taken your comment wrong.

I thought you were refering to $12.95 being too high for a good Pizza.

If you were saying that $12.95 is too little for a good pizza, then let me add.

I currently live in rural Virginia, so prices are a lot, lot, lot cheaper here than in most places, especially more populated places.

There is only about 25,000 people here in the entire county!

A good gauge of local prices here is gasoline. What are you paying ?

Here I can get a gallon of gas for $1.49 and there may be some cheaper places than that. I can get a gallon of milk at a local gas station/quicky shop store for $3.09 .

Electricity here is probably the lowest in the country (near coal mine country).

So please excuse me if my sense of the cost of things is out of wack compared to where you live.

[Darrell Price]

In this area it's hard to find a really good pizza, especially among the chains. There are some that are better than others but none fall under the category of what you would call excellent.

If I didn't already have your Dialog Designer I wouldn't hesitate to purchase it at that price.

[Chris Boss]

Sale extended until January 31, 2009

I am extending this sale until January 31, 2009!

This is a great deal for a great tool.

[Chris Boss]

This sale has ended!

This Sale has ended!

There is another sale starting though, so check out the other posts in this forum.