Users complain boring user interface of my apps

Kukulkan · **Posted:** Tue Aug 07, 2018 5:05 pm

I really wish for a direct support for SCITER from PB team. As far as I can see there are a few challenges around events and handling (classes, structures and types etc). Maybe the PB team can offer some generic access options to SCITER so that we can focus on the GUI instead of implementing the API? Some sort of an alternative to the XMLDialog feature?

Or maybe someone familiar with such API's is able to create a SCITER module or include to focus on that? Cross platform of course ;-)

forumuser · **Joined:** Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:24 am **Posts:** 98

Quote:

I really wish for a direct support for SCITER from PB team. As far as I can see there are a few challenges around events and handling (classes, structures and types etc). Maybe the PB team can offer some generic access options to SCITER so that we can focus on the GUI instead of implementing the API? Some sort of an alternative to the XMLDialog feature?

Or maybe someone familiar with such API's is able to create a SCITER module or include to focus on that? Cross platform of course

Yeah, that would really boost productivity regarding better looking GUIs... Hope someone with enough knowledge can jump in

Little John · **Posted:** Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:24 pm

Kukulkan wrote:

I really wish for a direct support for SCITER from PB team. As far as I can see there are a few challenges around events and handling (classes, structures and types etc). Maybe the PB team can offer some generic access options to SCITER so that we can focus on the GUI instead of implementing the API? Some sort of an alternative to the XMLDialog feature?

Maybe this could be a feature which we can buy (if this is the proper word) via a bounty system, that has been discussed previously.

Kiffi · **Posted:** Tue Aug 07, 2018 7:10 pm

Little John wrote:

Maybe this could be a feature which we can buy (if this is the proper word) via a bounty system, that has been discussed previously.

good idea! I'm in!

Greetings ... Peter

c-smile · **Joined:** Sat Aug 04, 2018 11:50 pm **Posts:** 6

Kukulkan wrote:

I really wish for a direct support for SCITER from PB team. As far as I can see there are a few challenges around events and handling (classes, structures and types etc). Maybe the PB team can offer some generic access options to SCITER so that we can focus on the GUI instead of implementing the API? Some sort of an alternative to the XMLDialog feature?

As a conceptual idea of simple PB integration:

0. To add function-convertors PBValueToSciterValue() and SciterValueToPBValue(). SciterValue (sciter::value) essentially is VARIANT in MS terms but closer to JSON - can hold arrays and name/value JSON maps.
1. To define pb function to create Sciter window :

Code:

CreateSciterWindow(..., callbacks)

2. To allow that callbacks mechanism to accept name/PB function map - these will be functions callable from UI script as

Code:

view.somePBFunc(...)

to get data from "PB business layer".
3. To add PB function

Code:

CallSciterFunction("name", params)

. This is for communication in opposite direction - from "PB business layer" side to UI.

#1 and #2 define UI<->backend "gate" so two layers (UI and backend) will be clearly separated.

I am not familiar with PB options in this respect but in C++ such simple integration looks like:

Code:

class frame: public sciter::window {
public:
  frame() : window(SW_TITLEBAR | SW_RESIZEABLE | SW_CONTROLS | SW_MAIN | SW_ENABLE_DEBUG) {}

  // native functions exposed to UI script as view.helloWorld() and  view.nativeApi()
  BEGIN_FUNCTION_MAP
    FUNCTION_0("helloWorld", helloWorld);
    FUNCTION_0("nativeApi", native_api);
  END_FUNCTION_MAP

  sciter::string  helloWorld() { return WSTR("Hello u-minimal World"); }

};

#include "resources.cpp"

int uimain(std::function<int()> run ) {

  sciter::archive::instance().open(aux::elements_of(resources)); // bind resources[] (defined in "resources.cpp") with the archive

  frame *pwin = new frame();

  // note: this:://app URL is dedicated to the sciter::archive content associated with the application

  pwin->load( WSTR("this://app/main.htm") );
  //pwin->load( WSTR("file:///home/andrew/Desktop/test.htm") );

  pwin->expand();

  return run();

}

Kiffi · **Posted:** Tue Aug 07, 2018 9:33 pm

Hello Andrew,

thank you very much for your support! Now it's our turn.

Greetings ... Peter

Kukulkan · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2018 7:26 am

I definitely would be willing to spend some extra money on this!

forumuser · **Joined:** Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:24 am **Posts:** 98

Quote:

I definitely would be willing to spend some extra money on this!

Me too

Bitblazer · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2018 8:12 am

Kukulkan wrote:

I definitely would be willing to spend some extra money on this!

+1

LuckyLuke · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2018 8:57 am

Kukulkan wrote:

I definitely would be willing to spend some extra money on this!

Me too.

idle · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2018 9:14 am

I think sciter looks great but It could take 2 to 3 of weeks to import and wrap for PB, I'm kind of available
if anyone wants to sponsor it but I also looked at it doing it earlier and in the time that it would have taken
to import, wrap and test it, I was already serving html5 to the IE webgadget or the users web browser with
any Js framework, SSL, WebSockets and the added convenience of a server side PB html preprocessor
and very soon an integrated in memory DB. So yeah nah it's really tempting but it's a lot of work for a library
that's got a limited amount of utility which isn't free, but I'll happily import and wrap it for a fee.

the.weavster · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2018 2:13 pm

Have a look at Mousehole

forumuser · **Joined:** Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:24 am **Posts:** 98

@idle

Can you explain what we'd get if you do it (for a fee)?
A cross-platform module that we can easily include and
which wraps the internals of sciter into easy to use functions
so that we can focus on GUI design and not prototypes, C library
stuff, etc.?

I really want to see this happening so if you can tell me
(either in public or via pm) how much do you want and
@all_others_who_are_interested:
Please write me a pm as well and how much you're willing
to pay.

I would collect the money afterwards and send it to idle
(either via bank transfer or paypal)... This is just an offer.
If a known user with a longer membership on this forum
wants to do this instead: You're welcome!

Number of people who already contacted me via pm (and an offer): 1

Regards,
forumuser

normeus · **Joined:** Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:09 pm **Posts:** 299

Sciter32.dll was mentioned on a couple of posts a few years ago.
It is free if you don't want any warranties or static linking.

privateamerica posted this test code modified from HanPBF post.

https://www.purebasic.fr/english/viewtopic.php?p=524960#p524960

it runs, just make sure you have a "test.html" with html, javascript code:
minimal.htm from sciter examples

Code:

<html>
  <head>
    <title></title>
    <style>
    
    html {
      background: radial-gradient(75% 75%, circle farthest-side, white, orange, rgb(0,0,204));
      //background: #f00;
      color:#fff;
    }
    
    html:rtl {
      mapping: left-to-right(background);
    }
    
    
    //body { 
    //  size:*;
    //  overflow:auto; 
    //}
    
    </style>
    <script type="text/tiscript">

/*    
      stdout.println("minimal demo started");
    
      $(#machine).text = Sciter.machineName();
      
      var counter = 0;
      
      $(button#append).on("click", function(){
      
        //var newElem = new Element("H1", (++counter).toString());
        //$(body).append( newElem );

        $(body).$append(<h1#test>{++counter }</h1>);
        
      
      });
      
      $(button#open).on("click", function(){
      
        var fn = view.selectFile(#open,
          "HTML Files (*.htm,*.html)|*.HTM;*.HTML|All Files (*.*)|*.*" , "html" );
     
      }); */

      event keydown (evt) {
        if( evt.keyCode == Event.VK_F5 ) {
          view.load( view.root.url() ); // reload it
        }
      }
      
      function self.ready() {
        var w = self.intrinsicWidthMax();
        var h = self.intrinsicHeight(w);
        view.move(100,100,w,h,true);
        view.connectToInspector(); // connect to inspector 
      }
    
    </script>
  </head>
<body>

<h1>Minimal Sciter Application</h1>
<!--    <p>Running on <em #machine /> machine</p>
  
  <button #append>Append</button> 
  <button #open>Open</button> 
  <select>
    <option>First</option>
    <option>Second</option>
    <option>Third</option>
  </select> -->
  
  <input|text #first novalue="{text}">
  <input|password #second novalue="{password}">
  
  <p>test of generated image: <img src="in-memory:test"> </p>
  <p>Connects to inspector automatically, so inspector should be running.</p>
  <p>Press F5 to reload the document in window.</p>


</body>
</html>

BUT, at this point you will have to learn HTML and javascript to make it look nice.
You should take a look at JHPJHP "Embed JS into PureBasic"
https://www.purebasic.fr/english/viewtopic.php?p=473965#p473965
if you don't mind using javascript for your interface.
You could probably use Bootstrap and make your interface responsive.

Thank you.
Norm.

idle · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2018 12:18 am

forumuser wrote:

@idle

Can you explain what we'd get if you do it (for a fee)?
A cross-platform module that we can easily include and
which wraps the internals of sciter into easy to use functions
so that we can focus on GUI design and not prototypes, C library
stuff, etc.?

I really want to see this happening so if you can tell me
(either in public or via pm) how much do you want and
@all_others_who_are_interested:
Please write me a pm as well and how much you're willing
to pay.

I would collect the money afterwards and send it to idle
(either via bank transfer or paypal)... This is just an offer.
If a known user with a longer membership on this forum
wants to do this instead: You're welcome!

Number of people who already contacted me via pm (and an offer): 1

Regards,
forumuser

Hi forumuser

I said it could take 2 to 3 weeks to do and at my cheapest rate of nzd $45 p/h
it's probably more than the community would be willing to pay. ~$2500 - 4000k
Would be a different story if I was going to use it myself, then I'd already have done it.

Fred has indicated that he's willing to look into Sciter so maybe add up what people are willing to pay
and ask Fred to do it instead.

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