Code First Approach

[funcoder]

I don’t know if its just the way my mind works but I am finding it easier to develop a page using the split view and coding it. For some reason when I use the design surface and dialogs I just get in a mess with my UI.

So I code in the editor and validate my coding by seeing the visual changes on the design surface. Since I started this approach this week I find myself a lot more productive in the IDE.

It would be really good to see some documentation for coders like me, where you can get syntax and information on dmx attributes, unless there is such a thing and I was not aware of it.

Does anyone else develop their sites like this?

[Antony]

Yes, that is exactly what I do!

I’ve slowly created a “code snippets” document which I copy dmx code from and paste into my app.

[nickneustroev]

Hi, Jonathan!

You are not alone here with it. I’m also primarily using Split view and edit my expressions directly via code.
And the funny thing is, I haven’t any programming background.
I would be happy to use only visual programming tools. But the fact is currently in Wappler it would be ineffective and unstable.

So I feel like I’m stuck between visual coding and normal coding and neither of it works properly. But coding approach at least relatively fast.

I’ve raised this issue already and got some positive feedback from the community.

Instant inline editing for data binding input

PROBLEM: I prefer not to use the data format popup and usually I write and edit data formats by hand in code. And actually it doesn’t bother me to deal with the code in such cases despite the fact that I’m not have a coding background. The problem here is that usually it takes some time to reach out the code of the exact attribute/event/etc. First you should click the binding button. Then you wait till the “Data Binding” modal shows up. Then you click “Code”. Then you edit code and after that…

But sadly changes in Wappler were going in the opposite direction.

Editing expressions via code directly is officially forbidden now?

I was not satisfied with the way how visual editing of expressions works in Wappler. So I used a “hybrid” approach, when I combined working with it both visually and via code. But seems like it is impossible now. Say, I have an expression data1 && data2 Now, when I open it in Data Bindings in Code Mode, it shows like data1&&data2 And when I save it, it shows in page code like data1&&data2 Obviously, I can’t work with that neither in the Data Bindings code nor in the page code. …

This issue was raised and discussed here again.

Redesign concept for Properties Panel of page elements

I have some ideas how we can improve the current Properties panel for page elements. 1. If you prefer when the Properties panel takes only half of the monitor height, then you know the struggle of necessity to often scroll down to the bottom of the panel and to the top again. To resolve this I propose to place tabs on the top of the panel. These tabs quickly scroll you to the corresponding part of the panel. [1] 2. Current titles for Sections not doing a good job in visually separating the …

You can find George’s answer here.
His main point was:

@George

I know you keep promoting the idea of more code areas, but the think is that in those data pickers - 99% of the cases you are just picking one dynamic data field and that’s it. Simple direct data binding.
There is almost never need for complex expressions. Highly that you have to add a formatter only.

And in those databinding cases the user only occasionally want only to prefix and suffix the data binding with a string. Like image path prefix.

From my personal view this is the opposite of how my work in Wappler goes.

So all this situation has shown me that there is a big difference between how I and many other users see the effective work in Wappler and how Wappler Team sees that.

[Notum]

99.99% of the time while developing I’m in Design view.

[sitestreet]

I work in split view but if you’re spending most of your time in the code then you must be missing out on the very speed and simplicity of Wappler that makes it so good.