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diff --git a/doc/kommander/introduction.docbook b/doc/kommander/introduction.docbook new file mode 100644 index 00000000..7b40475a --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/kommander/introduction.docbook @@ -0,0 +1,134 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?> + +<chapter id="introduction"> +<chapterinfo> +<title>Introduction</title> +<authorgroup> +<author> +<firstname>Eric</firstname> +<surname>Laffoon</surname> +<affiliation> +<address><email>sequitur@kde.org</email></address> +</affiliation> +</author> + +<!-- TRANS:ROLES_OF_TRANSLATORS --> + +</authorgroup> +</chapterinfo> + +<title>Introduction</title> + +<para> +&kommander; is a visual dialog building tool which can be used to create +full mainwindow applications, provided the window is initially created in Qt Designer +or from a template in &kommander;. The primary objective is to create as much +functionality as possible with the absolute minimum use of scripting. This is +provided by the following features: +</para> +<note><para>Please note this document includes legacy documentation for compatibility reasons. In a nutshell &kommander; offers extremely rapid development and extensive abilities and capabilities. Following is a new list, followed by the legacy content.</para></note> + +<itemizedlist> +<listitem> +<para><emphasis>Capable internal scripting</emphasis> - &kommander; now offers nested logic structures, simple arrays and useful functions </para> +</listitem> +<listitem><para> +<emphasis>Function Browsers</emphasis> - One never need know exact syntax for any function or command, just click the button and point and click your way to a functional program. Even the project lead finds it easier than typos much of the time.</para> +</listitem> +<listitem><para> +<emphasis>Extensive widgets</emphasis> - &kommander; now has a tree/detail widget, spreadsheet like table widget, font dialog, color dialog, about dialog, timer, tab widgets, toolbox, popup menus, date picker and a lot more. </para> +</listitem> +<listitem> +<para><emphasis>Plugins</emphasis> - &kommander; can run easy to create plugins. Plugins as of this writing are a database plugin offering a set of non visual tools, an HTTP plugin offering HTTPS and access to password protected areas and a KPart loader. +</para></listitem> +<listitem> +<para><emphasis>Scripting language support</emphasis> - The ability to run multiple scripting language in &kommander; scripts, inside your dialog +</para></listitem> +<listitem> +<para><emphasis>KPart creation</emphasis> - the ability to make your own plugins... and stranger yet you can even make a &kommander; window load a dialog as a KPart and directly access it with &kommander; functions! +</para></listitem> +</itemizedlist> +<para>Look for documentation on tips and tricks like how to make &kommander; fake programming techniques like including a file, creating and using custom widgets, making collapsable panels in windows and other unexpected tricks. Below is our legacy list.</para> +<itemizedlist> + + +<listitem><para>Specials are prefaced with an <quote>@</quote> like @widgetText. The offer +special features like the value of a widget, functions, aliases, global +variables and such.</para></listitem> + + +<listitem><para>&DCOP; integration allows &kommander; dialogs to control and be +controlled in interactions with other &kde; applications. It is a very powerful +feature!</para></listitem> + +<listitem><para>Signals and Slots is a little less intuitive to a new user. It is +under review for how we process things in the first major release. These +offer a limited event model for when a button is pushed or a widget is +changed. Combined with <quote>Population Text</quote> it is rather powerful.</para></listitem> +</itemizedlist> + +<para> +The central key feature of &kommander; dialogs is that you can bind text +(&kommander; Text) to a widget. So if you have @widget1 and @widget2 and +they are line edits you can set &kommander; to show their contents by +entering @widgetText in their &kommander; Text area. Then enter hello in +@widget1 and world in @widget2. A button can have the string +My first @widget1 @widget2 program in &kommander; +If you run this dialog from a console it will output +My first hello world program in &kommander; +</para> + +<para> +Hopefully you begin to see a small glimmering of the potential. &kommander; +enables a much faster design model for simple applications because if allows +you to stop thinking so much about language and revert to the more basic and +natural conceptual model. In computers language is a means to define concepts +and as such it is a layer between concept and implementation that can impede +progress with minutia. &kommander; seeks to minimize that layer. +</para> + +<para> +&kommander; also seeks to build on standards. It is built on the &Qt; Designer +framework and creates *.ui files which it renames to *.kmdr. It can easily +import any &kde; widget and this can be done without having to rebuild +&kommander;, by using plugins. +</para> + +<para> +&kommander;'s other significant factor is how it addresses the requirements of +language. Computer languages can be wonderful things but they tend to have +their own dogmas and zealots often seeking to provide an advance to &GUI; +design in an integrated development environment. Ironically the acceptance +of such &IDE;s is limited by the number of people willing to adopt a new new +language to gain access to a desired feature. It is really not reasonable to +expect people to need to change over to a dozen languages to access various +feature sets. By being language neutral and allowing a &kommander; dialog to be +extended by using any scripting language &kommander; positions itself in a +unique position for wide spread adoption. Multiple script languages can be +used in a single dialog and applications can be taken over by people using +a different language than the original developer and gradually converting +and extending it. New widgets and features can be instantly leveraged by all +available languages. +</para> + +<para> +We hope that &kommander; begins to get the developer support and recognition +required to achieve the potential it offers. Our end goal is to make &kommander; +useful for novice users to extend and merge their applications. At the same +time it should become a good prototyping tool. Also it opens the door to the +promise of open source in a new way. We know that people can extend our GPL'd +programs, but the fact remains very few have the skills. With &kommander; those +numbers see a huge multiplier! Some applications may be most logical as a +&kommander; application. We already use it in areas we want to allow +extensibility in &quantaplus;. +</para> + +<para> +We hope you enjoy &kommander;. Please help us with bug reports and example +dialogs, as well as any requests you may have. You can join our <ulink url="http://mail.kdewebdev.org/mailman/listinfo/kommander">user list</ulink> +for help developing &kommander; applications. +</para> + +<para>Best Regards from the &kommander; development team!</para> + +</chapter> |