JFormDesigner 3 introduces more than 60 new features and enhancements. This topic describes some of the significant or more interesting changes. Please have a look at the change log for a complete list of changes.
|
|
Eclipse plug-in | The Eclipse
plug-in fully integrates JFormDesigner into Eclipse.![]() |
|
|
IntelliJ IDEA plug-in | The IntelliJ
IDEA plug-in fully integrates JFormDesigner into IntelliJ IDEA.![]() |
|
|
Convert IntelliJ IDEA forms | JFormDesigner can convert IntelliJ IDEA forms (.form files) to JFormDesigner forms. Stand-alone: Either select File > Import from the main menu or drag .form files to the JFormDesigner window. IDE plug-ins: Right-click on the form file and select Convert to JFormDesigner Form from the popup menu. |
|
|
IntelliJ IDEA GridLayout support | The IntelliJ
IDEA GridLayout manager is supported to
make it
easier to migrate forms, which were created with IntelliJ IDEA's GUI
builder.![]() |
|
|
Project manager | The stand-alone edition of JFormDesigner now includes a simple project manager that allows you to use project specific source folders and classpaths. The IDE plug-ins use the IDE projects. |
|
|
Improved Localization support | JFormDesigner's advanced localization support has been
further improved:
|
|
|
Resizing of columns/rows | You can now use the headers to change the (minimum)
size of a column/row. Click near the right edge of a column/row and
drag it.![]() |
|
|
Nest in Container | The "Nest in Container" command allows you to
nest selected components in a new container (usually a JPanel).
Right-click on a component in the Design
or Structure view and select Nest
in JPanel from the popup menu. The new container gets the same layout manager as the old container
and is placed at the same location where the selected components were
located. For grid-based layout managers, the new container gets columns
and rows and the layout
constraints of the selected components is preserved.![]() ![]() |
|
|
Move and resize using keyboard in null layout | In null Layout manager you can now move selected components with Ctrl+ArrowKey and change size with Shift+ArrowKey. All alignment commands have now keyboard shortcuts. |
|
|
Improved update of generated Java code | The Java code generator now better updates the
source code:
|
|
|
New Java code generation options | The Java code generator supports various new
options:
|
|
|
Java 5 support | The Java code generator can generate source code that uses Java 5 language features (e.g. auto-boxing, @Override, etc). You can also use Java 5 enums as property values and set annotations for component variables. |
|
|
Extended Choose Bean dialog | The Choose
Bean dialog now has an additional tab named "JARs", which allows
you to select classes that are marked as JavaBean in
the JAR's manifest. The provider of the component JAR can mark some
classes as JavaBean in the manifest file. Popular 3rd party component
libraries like MiG Calendar
or JIDE components use this to
make it easier to find the few classes, which can be used in GUI
builders, in libraries that contain hundreds of classes.![]() |
|
|
Client properties support | You can now use client properties. They can be
defined in the Client
Properties preferences and set in the Properties view.![]() |
|
|
TableModel editor enhanced | The enhanced TableModel editor now provides more features necessary for prototyping: predefined values for columns, use Date as column type, specification of preferred/minimum/maximum column widths, resizable flag. |
|