Hello,

The Swing Suite 1.9.1 final is available for download at
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html

Find details about the 1.9.1 contents in this announcement:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/JGoodies/message/24

There are a few differences between the 1.9.1 RC and the final.
I've updated the Binding to 2.0.6 and the Looks to 2.2.1.
The example application UIs have been slightly modified
to use more consistent menu item names and mnemonics.
The 1.9.1 final RELEASE-NOTES.txt now contains information
how to update from the Swing Suite 1.9.0 to the Suite 1.9.1.

I plan to ship a stable preview of the next Swing Suite
later in November where I extract the JSR 296-like Swing
application framework from the UIF to a separate library.
I'm disappointed about the no-progress in the JSR 296.
And I consider moving ahead with the JGoodies implementation
of the app framework, because some essential issues are
not even discussed in the mailing list of Sun's public
296 implementation. More information about that in the
announcement of the next Swing Suite.

I hope the Swing Suite 1.9.1 helps you work with Swing.
And I look forward to more improvements and simplifications
in the JGoodies libraries, tools and demos.

Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

Find below of a list of software updates, notes about major
changes in the JGoodies libs and apps, and the current roadmap.


UPDATES
The following software updates have been published:
o Binding 2.0.2, 2.0.3, 2.0.5
o Forms 1.2.1
o Looks 2.2.0
o UIF 1.9.1
o UIF Extras 1.9.1
o Validation 2.0.1
o Swing Suite 1.9.1 RC


IMPORTANT NOTE: To avoid duplicate and incompatible library
versions in your classpath, I strongly recommend to remove
library jars from the Java extension directory (<jre-home>/lib/ext).
See also https://looks.dev.java.net/faq.html#3.3


LIBRARY CHANGES
The most relevant change is in the Forms 1.2.x. It supports
a simpler syntax, layout variables, and prototype sizes.
However, it is layout compatible with previous versions,
so you can replace older library versions and get the same
layout. See the Forms 1.2 RELEASE-NOTES for details.

The Binding and Validation have seen minor improvements and
ship with slightly updated tutorial sources.

The UIF contains bug fixes and allows to avoid a memory leak
when using the JSR 296-like Action management, see method
Applicaton#clearActionMap. Also, new convenience code has been
added to the Application class.

The Looks 2.2.0 allow to tweak the automatic text selection
feature for text fields.


SWING SUITE CHANGES
The Swing Suite 1.9.1 is a maintenance release and shall be
compatible with the 1.9.0 version.

All example applications have been updated to use the new
Forms 1.2.x features, primarily the new syntax for bounded
sizes (e.g. "[75dlu, pref], $lcgap, pref, $rgap, pref") and
predefined layout variables. Also, many mnemonics have been
added to the editors, and menus and accelerators are more
consistent.

It seems that the 1.9.1 release candidate is production ready;
it contains no known problems. Most likely, I'll rename it
to 1.9.1 and release it later in August.


MIGRATION
You can just replace the 1.9.0 library versions by the
versions contained in the 1.9.1 build. However, the example
applications use new features such as the UIF's PanelBuilder2.
The above notes will be merged into the Swing Suite release notes.


DOWNLOADS
The Swing Suite 1.9.1 RC is available from the JGoodies
product download page; access is password protected
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html


ROADMAP
Next planned updates are the Forms 1.3 (based on Java 1.4),
Looks 2.3, and later the Swing Suite 2.0.

During the past year I've been working on new and exciting
JGoodies libraries that I keep under the hood until the APIs,
implementations, and docs are stable enough that I can manage
to ship them to a wider audience. The new libraries are in the
"JGoodies Smart Client" that you can see on the product download
page. I currently ship it only to a limited number of consulting
clients. The Swing Suite and the Smart Client shall be merged
next year. Therefore I plan to extract the JSR 296 implementation
from the UIF and move it to a separate library, as is already
the case in the Smart Client's UIF2. I'll provide more information
about this topic here in the announcement mailing list.


MISC
I've added a new presentation to the JGoodies articles page,
"Efficient Swing Design" that is about getting consistent
Swing design at affordable costs. It contains a whole bunch
of screenshots that show three meta designs: for read-only views,
two-column editors, and decent task/message/question dialogs.
See http://www.jgoodies.com/articles/


Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

The Swing Suite 1.9.0 final is available for download at
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html

Find details about the 1.9 contents in this announcement
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/JGoodies/message/22

There are a few differences between the 1.9 RC and the final.
I've fixed bugs in the UIF and UIF Extras. The UIF Release Notes
now contain migration information and they describe how the UIF's
application framework differs from the JSR 296 pre-"Early Draft"
prototype implementation version 0.5.1.

If you want to migrate an application based on the Suite 1.8
to version 1.9, then see the UIF Release Notes and follow the
instructions. If you migrate from an earlier Swing Suite, see
also the UIF Release Notes v1.8, v1.7, ...

I hope the Swing Suite helps you work with Swing. And
I look forward to more improvements and simplifications
in the JGoodies libraries, tools and demos.

Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

Find below of a list of software updates, notes about major
changes in the JGoodies libs and apps, and the current roadmap.


UPDATES
The following software updates have been published:
o Binding 1.3.2, 1.4.0, 2.0.1
o Forms 1.1.0
o Looks 2.1.4
o UIF 1.9.0 RC
o UIF Extras 1.9.0 RC
o Validation 2.0.0
o Swing Suite 1.9.0 RC


IMPORTANT NOTE: To avoid duplicate and incompatible library
versions in your classpath, I recommend to remove library jars
from the Java extension directory (<jre-home>/lib/ext).
See also https://looks.dev.java.net/faq.html#3.3


LIBRARY CHANGES
The Binding and Validation libraries have been moved to Java 5.
Key classes have been generified, and the sources use annotations
and the enhanced for loop. Both libraries contain incompatible
changes. The Binding 2.0.x also contains bug fixes. Validation 2.0
comes with new interfaces for self-validatable objects (Validatable)
and for objects that validate other objects (Validator).
The Forms 1.1.0 is layout compatible with the 1.0.x series;
it primarily cleans up the API and adds a few features.
The Looks 2.1.4 look better on Windows Vista with Java 6 update 1.
For more information see the library release notes.


SWING SUITE CHANGES
The Swing Suite 1.9 is the next step towards the JSR 296
"Swing Application Framework". The JGoodies UIF, UIF Extras and
all examples use a new action management. And several parts
have been moved to Java 5 and use the new language features.

The JGoodies UIF and the JSR 296 address: application lifecycle,
resource management, action management, and persisting UI state.
The JSR has not reached the "Early Draft" review state of the
Java Community Process. However, some concepts are stable and
already supercede solutions used in older Swing Suite versions.

The Swing Suite version 1.9 manages actions much like the current
JSR 296 prototype implementation. See the UIF Release Notes
for details.

All example applications have been updated to use the new resource
organization. Skeleton Pro 1.9.5 is the reference application
for the UIF 1.9. It is recommended to study the new Skeleton Pro
@Action methods in the MainModel and NavigationModel classes
and their action definitions in file SkeletonPro.properties.
Also, learn how to lookup Actions using the ApplicationContext
methods #getActionMap and #getAction. The next planned Swing Suite
versions will further move the examples to Java 5.


MIGRATION
There are different strategies how to move your projects towards
the JSR 296 and towards future Swing Suite versions. You can
refactor your projects step-by-step as new Swing Suite versions
appear, or you can jump to a future Swing Suite that'll include
an implementation of the final JSR 296.

The current release notes lack migration information that will be
included in the Swing Suite 1.9 final. However, the new Action
management is quite simple (Annotation plus lookup), and if you
study the Actions in Skeleton Pro - as mentioned above - you should
be able to migrate your projects to version 1.9.


NEW DISTRIBUTION CONTENT
The JDiskReport example application has been completely overhauled.
It is now significantly smaller and much easier to understand.
JDiskReport 2 will replace the combination of JDiskReport 1 and
JPathReport that shipped with previous Swing Suite releases.

The current build is a very early prototype that is available only
to Swing Suite licensees; please do not publish or show this build.
I've included it for learning purposes only. The sources use
and demonstrate the Presentation Model pattern, and all techniques
available in the Swing Suite. However, the preview build doesn't
really work - it is much more raw than other JGoodies tools.

It took about 40 hours to get to the current JDiskReport 2 build.
Basically it's a rewrite based on the UIF 1.9 lifecycle, resource
organization and action management plus Presentation Model pattern.
I'm satisfied with this production speed. And I've found that teams
I work with understand the new resource and action management quickly
and can produce applications faster than before.


MISC
The Swing Suite 1.9.0 Release Candidate seems to be stable.
If no show stoppers come up, this RC will become the 1.9 final.
The final shall include migration information and an updated
JDiskReport build.

If you have recently purchased the Swing Suite, I recommend
to download this release candidate and study the Skeleton Pro
version 1.9.5. It's easier to understand than previous versions.


DOWNLOADS
The Swing Suite 1.9.0 RC is available from the JGoodies
product download page; access is password protected
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html


ROADMAP
Next planned updates are the Forms 1.2 (based on Java 1.4),
and the Swing Suite 2.0. The Suite 2.0 example applications
shall use more Java 5 features.


Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

The Swing Suite 1.8.0 final is now available for download at:
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html

Find details about the 1.8 final in the 1.8 RC announcement:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/JGoodies/message/20

There are a few differences between the 1.8 RC and the final:
it ships the Looks 2.1.3, fixes a bug in Skeleton Pro 1.9.1 RC,
and JDiskReport/JPathReport have a main window that works
a bit better on Windows Vista. The UIF 1.8 final contains
a ResourceMap implementation that supports variable expansion.
And all tools and demos that are built on top of the UIF
use this new variable expansion.


MIGRATION
I recommend to study the Swing Suite Release Notes, the
UIF Release Notes, and the Skeleton Pro application, which
is the reference demo for the Swing Suite 1.8. Have a look
at the Skeleton Pro application properties file, which
contains Action descriptions, resources, resource paths,
and demonstrates the new variable expansion.


SUPPORT FOR JAVA 1.4
I'd like to know how many customers still need support
for Java 1.4, so I can better balance my efforts between
older and newer Java versions. I should appreciate if those
who need the UIF and UIF Extras for Java 1.4 send me an
email to karsten@... where you shortly describe
your path to Java 5.


I hope the Swing Suite helps you work with Swing,
and I look forward to an exciting year for the
JGoodies libraries, tools and demos.

Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

Find below of a list of software updates, notes about major
changes in the JGoodies libs and apps, and the current roadmap.


UPDATES
The following software updates have been published:
o Binding 1.3.1
o Looks 2.1.2
o UIF 1.8.0 RC
o UIF Extras 1.8.0 RC
o Validation 1.4.0
o Swing Suite 1.8.0 RC


IMPORTANT NOTE: To avoid duplicate and incompatible library
versions in your classpath, I recommend to remove library jars
from the Java extension directory (<jre-home>/lib/ext).
See also https://looks.dev.java.net/faq.html#3.3


LIBRARY CHANGES
The Binding 1.3.1 allows to extend class BeanAdapter and
to customize the BeanAdapter creation in PresentationModels.
The Looks 2.1.2 contains minor bug fixes and improvements.
The Validation 1.4.0 allows to associate multiple message
keys with Swing components.


SWING SUITE CHANGES
The Swing Suite 1.8 is the next step towards the JSR 296
"Swing Application Framework". The JGoodies UIF, UIF Extras
and examples use a new resource management.

The JGoodies UIF and the JSR 296 address: application lifecycle,
resource management, action management, and persisting UI state.
The JSR has not reached the "Early Draft" review state of the
Java Community Process. However, some concepts are stable and
already supercede solutions used in older Swing Suite versions.

The Swing Suite version 1.8 manages resources much like the current
JSR 296 prototype implementation. The UIF's application lifecycle
has been slightly changed, and the UIF class names and resource keys
are now closer to the JSR prototype. The UIF's action management
and UI state persistency mechanism are almost unchanged.

All example applications have been updated to use the new resource
organization. Skeleton Pro 1.9.1 is the reference application
for the UIF 1.8. It is recommended to study the new Skeleton Pro
#main method, the SkeletonPro.properties, and the classes in
com.jgoodies.uif.application, especially the class ResourceMap.


MIGRATION
There are different strategies how to move your projects towards
the JSR 296 and towards this and future Swing Suite versions.
You can refactor your projects step-by-step as new Swing Suite
versions appear, or you can jump to a future Swing Suite that'll
include an implementation of the final JSR 296. See the UIF
Release Notes for details and for information how to migrate
to version 1.8.

The Swing Suite 1.8.0 Release Candidate seems to be stable.
If no show stoppers come up, this RC will become the 1.8 final.

If you have recently purchased the Swing Suite, I recommend
to download this release candidate and study the Skeleton Pro
version 1.9.1 RC. It's easier to understand than previous versions.


DOWNLOADS
The Swing Suite 1.8.0 RC is available from the JGoodies
product download page; access is password protected
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html


ROADMAP
I plan to add a few features to the JGoodies open source libs
before these will moved to Java 5. Next planned updates are
the Forms 1.1, Binding 1.4, and Swing Suite 1.9. - all which
shall still support Java 1.4. For more information see:
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/roadmap.html

The next planned Swing Suite versions will further move the UIF
towards the JSR 296. A Swing Suite 1.9 shall include an new action
management, and a Swing Suite 2.0 shall be based on Java 5, so
it can use Java annotations that are required for the JSR 296.


Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

Find below of a list of software updates, notes
about major changes in the JGoodies libs and apps,
the current roadmap, and license renewal information.


UPDATES
The following software updates have been published:
o Binding 1.2.0
o Looks 2.1.0
o UIF 1.7.0
o UIF Extras 1.7.0
o Swing Suite 1.7.0


IMPORTANT NOTE: To avoid duplicate and incompatible library
versions in your classpath, I recommend to remove library jars
from the Java extension directory (<jre-home>/lib/ext).
See also https://looks.dev.java.net/faq.html#3.3


CHANGES
The JGoodies Binding 1.2.0 includes a few improvements and
API extensions. The Looks 2.1 comes with improved support
for Windows Vista. The UIF 1.7 is an API cleanup and the first
step towards  the JSR 296 "Swing Application Framework".
All example apps have been updated to use a new boot mechanism.
They also use a new resource organization.


DOWNLOADS
The Swing Suite 1.7.0 is available from the JGoodies
product download page; access is password protected
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html
The separate downloads for the Binding 1.2.0 and Looks 2.1.0
will be made available this week.


ROADMAP
I plan to add a few important features to the JGoodies
open source libs, before these will moved to Java 5.
The UIF and Swing Suite example apps will be moved towards
the JSR 296 "Swing Application Framework". This shall be
done step by step, so you can choose whether you migrate
in smaller or in a larger step. The steps and development
speed depend on the progress made on the JSR 296.
    Next planned updates are the Forms 1.1, Binding 1.3,
Swing Suite 1.8 - all which shall still support Java 1.4.
For more information see:
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/roadmap.html
    I plan to publish an early preview of the Suite 1.8
later this week. To keep the traffic in this list small,
I won't announce the preview in this list. You may check
the product download page on Friday Dec 1st.


ON SWING SUITE LICENSE RENEWALS
Your Swing Suite license does not expire, and a renewal
is not necessary. However, a renewal is appreciated
to finance the maintenance and further improvements
of the Swing Suite and open source JGoodies libraries.
    The focus of the Swing Suite 1.7 is in the commercial
UIF 1.7. The example apps resources have been reorganized,
their behavior changed only little.
    Depending on the version you have, a renewal is more
or less interesting. Here's a table with the estimated
update importance. Importance to update from version:
1.6.1 - interesting
1.5.0 - interesting
1.4.1 - medium important
1.4.0 - medium important


HOW TO RENEW A SWING SUITE LICENSE
You can order a 1-year Swing Suite license renewal online at:
http://www.jgoodies.com/products/purchase.html
The renewal product is configured as abonnement that you can
cancel at any time, including immediately after the renewal.
I don't want to hook anybody into renewing the license.
Your initial Swing Suite purchase has already helped me
finance the JGoodies maintenance and support.


YOUR FEEDBACK
If you have questions or suggestions regarding
this mail, please post to the technical JGoodies list,
not to this low-traffic announcement list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JGoodies_unmoderated/


I hope you save time and money using the Swing Suite.
And I'm looking forward to an exciting development year
for the Swing Suite libraries and example applications.

Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

Find below of a list of software updates, notes
about major changes in the JGoodies libs and apps,
the current roadmap, and license renewal information.


UPDATES
The following software updates have been published:
o Looks 2.1.0 Beta1
o UIF 1.7.0 RC
o UIF Extras 1.7.0 RC
o Swing Suite 1.7.0 RC


IMPORTANT NOTE: To avoid duplicate and incompatible library
versions in your classpath, I recommend to remove library jars
from the Java extension directory (<jre-home>/lib/ext).
See also https://looks.dev.java.net/faq.html#3.3


CHANGES
The Looks 2.1 comes with improved support for Windows Vista.
The UIF 1.7 is an API cleanup and the first step towards
the JSR 296 "Swing Application Framework". All example apps
have been updated to use the new boot mechanism. They also
use a new resource organization.
    The Swing Suite 1.7.0 RC seems to be stable. Therefore
I can recommend to download this release candidate now,
if you're interested in the Swing Suite future. The difference
between the 1.7.0 RC and the final will be primarily in
the JavaDocs and HTML documentation of the Looks 2.1.
    If you have recently purchased the Swing Suite,
I recommend to download this release candidate and study
the Skeleton Pro 1.9.0 RC. It's even easier to understand
than version 1.8.


DOWNLOADS
The Swing Suite 1.7.0 RC is available from the JGoodies
product download page; access is password protected
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html


ROADMAP
I plan to add a few important features to the JGoodies
open source libs, before these will moved to Java 5.
The UIF and Swing Suite example apps will be moved towards
the JSR 296 "Swing Application Framework". This shall be
done step by step, so you can choose whether you migrate
in smaller or in a larger step. The steps and development
speed depend on the progress made on the JSR 296.
    Next planned updates are the Looks 2.1, Binding 1.2,
Forms 1.1, Binding 1.3, Swing Suite 1.8 - all which shall
still support Java 1.4. For more information see:
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/roadmap.html


ON SWING SUITE LICENSE RENEWALS
Your Swing Suite license does not expire, and a renewal
is not necessary. However, a renewal is appreciated
to finance the maintenance and further improvements
of the Swing Suite and open source JGoodies libraries.
    The focus of the Swing Suite 1.7 is in the commercial
UIF 1.7. The example apps resources have been reorganized,
their behavior changed only little.
    Depending on the version you have, a renewal is more or less
interesting. Here's a table with the estimated update importance.
Importance to update from version:
1.6.1 - interesting
1.5.0 - interesting
1.4.1 - medium important
1.4.0 - medium important


LICENSE RENEWAL PRICES
I've slightly increased the license renewal prices, and
plan to increase them a bit more later this month. The
renewal price shall reflect how much you benefit from
the updated Swing Suite. And I expect that the Suite
will change significantly over the next year, and that
it'll cost quite a lot of time to generify the libraries
and example apps, and to move the Suite to the JSR 296.


HOW TO RENEW A SWING SUITE LICENSE
You can order a 1-year Swing Suite license renewal online at:
http://www.jgoodies.com/products/purchase.html
The renewal product is configured as abonnement that you can
cancel at any time, including immediately after the renewal.
I don't want to hook anybody into renewing the license.
Your initial Swing Suite purchase has already helped me
finance the JGoodies maintenance and support.


YOUR FEEDBACK
If you have questions or suggestions regarding
this mail, please post to the technical JGoodies list,
not to this low-traffic announcement list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JGoodies_unmoderated/


I hope you save time and money using the Swing Suite.
And I'm looking forward to an exciting development year
for the Swing Suite libraries and example applications.

Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

Find below of a list of software updates, notes
about major changes in the JGoodies libs and apps,
the current roadmap, and license renewal information.


UPDATES
The following software updates have been published:
o Binding 1.1.2
o Looks 2.0.4
o UIF 1.6.1
o UIF Extras 1.6.1
o Skeleton 1.8.2
o Skeleton Pro 1.8.2
o Swing Suite 1.6.1

IMPORTANT NOTE: To avoid duplicate and incompatible library
versions in your classpath, I recommend to remove library jars
from the Java extension directory (<jre-home>/lib/ext).
See also https://looks.dev.java.net/faq.html#3.3


CHANGES
The Looks 2.0.4 fixes a loop in the Windows password field
on Java 5; the Binding 1.1.2 fixes a potential deadlock in the
ExtendedPropertyChangeSupport. The UIF and UIF Extras have been
slightly improved. All library changes are binary compatible.

Skeleton (Pro) 1.8.2 fixes a broken action enablement.
All Swing Suite example applications have been updated
to use the most recent JGoodies libraries.


DOWNLOADS
The Swing Suite 1.6.1 is available from the JGoodies
product download page; access is password protected
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html


ON SWING SUITE LICENSE RENEWALS
Your Swing Suite license does not expire, and a renewal
is not necessary. However, a renewal is appreciated
to finance the maintenance and further improvements
of the Swing Suite and open source JGoodies libraries.
    Most changes in the Swing Suite 1.6.1 are in the open source
libraries that you can download at no charge from java.net.
The example apps didn't change that much. Except a simple
fix in the Skeleton (Pro) action enablement.
    Depending on the version you have, a renewal is more or less
interesting. Here's a table with the estimated update importance.
Importance to update from version:
1.6.0 - very little
1.5.0 - little
1.4.1 - little
1.4.0 - medium
1.3.0 - significant


HOW TO RENEW A SWING SUITE LICENSE
You can order a 1-year Swing Suite license renewal online at:
http://www.jgoodies.com/products/purchase.html
The renewal products are still not configured as intended.
These are abonnements that you can cancel at any time,
where they should be a one-time payment like the base licenses.
I don't want to hook anybody into renewing the license.
Your initial Swing Suite purchase has already helped me
finance the JGoodies maintenance and support.


ROADMAP
Next planned updates are the Looks 2.1, Forms 1.1 and
Binding 1.2 - all which shall still support Java 1.4.
I plan to publish an updated Swing Suite 1.7 that just
includes these updated library versions. For details
about the planned library features see the previous
announcement.

I'm in the process of overhauling the application API to:
1) use Java 5 annotations where appropriate, and
2) move it towards the JSR 296 "Application Framework".
I'm satisfied with the new Action and resource management,
and will publish a prototype of the Skeleton Pro app
that uses the new API later this year.


YOUR FEEDBACK
If you have questions or suggestions regarding
this mail, please post to the technical JGoodies list,
not to this low-traffic announcement list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JGoodies_unmoderated/


Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

Find below of a list of software updates, notes
about major changes in the JGoodies libs and apps,
the current roadmap, and license renewal information.


UPDATES
The following software updates have been published:
o Animation 1.2
o Looks 2.0.3
o UIF 1.6.0
o UIF Extras 1.6.0
o Validation 1.2 and 1.3
o Swing Suite 1.6.0
o BookFinder 0.9.8
o Updated tools and demos


IMPORTANT NOTE: To avoid duplicate and incompatible library
versions in your classpath, I recommend to remove library jars
from the Java extension directory (<jre-home>/lib/ext).
See also https://looks.dev.java.net/faq.html#3.3


MAJOR CHANGES
The Forms 1.0.7 fixes a show stopper for Turkish locales.
It is recommended to update your Forms version.

The Looks 2.0.3 has been improved for the Windows Vista
Beta2, and it works around a bug in Mustang (1.6.0) b88
that shall be fixed in the b91. The Mustang Beta2 is b86.
Plastic uses "Experience Royale" as default theme on XP,
if the "Royale" skin is active. Royale is a beautiful
XP theme that Microsoft provides at no charge.

The Validation 1.2 and 1.3 are a series of updates
towards a slightly cleaner API. It is recommended to
use the most recent 1.3 version, but 1.2 is available
at java.net for those who want more compatibility with
the 1.1.x series.

The UIF and UIF Extras now use the Looks 2.x API
and are binary incompatible with previous releases.
Both libraries contain a few more incompatibel changes,
and it is recommended to check their Release Notes.

A bug has been fixed in the Animation library that
may affect very short animations, like the blend-over
effect in the BookFinder's header. And the tutorial
has been overhauled.

The BookFinder has been synchronized with the current
Amazon.com web service; in other words, it works again.

All example applications have been updated to use
the recent JGoodies libraries. Actually the Animation
bug fix has made it only into the precompiled BookFinder.


DISTRIBUTION CHANGES
The sources for the UIF, UIF Extras, and Animation library
now ship as a source tree, not as a Zip archive.


DOWNLOADS
The Swing Suite 1.6 is available from the JGoodies
product download page; access is password protected
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html


ON SWING SUITE LICENSE RENEWALS
Your Swing Suite license does not expire, and a renewal
is not necessary. However, a renewal is appreciated
to finance the maintenance and further improvements
of the Swing Suite and open source JGoodies libraries.
    Most changes in the Swing Suite 1.6 are in the open source
libraries that you can download at no charge from java.net.
The example apps didn't change that much. Except the BookFinder,
they primarily use the most recent libraries. And the new
BookFinder works, but the old is good for learning purposes.
    Depending on the version you have, a renewal is more or less
interesting. Here's a table with the estimated update importance.
Importance to Update from Version:
1.5.0 - minor
1.4.1 - little
1.4.0 - medium
1.3.0 - significant


HOW TO RENEW A SWING SUITE LICENSE
You can order a 1-year Swing Suite license renewal online at:
http://www.jgoodies.com/products/purchase.html
The renewal products are still not configured as intended.
These are abonnements that you can cancel at any time,
where they should be a one-time payment like the base licenses.
I don't want to hook anybody into renewing the license.
Your initial Swing Suite purchase has already helped me
finance the JGoodies maintenance and support.


ROADMAP
The Looks 2.1 will implement my proposal for Java 7
regarding a customizable micro layout: insets,
component sizes, font baseline positions, etc.
If this will be accepted for Java 7, the changes
I made could be integrated into the Java 7 core.
    Because the Looks 2.1 are then feature complete,
I consider dropping support for Java 1.4 after
version 2.1. Sun may backport Java 6 improvements
to the Java 1.5.0 update 8 or 9. These two things
together would significantly shrink down future
distributions of the JGoodies Looks.

The Forms 1.1 brings some bug fixes but focus on
improvements requested by vendors of visual builders.
I plan to ship version 1.1 by the end of August.
Version 1.2 shall offer new features: support for
perceived bounds, custom layout variables, and
customizable prototype strings in layout specs.

The next Binding versions shall get more tutorial
examples as part of my work in the expert group
of the JSR 295 "Beans Binding". I want to demonstrate
real-world problems the Binding already addresses,
to ensure that the JSR 295 reference implementation
can do, what the JGoodies Binding offers now.

The JGoodies UIF will follow the work made in the JSR 296,
"Swing Application Framework". I'm not allowed to disclose
information from the expert group, but most likely many
things will be made visible to the public as a project
at java.net. These features will make it into the UIF,
if they are not already included. Or the UIF may slightly
change to follow the JSR 296 RI syntax and wordings.
On the other hand, I will rename UIF features only,
if the JSR 296 RI is stable.

I plan to rewrite JDiskReport for Java 6. It shall be
easier to understand and shall get a more modern look.
Therefore I'll drop JPathReport and will then officially
include the BookFinder app as a Swing Suite example.


YOUR FEEDBACK
If you have questions or suggestions regarding
this mail, please post to the technical JGoodies list,
not to this low-traffic announcement list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JGoodies_unmoderated/


Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

I've released the JGoodies Swing Suite 1.5 final.
It is available from the product download page:
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html

You can find a list of software updates, notes about
major changes in the JGoodies libs and apps, and
information about Swing Suite license renewals here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JGoodies/message/13
The detailed change information are in the individual
RELEASE-NOTES.txt of the contained libraries and apps.

The 1.5 final includes step-by-step instructions
for setting up a Skeleton Pro Eclipse project
with screenshots for the classpath variables dialog,
the import of sources and resources, the build path,
and compiler settings. The 1.5 final also includes
a pre-configured Eclipse project for Skeleton Pro 1.8.0.

You can find these additions in the "Getting Started"
section of the Swing Suite's README.html.

Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

Swing Suite users have contacted me regarding
strange errors messages they experienced with
Skeleton Pro in the Swing Suite 1.5 Beta and RC.

These problems were due to Eclipse compiler bugs,
wrong Eclipse project/global setups, and problems
with incompatible classes in extension directories.


ECLIPSE COMPILER BUGS

If you are using Eclipse to compile JGoodies apps
with Java 1.5 as target environment, I *strongly*
recommend to update at least to Eclipse 3.1.2.
For a list of the many 1.5 compiler bugs see here:
http://tinyurl.com/nx9wo

I personally work with the Eclipse 3.2M5; for me
it works as good as the latest stable version 3.1.2.
But I use only a few third-party plugins, all which
are available for the 3.2 stream.


ECLIPSE COMPILATION SETTINGS

If compile against the Java 1.5 core library,
you should configure the compiler target to 1.5
(JDK compliance level in Eclipse). Otherwise Eclipse
may generate code that throws NPEs at locations
where you won't expect an NPE, for example in a line:
      if (aField == null) { return };
If you get NPEs like that, please check, if you
can run the precompiled Swing Suite examples in
your environment. If so, have a look at the compilation
setup, compiler target and core library version.


JAVA EXTENSION DIRECTORIES

Last but not least, use the Java extension directory
mechanism judicously. If you put a JAR file in such
an extension directory, the JAR's classes will be
added to the classpath after the core classes but
before all custom classes. Hence an old class in
the extension directory will override a newer version
that is in your application JAR. Incompatible JARs
may lead to class loading problems, such as
ClassNotFoundException, MissingFieldException, etc.

The other way round, you can safely add JARs
to the extension directory, if you can ensure
that no application JAR contains a modified
version of that JAR. But in most cases it is
easier to add a library JAR to the custom classpath.

In most Java runtime environments, there's only
a single Extension Directory: <jre-home>/lib/ext/

Hope this helps.
Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

P.S.: If no show stoppers come up, I'll turn
the Swing Suite 1.5 RC into the final this Friday.

Hello,

Find below of a list of software updates, notes
about major changes in the JGoodies libs and apps,
and information about Swing Suite license renewals.


UPDATES
The following software updates have been published:
o Binding 1.1.1
o Looks 2.0.1
o UIF 1.5.0
o UIF Extras 1.5.0
o Swing Suite 1.5.0 Release Candidate
o Looks Demo 2.0.1
o Skeleton 1.8.0
o Skeleton Pro 1.8.0


IMPORTANT NOTE: To avoid duplicate and incompatible library
versions in your classpath, I recommend to remove library
jars from the Java extension directory (<jre-home>/lib/ext).
For more information on that issue see the Looks FAQ #1.7.


MAJOR CHANGES
The Swing Suite 1.5 Release Candidate is now available.
It is a stable build; if no show stopper comes up,
it'll be renamed and published as the Swing Suite 1.5.

The Swing Suite 1.5 RC includes the recent JGoodies libraries.
The Looks, Binding, and Validation updates contain binary
incompatible API changes. The Looks update may also change
the appearance of your applications. Find details in each
library project's Release Notes.

The Looks 2.0 leads to a better appearance on Java 5,
Java 6, with Windows Vista and in non-western environments.
It is strongly recommended to read the Looks 2.0 Release Notes.

The UIF, UIF Extras and all example apps have been refreshed
to work with the new Looks and Binding APIs. However, they
do not yet demonstrate all of the new library features.

The most visible change in the UIF Extras is the improved
body text font in JEditorPanes that display HTML:
license setup, tiny help, tip of the day.

Skeleton and Skeleton Pro now demonstrate how to validate
the editor content and how to veto against node changes.
The implementation does not use the JGoodies Validation;
it uses a simple minded plain validation.


DISTRIBUTION CHANGES
The sources for the Looks 2.0.1, Binding 1.1.1 and Validation 1.1
now ship as a source tree, not as a Zip archive. And these
distributions use the same directory structure as the CVS.
This makes it easier to build a customized version with ANT.

Also, the UIF and UIF-Extras are now located under "libraries",
not "framework".


DOWNLOADS
The Swing Suite 1.5 RC is available from the JGoodies
product download page; access is password protected
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html


ABOUT SWING SUITE LICENSE RENEWALS
Most changes in the Swing Suite 1.5 are in the open source
libraries that you can download at no charge from java.net.
The Swing Suite example applications have seen a large change
between the Swing Suite 1.3 and 1.4. In 1.5 the example apps
didn't change that much. They use the most recent libraries
and Skeleton (Pro) demonstrates how to hook in a validation.
     And so, a license renewal is appreciated, not necessary.
You can order a 1-year Swing Suite license renewal online at:
http://www.jgoodies.com/products/purchase.html
Actually, the renewal products are not configured as intended.
The renewals are abonnements that you can cancel at any time,
where they should be a one-time payment as the base licenses.
I don't want to hook anybody into renewing the license.
Your initial Swing Suite purchase has already helped me
finance the JGoodies maintenance and support.
I'm so busy with the many changes made to the JGoodies libs,
that it'll take more time before I can change the renewal
product configuration; it has to be done by Element 5.


YOUR FEEDBACK
If you have questions or suggestions regarding
this mail, please post to the technical JGoodies list,
not to this low-traffic announcement list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JGoodies_unmoderated/


Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

Find below of a list of software updates and notes
about major changes in the JGoodies libs and apps.


UPDATES
The following software updates have been published:
o Binding 1.1
o Forms 1.0.6
o Looks 2.0 Beta
o UIF 1.5.0
o UIF Extras 1.5.0
o Validation 1.1
o Swing Suite 1.5.0 Beta
o Looks Demo 2.0 Beta
o Validation Demo 1.1


IMPORTANT NOTE: To avoid duplicate and incompatible library
versions in your classpath, I recommend to remove library
jars from the Java extension directory (<jre-home>/lib/ext).
For more information on that issue see the Looks FAQ #1.7.


MAJOR CHANGES
The Swing Suite 1.5 Beta includes the recent JGoodies libraries.
The Looks, Binding, and Validation updates contain binary
incompatible API changes. The Looks update may also change
the appearance of your applications. Find details in each
library project's Release Notes.

The Looks 2.0 (Beta) leads to a better appearance on Java 5,
Java 6, with Windows Vista and in non-western environments.
It is strongly recommended to read the Looks 2.0 Release Notes.

The UIF, UIF Extras and all example apps have been refreshed
to work with the new Looks and Binding APIs. However, they
do not yet demonstrate all of the new library features.

Skeleton Pro has been extended to demonstrate how to validate
the editor content and how to veto against node changes.
The implementation is a draft, but it already outlines
how to add such a mechanism to the application.
This shall be completed for the Swing Suite 1.5 final.


DISTRIBUTION CHANGES
The sources for the Looks 2.0, Binding 1.1 and Validation 1.1
now ship as a source tree, not as a Zip archive. And these
distributions use the same directory structure as the CVS.
This makes it easier to build a customized version with ANT.

Also, the UIF and UIF-Extras are now located under "libraries",
not "framework".



DOWNLOADS
The Swing Suite 1.5 Beta is available from the JGoodies
product download page; access is password protected
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html


YOUR FEEDBACK
If you have questions or suggestions regarding
this mail, please post to the technical JGoodies list,
not to this low-traffic announcement list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JGoodies_unmoderated/


Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

I've released version 1.0.2 of the JGoodies Binding.
It fixes a bug that may be critical if you bind
beans that are equal but not the same.

I recommend to update your Binding library version
if you use such beans, or if you don't know if you
use beans that override #equals.

You can download the JGoodies Binding from
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/libraries.html
Find more information about the bug fixed here:
https://binding.dev.java.net/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=69

None of the Swing Suite example apps is affected,
and no example in any of the JGoodies tutorials.

Best regards,
Karsten

Hello,

Find below of a list of software updates, change notes,
and the current roadmap for the JGoodies libs and apps.


UPDATES
The following software updates have been published:
o Binding 1.0.1
o Looks 1.3.2
o UIF 1.4.1
o UIF Extras 1.4.1
o Validation 1.0.2
o Swing Suite 1.4.1
o Tools and Demos


IMPORTANT NOTE: To avoid duplicate and incompatible library
versions in your classpath, I recommend to remove library
jars from the Java extension directory (<jre-home>/lib/ext).
For more information on that issue see the Looks FAQ #1.7.


CHANGES
The Swing Suite 1.4.1 maintenance release includes overhauled
example apps and the most recent versions of the JGoodies libs.
I've fixed bugs in the libraries, the API remained almost the
same - with a few minor changes. Find details in each library
project's Release Notes.

The most important library bugs fixes are corrections in the
JGoodies Looks' drop shadow feature on OS X 10.4 (Tiger),
a memory leak in the Binding 1.0, and a fix in the JGoodies
Validation's IconFeedbackPanel. Another significant change
is, that the UIF Extra's JGoodies Tiny Help now uses a true
XML parser to parse the JavaHelp-like XML files.

The example apps are now more consistent w.r.t pattern usage,
naming conventions, and they are consistent with the latest
JGoodies presentation about desktop patterns and data binding.
For more information see the REFACTORINGS section below.


DISTRIBUTION CHANGES
The Jar files for the example applications are uncompressed.
This leads to a significantly better overall compression
in native installers and Zip archives, including the
Swing Suite Zip archive. Only the Web Start application Jars
are compressed to reduce the download size.


REFACTORINGS
Most view classes in the Swing Suite example applications
now use the consistent suffix "View", where the previous
version used "Builder", "Page", "Panel", etc.
Dialogs and frames use the suffix "Dialog" and "Frame" resp.
The new naming convention is consistent with the examples
used in the recent versions of the JGoodies presentations
"Swing Data Binding" and "Desktop Patterns & Data Binding",
see http://www.jgoodies.com/articles/

The example apps demonstrate a programming style where a view
*builds* and returns a panel instead of subclassing JPanel.
(If you use a HashMap, you rarely subclass it, don't you?)
The new UIF class AbstractView assists in creating views;
it provides a simple lazy creation mechanims in method
#getPanel that calls the abstract protected #buildPanel.

The JGoodies example apps follow the "Presentation Model" (PM)
pattern as described by Martin Fowler in his draft for
"Further Patterns of Enterprise Applications", see here:
http://www.martinfowler.com/eaaDev/index.html

In the Presentation Model (PM) pattern all presentation logic
is provided by the presentation model. To reduce complexity
the PM can hide the operations performed for button clicks,
selection events. It is often sufficient to provide only
the associated Swing Actions leaving the operations private.

In the Swing Suite 1.4.1 the operations defined in MainController
have been moved to the MainModel. And in a second step the
Swing Actions defined in class Actions have been moved to
the MainModel. The action enablement handling has been moved
to the MainModel too.

If the MainModel became too large, I've extracted submodels,
and could then move Actions to the related submodels. This
in turn allowed to make action operations and the action
enablement handling even more local with reduced visibility.


ROADMAP
The JGoodies library cores require less and less work,
so I could already shift my focus to the tutorials,
and the example applications. However, I'll slightly
improve the libraries for the next Swing Suite and
address feature and enhancement requests that can be
done without changing the published API. And I plan
to publish updated versions of the Forms and Animation
libraries. I will further improve the consistency of
the Swing Suite example applications and hope to
find the time to completely overhaul the JDiskReport
application later this year.

All new versions will still target Java 1.4. But
I consider to change the primary testing platform
from Sun Java 1.4.2 to Sun Java 1.5.0. And likely
I'll drop Java 1.4.0 and Java 1.4.1 as testing
environments. Nevertheless, most libraries will
still work in these environments. And I will test
again Java 1.4.2.

The Looks 1.3.3 will be a pure bug fix release
that improves the appearance of the Windows L&f
on Java 1.5 and Java 1.6.

The Binding 1.0.2 shall come with slightly better
tutorial examples and new examples for some
Binding Extra sources.

The Forms 1.0.6 is primarily a documentation and
tutorial update. Likely I'll fix a few minor bugs
in the non-visual builders in a version 1.0.7.
The primary change is the set of visual builder tools
that now offer support for the FormLayout and Forms.

The Validation 1.1 will demonstrate how to split
a validation into fine grained subvalidations.
And the tutorial shall show new approaches how to
display validation results in a JTable. This will
take more time.

The JDiskReport example app shall be overhauled
to use and demonstrate the "Presentation Model" pattern.
Actually I hesitate to change anything in the tool's
models, just because I don't know anymore which views
shall be updated when the model or selection or history
or view state changes. Using the PM pattern will address
this issue and will make changes less risky and much
cheaper.


DOWNLOADS
The Swing Suite 1.4.1 is available from the JGoodies
product download page; access is password protected
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html


YOUR FEEDBACK
If you have questions or suggestions regarding
this mail, please post to the technical JGoodies list,
not to this low-traffic announcement list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JGoodies_unmoderated/


Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

Find below information about the state of the JGoodies
software, about the future of the JGoodies business,
about Swing Suite license renewals, and about license
upgrades from the JGoodies Looks Pro to the Swing Suite.

CONTENTS
    o Current State
    o Future
    o Collaboration
    o Business Model
    o License Renewals
    o Upgrades from the Looks Pro
    o Misc


CURRENT STATE
When I started to program Java applications in 1997
the apps were ugly, slow, poorly architectured and
expensive to develop and maintain. At that time Java
lacked solutions and guidance in the following areas:
appearance, layout, binding, and architecture.
The Swing Suite 1.4 final that you can now download
contains of a set of libraries that address these issues
and others like validation. And the example applications
demonstrate a scalable architecture and desktop patterns.
The positive feedback I receive indicates that the Suite
helps you get your job done better, faster and cheaper.

All basic JGoodies libraries have reached or passed
the 1.0 state which indicates a stable API, stable code,
and the availability of documentation and a tutorial.
Basically the Swing Suite 1.4 is what I wanted to have
since I program applications in Java/Swing.


FUTURE
I don't feel a need to significantly extend the topics
addressed by the Looks, Forms, Binding, Validation.
Hence I can now turn to maintenance and documentation.
However, I will further improve and extend the APIs
where appropriate and will carefully add new features.

Besides the improvements described in the Roadmap
section of the Swing Suite 1.4 announcement, I plan
to intensify the collaboration with other projects.

Also, I can now turn my activities to my strenghts:
design reliable, usable and elegant applications.
I really like to add new exciting example apps
to the Swing Suite. And I'd like to overhaul and
document the older examples to make them easier
to understand and maintain. The JDiskReport code
is over six years old, and using the Skeleton Pro
architecture and patterns will allow me to shrink
the whole app a lot. I hesitate to promise too much
regarding new applications, but building applications
is really fun for me. And I need more fun, because
in 2004 I've been digging deep in the library code.

The JGoodies tools and demos show that one can build
elegant Java applications that can compete with or
even outperform native applications. I plan to add
information about the process required to reach
this quality and about the costs per quality level.


COLLABORATION
I want to put you customers in a position that you
can rely on mature desktop solutions for a long time.
Therefore I try to collaborate with other projects,
spread the word about the problems I address and
the solutions I provide. For example, the JGoodies
Forms are now well known in the desktop community,
and more and more visual builder tools support it.
But it took about two years to reach this state.
I plan to do the same with the Binding and Validation.
I'm not inherently interested that you use JGoodies,
but that you can choose between solutions that are
at least as good as the JGoodies. I see the Forms,
Looks, Binding, and Validation primarily as reference
implementations for the concepts I follow. And I
should be glad, if others use and improve my work
and offer solutions that supercede the JGoodies.
The basic libraries have been designed as separate
modules that you can use if you want. And the
licenses allow others to use and modify my sources.

During the past years I tried to assist Sun in
improving the Java core, for example by offering
my sources, and demos that expose poor microdesign
in the default L&f implementations. It seems that
Sun is now putting more effort in moving good third
party concepts, solutions, and implementations
into the Java core. Java 6 will hopefully ship with
better default L&fs and Java 7 may contain a new
layout system and further L&f enhancements.

I've never been a big fan of just moving JGoodies
into the Java core. Primarily because this would
prevent me to easily change the published API.
But if the JGoodies libraries are front runners
that show Sun what could be added in the future,
that would be great for all of us. And I discuss
with Sun how I can assist in improving the core.

Another way to achieve long term stable solutions
is to collaborate with other projects. For example
the Spring Rich Client Project has copied and now
modified and extended the JGoodies Binding. They
consider building on top of the JGoodies Binding,
but it may end up the other way round: Spring RCP
may separate its Binding and provide it as a project.
And Sun's JDNC project considers using concepts,
code or the implementations from the JGoodies Forms,
Binding and Validation. Although I'd be happy to
use other project's libraries, in the current state
I favor multiple implementations of my concepts
and hope that the competition promotes innovation.

A realistic cooperation between the existing
desktop framework projects, is to share a set of
tasks, goals, concepts, solutions, and examples.
So the desktop community can compare the frameworks.
The JGoodies Validation Demo is intended as such
a collection of tasks, goals, solutions. I don't
want to promote the JGoodies Validation, but want
to encourage developers and projects to provide
similar or even better validation solutions.

I'd also like to pick a couple of concepts from
both the Netbeans framework and the Eclipse RCP.
But likely that'll happen next year.


BUSINESS MODEL
Since the essential JGoodies libraries are now open,
many developers can benefit from these solutions.
The large user basis has many benefits for you and me.
Basically we get more feedback and get bugs fixed faster.

I see the JGoodies as a community effort where I provide
solutions and assistance that many use and some pay for.
Many thanks to all customers for purchasing a product,
and many thanks to the Sun Java Desktop team for sponsoring
a significant amount of the maintenance and support work!

I'm glad to see how the JGoodies have influenced the
Java desktop scene. And the positive feedback from
the community encourages me to work hard on future
improvements. Other things don't work that well.
Basically, the software is getting better and better,
the support got worse - even for commercial licensees.
The maintenance and free support of the open source libs
eats up most of my time without any monetary return.
I need to live eat and feed my family. And I can't justify
the time to work hard for nothing. Also, I could not
convince Sun that it's worth to continue sponsoring
the JGoodies desktop libs. And no other major Java
vendor jumped in to sponsor, although some of them
use the open source JGoodies in commercial products.
Hm, I'm a software developer and UI designer, but
I'm not great in selling and advertising products.

Anyway, I've decided to stop shipping updates of
the commercial software for free. And I need to
stop supporting the open source libraries for free.
You commercial licensees deserve more of my time.


LICENSE RENEWALS
Since the Swing Suite 1.4 I offer license renewals
for 1 year if your free update period has expired.
The price is about 30% of your initial purchase.
In addition you'll get another 60 day support,
just as with your initial purchase. This is just
the official deadline; as in the past I'll try to
answer, even if your support has expired.

Since the Swing Suite 1.4 shipping date is delayed,
I've extended all free update periods for another
3 months. So you can download the 1.4 final if you
have licensed the software after January 1, 2004.
I've manually edited the access lists. Please
contact me if you have renewed your license and
cannot download the 1.4 final.

I see the license renewal primarily as a support
renewal and a subscription to new example apps.
Since all basic libraries are now open source,
you can update and download them for free - even
if you don't renew your Swing Suite license.
In addition I provide the Swing Suite 1.4 Beta2
during April 2005 for all Swing Suite licensees.
The Suite 1.4 Beta2 differs from the 1.4 final
primarily in the versions of the free libraries.
There are only minimal changes in the closed source
UIF, UIF Extras and example applications. So if
this is your last Swing Suite download, hurry up!
(Did I mention I'm not great in selling stuff?)


UPGRADES FROM THE LOOKS PRO
About two years after selling the last Looks Pro
license, I've terminated support for this product.
Anyway, you can download updates of the libraries
contained in the Looks Pro product at no charge.
Sure I'd appreciate if you would upgrade your
license to a Swing Suite license. The upgrades
are available for the price difference between
the Looks Pro and the Swing Suite 1.4.


MISC
License renewals and upgrades from the Looks Pro
to the Swing Suite are available at this page:
http://www.jgoodies.com/products/purchase.html
All German customers and those who want to purchase
offline, please contact me at: info at JGoodies.com.

I hope that you can work with the updated Swing Suite
efficiently and that it helps you save time and money.
And I'm looking forward to bring you more and even
better Java desktop solutions.

Thanks again to all sponsors and commercial licensees
for supporting the JGoodies desktop activities!

Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

Find below of a list of software updates, change notes,
migration information and the current technical roadmap.
I'm going to write about the future of the JGoodies,
license renewals and license upgrades in a separate mail.


UPDATES
The following software updates have been published:
o Binding 1.0
o Forms 1.0.5
o Looks 1.3.1
o UIF 1.4
o UIF Extras 1.4
o Validation 1.0
o Tools and Demos
o Swing Suite 1.4


IMPORTANT NOTE: To avoid duplicate and incompatible library
versions in your classpath, I recommend to remove library
jars from the Java extension directory (<jre-home>/lib/ext).
For more information on that issue see the Looks FAQ #1.7.


CHANGES
The most important change is the overhauled UIF. It
has been split into a smaller stable core, the new UIF,
and a collection of evolving classes, the UIF Extras.
In the past I felt stiffled by the need for binary
and visual compatiblity of several UIF classes that
were primarily intended as reference examples, for example
the DefaultAboutDialog. I couldn't do simple improvements
- even if the vast majority of you would welcome them.
Just because these changes may break the binary code
or layout, or appearance for a minority of API users.

Also the package names of the JGoodies Looks, UIF and
UIF Extras have been changed.

The Forms 1.0.5 is binary compatible with the previous
release. ClearLook has been removed from the JGoodies Looks;
it'll return as a new Debug- or LintLookAndFeel. Since
version 1.0 the Validation library uses a Severity.OK
in empty ValidationResults instead of null.

The Binding library now comes with a small tutorial,
and it is backed by a binding presentation. Martin Fowler
has recently extended his collection of "Patterns for
enterprise application architecture"; he describes the
patterns addressed by the JGoodies Binding and used in
Skeleton (Pro). Find links to the presentation and to
Fowler's patterns in the Binding README.html and JavaDocs.
Some Binding extras have been moved to the library core,
most noticably the PresentationModel (former DefaultModule).

For detailed change information see the RELEASE-NOTES.html
in each product's distribution home directory; an overview
is here: http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/changes.html


HOW TO MIGRATE TO THE BINDING 1.0
Since the Binding 0.9.20 several classes have been
moved to the Binding library core. I recommend to use
the new core classes and remove all references to local
copies, for example the DefaultModule extra source has
been replaced by the PresentationModel core class.


HOW TO MIGRATE TO THE LOOKS 1.3.x
Just update your references to old package names
and use the new package scheme com.jgoodies.looks.*.
Note that the UIF 1.3.2 requires the Looks 1.2.x.
If you want to mix the old UIF 1.3.2 with the
new Looks 1.3.1, use the UIF sources and update
the references to Looks classes.


HOW TO MIGRATE FROM THE UIF 1.3.2 TO UIF/UIF EXTRAS 1.4
The migration requires three actions: i) update the class
path to use the now splitted libraries. ii) make your code
work with the new package and class names. iii) convert
your code to use the slightly changed API.
Please see the UIF Release Notes for the API changes
and the file REFACTORINGS-1.4.txt for a detailed list
of refactorings performed between 1.3.2. and 1.4.


HOW TO MIGRATE TO THE VALIDATION 1.0
The most important change is to check all listeners
that observe a ValidationResultModel's severity property.
The new version will return Severity.OK instead of null.
Also you must update all references to the property name
constants and method's in ValidationResult and its model.


ROADMAP
I need to balance my resources and will work more on
the "young" libraries Binding and Validation than on
the Forms and Looks who will be primarily maintained.
You may also see the project's issue tracker at java.net.
For example the pending Binding issues are listed here:
http://tinyurl.com/3jp7o

The Binding 1.0.1 will contain minor bug fixes and
new tutorial examples for some Binding Extra sources.
An extended PropertyChangeSupport and more examples
are planned for the 1.0.2 maintenance update.

The Forms 1.0.6 will contain more pitfalls examples.
I plan to ship this Forms build later this summer.
I'm fixing a few minor bugs in the non-visual builders.
The primary change is the set of visual builder tools
that now offer support for the FormLayout and Forms.

The Looks 1.3.2 will be a pure bug fix release. An
improved font handling on non-Windows platforms
and in non-western environments is planned for 1.4.
Althought this has the highest priority it'll take
likely until this summer before it gets done.

The Validation 1.0.1 shall get faster overlay icons
and a richer tutorial. If there's free time I'll add
more examples of advanced input techniques.

The UIF classes will get more and more precise JavaDoc
class and method comments. And I plan to improve
some of the oldest UIF Extras, e.g. the table support.

I want to overhaul and extend the Swing Suite's
example apps. I plan to finish the BookFinder 1.0,
so it becomes a useful tool. I'd like to add a small
new app that combines the Binding with Hibernate.
And all applications shall be converted to follow
the Presentation Model pattern. Likely JDiskReport
will be separated from JPathReport to make it easier
to browse and understand the JDiskReport sources.


DOWNLOADS
The Swing Suite 1.4 is available from the JGoodies
product download page; access is password protected
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html
Please see the upcoming business announcement
for details about licenses and differences between
the 1.4 final and the 1.4 Beta2.


YOUR FEEDBACK
If you have questions or suggestions regarding
this mail, please post to the technical JGoodies list,
not to this low-traffic announcement list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JGoodies_unmoderated/


Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

Find below a list of software updates and the updated roadmap.
In short: I've fixed bugs in the libraries, have extended
the Validation tutorial and have refreshed the demo apps.


UPDATES
Libraries:
o Binding 0.9.15
o Forms 1.0.4
o Looks 1.2.1
o Validation 0.9.3

Products:
o Looks Pro 1.2.1
o Swing Suite 1.3.1

Applications:
o The tools and demos use the most recent library versions.


COMMENTS
I recommend to update to the Looks 1.2.1, because the
1.2.0 version failed to display spinners and toolbar
separators in 1.4.0 and 1.4.1 environments.

The Validation tutorial and demo now demonstrate some
configurations for the JFormattedTextField. Both Forms
and Looks come with slightly improved HTML docs. And
the Forms JavaDocs contain example code for frequently
used methods.

For detailed change information see the RELEASE-NOTES.html
in the product distribution home directories; for an overview
see http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/changes.html

*Important Note*: To avoid duplicate and incompatible library
versions in your classpath, I recommend to remove JGoodies
library jars from the extension directory (<jre-home>/lib/ext).


INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
The Forms API has been simplified. ColSpecs and RowSpec
are now immutable. This won't affect typical Forms code
but may affect visual builder tools. The Forms 1.0.5
will contain FormLayout#setColumnSpec and #setRowSpec
to modify columns and rows dynamically. A snapshot
build is already available at forms.dev.java.net.


ROADMAP
You can find the most recent version of the roadmap at
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/roadmap.html

The Looks 1.2.1 still lacks a better handling of fonts on
non-Windows platforms and in non-western environments.
This is the top priority for the upcoming Looks 1.3.
For a workaround and more information please see
https://looks.dev.java.net/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=10

The Data Binding library lacks a tutorial and demo.

I plan to ship a Swing Suite 1.3.2 that shall include
tutorial sources and a demo for the Binding library.

Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

Find below a list of software updates and the updated roadmap.
In short: all libraries, products and applications have been
refreshed for Java 1.4 and better OS X support - except the
Animation library.

UPDATES
Libraries:
o Binding 0.9.13
o Forms 1.0.3
o Looks 1.2
o Validation 0.9.1

Products:
o Looks Pro 1.2
o Swing Suite 1.3

Applications:
Most apps now ship with a separate Mac OS X edition.
o Book Finder Binary Example (ships with the Swing Suite 1.3)
o Forms Demo 1.0.3
o JDiskReport 1.2
o JPathReport 1.2
o Looks Demo 1.2
o Metamorphosis 0.9.9
o Skeleton 1.5
o Skeleton Pro 1.5
o Validation Demo 0.9.1

For detailed change information see the RELEASE-NOTE.html
in the product distribution home directories; for an overview
see http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/changes.html

Please see the previous announcement for information about
how to use the updated libraries. Since the Suite 1.3 preview,
I've added an optional support for Mac action labels and
accelerators. I recommend that Swing Suite customers study
Skeleton Pro's Action.properties resource file to quickly
see the additions that have been made for the Mac OS X.

Also, I've redesigned the JGoodies download pages for a
better readability; and support links are provides for
each section: applications, libraries, and products.

*Important Note*: To avoid duplicate and incompatible library
versions in your classpath, I recommend to remove JGoodies
library jars from the extension directory (<jre-home>/lib/ext).

ROADMAP
You can find the most recent version of the roadmap at
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/roadmap.html

The Looks 1.2 still lacks a better handling of fonts on
non-Windows platforms and in non-western environments.
This is the top priority for the upcoming Looks 1.3.
For a workaround and more information please see
https://looks.dev.java.net/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=10

The Data Binding library lacks a tutorial and demo.

The next step is the conversion of the UIF into a
smaller binary libary and a larger collection of
convenience source code classes. See the previous
announcement for more information on that issue.

I hope the updated JGoodies software helps you
build high-quality rich Swing clients.

Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

Find below a list of software updates, the current roadmap,
and information about the future of the JGoodies.

UPDATES
The following product updates have been published/released:
o Animation R1.1.2
o Binding 0.9.11
o Book Finder Binary Example (ships with the Swing Suite 1.3)
o Forms R1.0.2
o Forms 1.0.3 Preview
o Looks R1.1.3
o Looks 1.2 Preview
o Looks Pro R1.1.3
o Swing Suite R1.2
o Swing Suite 1.3 Preview
o Validation 0.9.0
o Validation Demo 0.9.0

For detailed change information see the RELEASE-NOTE.html
in the product distribution home directories; for an overview
see http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/changes.html

The most important change is the transistion to Java 1.4
in the Swing Suite 1.3 and its contained libraries Binding,
Forms, Looks and UIF. Also, the support for the Mac OS X
has been significantly improved in the Forms, Looks and UIF.

HOW TO USE THE NEW LIBRARIES
The Animation, Forms and Looks are almost binary compatible
and so are easy to use. I have only dropped some deprecated
methods and have removed 1.3 code.
Important Note: To avoid duplicate and incompatible library
versions in your classpath, I recommend to remove library
jars from the Java extension directory (<jre-home>/lib/ext).

I've changed the package names in the Binding library.
To easily use the new class names, you may import the
old sources, rename the binding classes in your environment
to the new names, then replace the binding sources with
the new binary library.

The UI Framework has been changed significantly for 1.2
and again for 1.3. There are several binary incompatible
changes that will require some changes in your code.
Since the Java 1.3 backports for logging and preferences
have been removed in the UIF 1.3, just change the import
statements where necessary to the 1.4 logging and prefs.

I have choosen to duplicate several classes in the UIF 1.3,
so the old versions are binary compatible but I can
refactor, improve and extend the code at the same time.
In the UIF 1.3 Preview you'll find a new package hierarchy
starting with com.jgoodies.uif. I plan to further extend
these classes in the Swing Suite 1.4. For now, you can
choose to either use the old class names, for example
com.jgoodies.swing.util.ToolBarButton or the new one
com.jgoodies.uif.component.ToolBarButton.
Where the new tool bar button provides better support for
handling differences between the Mac and other platforms.
Again, if you want to convert your code, you may import
the old sources, refactor them in your IDE, and later
replace the renamed classes with the new library.

ROADMAP
The Forms 1.0.3 final just needs some final testing
and will likely be shipped within the next two weeks.
The Looks 1.2 still lacks a better handling of fonts on
non-Windows platforms and in non-western environments.
The Data Binding library lacks a tutorial and demo.
The UIF 1.3 final will see some improvements so it can
handle different menu item labels and accelerators for
different platforms. Also, the Swing Suite examples
shall demonstrate the new com.jgoodies.uif.* classes.
I'll then ship the Suite 1.3, likely later this month.

The next step is the conversion of the UIF into a
smaller binary libary and a larger collection of
convenience source code classes. Currently I feel
stiffled by the need for binary and visual compatiblity
of several UIF classes that are primarily intended
as reference examples, for example DefaultAboutDialog.
I cannot do simple improvements - even if the vast
majority of you would welcome them, just because
these changes may break the binary code or layout,
or appearance for a minority of API users.
Therefore I consider moving the com.jgoodies.uif.*
classes to a black-box UIF library and consider moving
the rest to a big bag of example implementations.
I can then add a new AboutDialog to the source bag easily.
I hope this conversion is finished in March (2004).

As a result the set of JGoodies libraries will then
consist of four basic building blocks: Forms, Looks,
Binding and Validation, for layout, appearance, binding,
validation and validation presentation. On top of that
you'll get the UIF that addresses platform differences
and issues that are not supported well by the Swing core.
It will be a real milestone if all these blocks are
available with a tutorial and shrink-wrapped demo.
Pooh.

THE BIG PICTURE
I can then finally turn over and write and explain
how to build Swing applications efficiently. Currently
I hesitate to talk about the binding, just because it
lacks a demo and is so difficult to write about, where
a piece of code could demonstrate the problems, concepts
and solutions quite easily.

The then current JGoodies library set and application
patterns will be our contribution to the Java desktop
blueprints. I hesitate to talk about a pattern, approach
or technology if there's no open source demo available.
I'll try hard to have it ready for the JavaOne 2004.

Also, I can then turn my activities to my strenghts
and design reliable, usable and elegant applications.

BUSINESS MODEL
I plan to open source all parts of the Swing Suite.
This will enable many more developers to benefit from
the Swing Suite solutions. And it helps me work more
on the code and produce better libraries faster.
On the other hand my family needs to live and eat.
So I either need continued support from sponsors or
product revenues.

Therefore I ask you to consider licensing the
Swing Suite product if it helps you save money.
I see the JGoodies as a community effort where I provide
solutions and assistance that many use and some pay for.
Let me thank all customers for purchasing a product,
and many thanks to the Sun Java Desktop team for sponsoring
a significant amount of my maintenance and support work!
I'm going to write about the business model in a separate
mail once the Swing Suite 1.3 is out.

I wish you a successful new year and that you can
work with the updated JGoodies software efficiently.

Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch

Hello,

I have just released the JGoodies Looks Pro 1.1.2
and the JGoodies Swing Suite 1.1.4. Find below
release information and a roadmap for future activities.

You can download the product updates from
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html


UPDATES
All libraries, tools and demos have been refreshed:
o Forms 1.0.1
o Looks 1.1.2
o Animation 1.1
o UI Framework 1.1.4
o UI Framework Extras 0.7.3
o Binding 0.8.5 (Preview)
o tools and demos use the updated libraries

The releases are primarily documentation and distribution
updates and provide only minor fixes and extensions.
All libraries now come with an HTML documentation
that makes it easier to browse the relevant information:
tutorials, references and API docs. You can find detailed
release notes in the accompanying 'Release Notes' files.
An overview of the changes is available at
http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/changes.html

You can now download a bunch of presentations about
general Swing issues and advanced layout techniques from
http://www.jgoodies.com/articles/


ROADMAP
I've started to overhaul the Swing Suite as announced before:
the new Binding library replaces the old binding classes,
the UIF will be moved to the J2SE 1.4, and rarely used code
will be moved from the UIF core to individual example apps.
And I'm going to add all open feature requests that break
the binary compatibility.

These changes will be done in two steps: first, I'm going
to publish an intermediate Swing Suite 1.2 that incorporates
most changes but still support 1.3. This will be the last version
that supports the J2SE 1.3. Since only a single customer has
asked for 1.3 compatibility, I will not officially support the
Swing Suite 1.2. Instead, I will immediately proceed and
move the code base to the J2SE 1.4.

I've already published a first integration build of the Swing
Suite 1.2. The 1.2 final is scheduled for Tuesday, Friday-19.
If you are interested in the upcoming changes, you may check out
the PreferencesGeneralPanel in Skeleton Pro 1.4.2.

Once the Swing Suite has been moved to the J2SE 1.4
- later in September - the rest of the year will be mostly
writing documentation, tutorials and articles. Also, I plan
to add the sample apps that you can find in the preview section
http://www.jgoodies.com/preview/


MAILING LISTS
I'm going to change the mailing list and support policy
to make it easier to listen to individual topics. Users
of the open source projects shall use the associated
mailing lists at JavaDesktop.org. This will reduce the
traffic in the technical JGoodies product mailing list.
Customers can send to the JGoodies mailing list as
well as to the JavaDesktop.org lists.


Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any question
regarding any of the above issues.

Best regards and have a nice weekend,
--
Karsten Lentzsch
www.JGoodies.com - Java User Interface Design

Hello,

I have recently published the JGoodies Looks and Forms
under the BSD open source license. Both are available
at no charge at Sun's JavaDesktop.org community site.
I'm convinced that JGoodies customers and the general
Java desktop community will benefit from this step.

The main motivation is, that I want to spend more time
on code and less with marketing and shipping products.

I'm glad to say that Sun is about to sponsor my Java
desktop activities. So I can better focus on code,
can open libraries, build new sample apps, write
articles and maintain the JGoodies in a high quality.

What will be changed? And what does this mean for
users and customers of the JGoodies products?:
1) I've stopped to sell the JGoodies Looks product
which is now superceded by the free JGoodies Looks.
Looks customers now get the source code too.
The support for the Looks will be moved to the
JavaDesktop.org site where we have issue tracking,
ad-free mailing lists and a public CVS repository.

2) The Looks Pro product has not been changed.
I have just cut the price a little bit. Customers will
benefit from the JavaDesktop.org features for the
Looks and the Forms. In addition I expect that less
people will purchase the Looks Pro, so I will have
more time that I can spend for development and support.
I consider to stop selling the Looks Pro, but felt
a need to provide a mid-price Swing sample app.
Even if I don't sell the product, it will be supported
and maintained at the JGoodies web site.

3) The Swing Suite has not been changed, but is
a bit cheaper now. I'm going to write about the
development roadmap for the Suite in a separate mail.
The Swing Suite is and will be a consistent set of
libraries and sample applications. In addition,
you may want to benefit from additional features
if parts of the Suite are open at JavaDesktop.org.

4) The JGoodies code and web site do not yet reflect
all changes mentioned above. I expect that this will
be finished in July.

Here are more advantages of opening the Looks and Forms:
I see the following advantages for you and me:
a) More people will use the Looks and Forms,
so likely we will get more feedback which in turn
should lead to better quality.
b) In the long run others will jump in and contribute
to the open JGoodies projects.
c) The JGoodies web site can be simplified
d) In the past I had a financial interest in holding back
information from Sun's Swing team (although my
developer heart tried to tell them a lot). I will now
try to move my corrections and extensions into Sun's
l&f implementations.
e) Since I have no longer a financial interest in selling
the Looks and Forms, I gain independence and can
better recommend these libs where appropriate.

I always tried to be an independent Java source and voice,
and the upcoming agreement with Sun won't bind me to Sun.
Actually, Sun and me have an interest in letting the JGoodies
an independent third party. For example, I'm not restricted
to write friendly about the SWT. I have found that customers
welcome the fact that I aim to be objective when it comes
to a Swing/SWT comparison. On the other hand, Sun can
be quite sure about my strategy, just because they have seen
my policy in the past.

I will keep you informed about other changes and about
articles published at JavaDesktop.org.

Do not hesitate to contact me at karsten@...
if you have any question regarding the above issues.

Best regards,
--
Karsten Lentzsch
www.JGoodies.com - Java User Interface Design

Hello,

Find below a list of software updates and the roadmap.
Also, in a short customer survey you can speak up
to adjust my list of activities. You should read and
answer this survey if you need to work with Java 1.3.

UPDATES
The following product updates have been released:
   o Looks (Pro) R1.0.9,
   o Swing Suite R1.1.2
   o Looks (Pro) 1.1 preview
   o Forms 0.9.8
See http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/products.html

The updates contain a few bug fixes and refreshed
sample applications. Also, the JGoodies Windows l&f
now better emulates Windows XP on the J2SE 1.4.2.
See http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/changes.html

ROADMAP
I've always tried to fix the biggest obstacles developers
face when working with Swing. I address and provide:
look&feels, layout, data binding, sample apps, tutorials.

I feel that the JGoodies l&fs and Forms are just fine.
Next, I'm going to overhaul the JGoodies data binding
framework. It seems to me that I should then shift
my activities to sample apps and Swing tutorials.
See http://www.jgoodies.com/downloads/roadmap.html

I plan to reduce and decouple the components of the
Swing Suite's user interface framework to make it
easier to understand and easier to maintain.
I consider to move convenience classes and solutions
that are not of general interest to sample applications.

I would very much like to drop the 1.3 support. I could then
reduce the Swing Suite's size, add new sample apps and the
JGoodies Desktop. Also, I could save a significant amount
of time that now goes into backward compatibility.

SURVEY
I need to focus my activities on the most important issues.
It is only with your feedback that I can understand
what you need: code, documentation, sample apps, tutorials.

Please mail to karsten@... if you would like me
to reorder the following activities:
  1)  Publish a Forms tutorial with sample app
  2) Overhaul the data binding framework
  3) Publish a data binding sample app
  4) Publish the BookFinder and FieldEye sample apps
  5) Move the Swing Suite to the J2SE 1.4
  6) Add 1.4 samples and Desktop to the Suite

Best regards,
Karsten Lentzsch