Tip of the Iceberg :: Status of XIDED 1.0

Category xided
Version control is complete. It's straightforward to use and works well. Two features that will not be included in 1.0 but will be added at a later date are an option to store version history in an external database (for performance purposes over extended periods of use) and diffs.

Tonight I'll begin adding the ability to create new elements. Here's where it gets really exciting: not only is this tool far more useful once it allows creation of new elements, but because the feature is template-driven, it will be extremely flexible over time. XIDED 1.0 will "ship" with stock templates for each supported design element category, along with common variations on each - for example, creating a new agent or script library will prompt you not only for an element name, but a language as well. A future release will allow you to define your own element templates; for example, if your standard process is to include certain script libraries or define certain variables in every agent, you'll be able to construct and store an agent template that already has that code pre-populated for you... sort of a Stationery for design elements.

When XIDED goes live, a 30-day evaluation process will take effect: registration will be required in order to evaluate the product, and a license key will be issued that will be valid for 30 days. Purchasing the product during - or after - the evaluation period will issue a new license key that is valid for the period purchased. If you purchase XIDED during the first 30 days following the initial release, a one-year license will be half price: only $100 for all developers in your organization to use XIDED for a full year.

As of now we're on target for a May 6 release.

Comments

1 - Hi Tim,

This sounds fantastic. Looks like you have done a lot with XIDED over the past several months. I think it's time for me to have another peek.

Jack

Posted by Jack Ratcliff At 01:08:14 AM On 05/03/2007 | - Website - |

2 - Purely Notes-based at this point, Rich: similar to DesignCatalog, the design element's DXL is stored in a Notes document. In this case, an Ext GridPanel is used to display the list of versions for an element, and the panel includes a toolbar with buttons for saving a new version and reverting to a previous one... which just extracts the DXL from the version document and imports it into the target database. I'm assuming that by the time I add the option to store versions in a separate database the SVN plugin for Ext.nd will be far enough along to offer SVN integration with XIDED as well.

Posted by Tim Tripcony At 01:27:24 PM On 05/02/2007 | - Website - |

3 - Hmmmm. $100 a license. At that rate it would only take about 87 licenses to buy a really nice Honda Spirit 1100 for whoever taught you Notes in the first place

Posted by Pops At 02:48:56 PM On 05/02/2007 | - Website - |

4 - Sounds sweet Tim!

Are you using SVN or something along those lines for version control or just rolling your own within Notes?

Posted by Rich Waters At 11:02:36 AM On 05/02/2007 | - Website - |

5 - Now that is a noble cause: the "Buy My Dad a Bike" foundation. Or I could just commission an adult-sized Big Wheel. Remember those? Big Wheels ruled.

Posted by Tim Tripcony At 04:04:35 PM On 05/02/2007 | - Website - |

6 - I hope you like what you see.

Posted by Tim Tripcony At 02:53:53 AM On 05/03/2007 | - Website - |

7 - I did the same thing, just downloaded and took another look. It is coming along quite nicely.

Looks like you missed an old YAHOO.ext call in Actions>Shared Actions

It actually breaks the layout and you can't view any other elements after the error.

Posted by Rich Waters At 01:28:40 PM On 05/03/2007 | - Website - |

8 - Good catch... should have been Ext.NestedLayoutContentPanel. I've fixed it in the 1.0 code stream and that seems like the only one that was overlooked. Intriguing that it would break the whole layout, though... highlights the need for thorough regression testing, doesn't it?