SQL Power Software Forum

Hi,

I started testing the new template feature in Wabit and I run into an error message whenever I try to drag a template onto a report. The error message is below.

Whenever I think of templates I think of them in a way Microsoft Powerpoint implements their master document. There you can change a template easily after creating the presentation.
And a template contains information like font, colors, layout etc but the master document is also the only place where you can do these changes. If you setup a background picture in the master document, it will be in all slides and you can't change it in the slides. Shouldn't the template feature in Wabit be designed the same way? Wouldn't it be great if I change a template, all reports using the template will get updated too?

Benjamin

java.lang.IllegalStateException: Unknown item dragged into the report layout. Object was class ca.sqlpower.wabit.report.Template
at ca.sqlpower.wabit.swingui.report.LayoutPanel$QueryDropListener.drop(LayoutPanel.java:246)
at java.awt.dnd.DropTarget.drop(Unknown Source)
at sun.awt.dnd.SunDropTargetContextPeer.processDropMessage(Unknown Source)
at sun.awt.dnd.SunDropTargetContextPeer$EventDispatcher.dispatchDropEvent(Unknown Source)
at sun.awt.dnd.SunDropTargetContextPeer$EventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at sun.awt.dnd.SunDropTargetEvent.dispatch(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processDropTargetEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(Unknown Source)

Hi Benjamin,

The current workflow for creating a report using a template would be to either right-click on a template and choose to create a report from it or create a new report, from the right click menu or the new button, and choose a template from the displayed list of templates.

We could also add the ability to replace the current template with a template dropped onto it but there are some points to consider first. If templates contain some properties like font, and colours do you want the template dragged in to update the content box locations or update the font and colour properties, or both? I would think if someone wants to drop a layout onto a report they would want to update all of the properties of the report with the dropped template. However, adding content boxes from a dropped template to a report that already contains content could be difficult. If you are dragging in a template with more content boxes than the current template do we add empty content boxes and try to move the currently filled content boxes to appropriate places? If the template dragged in contains fewer content boxes do we delete a filled content box and inform the user a box was removed or do we try to shift that content box to an appropriate location?

Luc recently filed bug 2196 which is about having some of the properties in templates be linked to the reports the templates are used in. Then if a company changes branding changing the templates will update all of the reports. However, we need to have more discussion on how to properly implement this feature before it gets worked on.

Let us know what you think,

Thomas

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2009-09-08 12:38:35

Hi Thomas,

the filed bug is an important feature of templates.

When I drag a template on a report I would expect that the report will inherit at least the properties of the template, I would also like to see that the content boxes get arranged according to the template.
If your current report contains more content than the layout has content boxes, you can fill all content boxes of the template and just leave the others ones. The user can then decide if he wants to change the order or delete them.
If the template has more content boxes as the report, just leave the last ones empty and the user can change it.
Together with the request for a undo button the user could undo the changes if the template doesn't fit.

I remember that we once had a different idea of implementing the template chooser. Instead of a popup it was at the bottom of the report designer. This could be very handy for changing a template of an existing report. In the attachment I tried to draw what I mean by that.

We should also discuss if a user should should be able to change settings / layout in a report that is inherited from a template. Should he get a warning that he is doing so? Should it be parts of the rights management if he has the right to change it?

Benjamin