Dear Community and Mendix Team,
I hope this message finds you all well and thriving in your innovative endeavors. Today, I am excited to share an idea that I believe could significantly enhance our experience with Studio Pro, inspired by my experience with Embarcadero Delphi, a platform renowned for its efficient and user-friendly approach to component and widget management.
Idea Overview:
In the current version of Studio Pro, specifically Mendix 10.6 and 10.7, we've observed a shift in how the Appearance (previously known as Design properties) is managed. The dialogue that appears upon double-clicking a widget no longer includes Design properties accessible from the Appearance tab, directing us instead to access it from the Styling tab within the properties pane of our components. While this update aims to streamline our workflow, it also presents an opportunity to revisit and further enhance the interface for an even more intuitive and efficient design experience.
Inspired by Delphi's Approach:
In Delphi, the management of components/widgets is exceptionally streamlined. A single click updates the properties/attributes and events on the left side, where you can always see the type of widget that you clicked on, making it incredibly efficient to adjust component settings. Moreover, Delphi features a powerful filter/search box for properties, enabling rapid location and adjustment of specific properties. This approach not only saves time but also enhances the user's ability to manage complex projects with ease.
Proposed Enhancements for Studio Pro:
Unified Properties Pane: Consider integrating both Properties and Styling into a single, cohesive Properties pane. This would eliminate the need for navigating between separate tabs for Properties and Styling, creating a more streamlined workflow.
Events Integration: Following Delphi's model, incorporating an Events section accessible through a simple interaction (e.g., a double click) could significantly enhance productivity. This would allow users to quickly assign or modify events, making component customization faster and more intuitive.
Advanced Property Filtering: Introducing a filter/search feature within the Properties pane would be a game-changer. This would enable users to quickly find specific properties or events, significantly speeding up the development process.
Flexible Property Organization: Allowing users to customize how properties are displayed, either alphabetically or by grouping (similar to Delphi's styling grouping), would provide flexibility and cater to individual preferences, further enhancing the user experience.
Closing Thoughts:
The proposed enhancements are inspired by proven practices in software development environments like Delphi, known for their efficiency and user-centric design. By adopting similar features, Studio Pro can offer a more streamlined, intuitive, and flexible environment that caters to the diverse needs and preferences of its users.
I am enthusiastic about the potential of these ideas to enrich our Mendix development experience. I believe that by embracing these enhancements, we can make Studio Pro not only more efficient but also more enjoyable to use, fostering creativity and innovation within our community.
Thank you for considering this proposal. I am eager to hear your thoughts and feedback and look forward to the possibility of making these improvements a reality for the benefit of all Mendix users.
Warm regards,
Rob
thanks for the feedback Maurits!