I worked on SDA originally so I am familiar with both feature sets.
While you are correct that multiple selection is weak in Screen Designer it
has tremendous benefits over SDA, so I think it would be wise to give it
another chance.
For example, if you do select a set of fields in the Design tab, you can
select Align from the context menu and align them on left, right, center,
bottom, top, middle, bottom, with record boundaries etc. This could have
accomplished your alignment in your scenario.
Selection of a rectangular set of fields (think - - in SDA) can be done
with the Marquee selection tool from the Palette. These fields can then be
moved manually with the mouse as well.
Here are is small set of features that SDA does not have:
- SDA drops all formatting and comments and completely regenerates your
source, Screen Designer preserves as much as it can and does not touch or
move anything unless it has to.
- SDA has to move in and out of the Design Screen and the various menus to
specify keywords and attributes (using the *;), Screen Designer has a
powerful properties view that shows you all of the properties and lets you
modify them while see their effects while you click.
- Screen Designer has an outline view that always shows you your
hierarchical context as well as allowing quick navigation to the element of
interest, SDA has nothing like this
- SDA and SEU are very distinct modes and a save/load has to occur when
switching between them. In Screen Designer there is a single model that
keeps all views in synch with every key stroke. (Try typing on the field
name in the editor and see the outline view and properties view all update
in real time)
- Screen Designer is fully integrated into Eclipse and uses a mouse to
move/size/select, all of which are faster and more intuitive and productive
(with a shorter learning curve than the green screen)
- the list goes on and on
People didn't become proficient with SDA until they learned all of the
tricks (*, -, = on the Design Screen), it will take a lot less time to
learn Screen Designer and it is a more powerful, integrated tool than SDA.
I hope this helps,
|------------>
| From: |
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>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|David FOXWELL <David.FOXWELL@xxxxxxxxx> |
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| To: |
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|Rational Developer for IBM i / Websphere Development Studio Client for System i & iSeries <wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx> |
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| Date: |
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|21/10/2010 04:20 AM |
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| Subject: |
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|Re: [WDSCI-L] Screen designer |
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| Sent by: |
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|wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx |
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-----Message d'origine-----
[mailto:wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] De la part de Joe Pluta
Did you try the source tab? It's basically the LPEX editor
although a little easier to navigate (you can use the outline
to move through the source).
Yes, I liked being able to search a field name and then seeing instantly
which record I was in.
I've created a new record by option 3 in SDA.
With the source tab I copied the fields from one record to my new record.
The workbench locked for a couple of minutes.
Then, I needed to move the block of fields I just copied to be inline with
those already in the record.
This is so quick and simple in SDA.
I'm afraid I won't be using screen designer again.
--
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