Comments on: AIR NativeMenus? Your Thoughts Please http://blog.everythingflex.com/2007/10/15/air-nativemenus-your-thoughts-please/ News and Information about Adobe Flex & Adobe AIR by Rich Tretola Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:38:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Nishad Herath http://blog.everythingflex.com/2007/10/15/air-nativemenus-your-thoughts-please/#comment-465 Nishad Herath Tue, 16 Oct 2007 02:40:19 +0000 http://blog.everythingflex.com/2007/10/15/air-nativemenus-your-thoughts-please/#comment-465 One of the greatest advantages that I see in the flash/flex platform is that ability to create a (substantially) consistent UIs across multiple operating systems. I for one will steer clear of any features that add inconsistency to my applications (including NativeMenu which is IMHO a step in the wrong direction as far as platform inconsistencies go). What AIR really requires is a desktop/window manager that can accommodate (even multiple) AIR applications (working together if necessary) in creating a unified desktop experience. NativeMenu could perhaps be something this top level desktop manager could make use of, but AIR applications themselves should have the ability to use the services of this powerful desktop/window manager to unlock the true power of the AIR paradigm without having to suffer the same cross platform native software development headaches. Of course, all this depends largely on the ultimate vision for AIR I suppose. Is AIR just a nice enough of an enabler for RIAs or a is it to be a true connectivity oriented platform which provides seamless access to both local and remote resources in a completely operating system agnostic fashion? I'll take the latter thanks :-) One of the greatest advantages that I see in the flash/flex platform is that ability to create a (substantially) consistent UIs across multiple operating systems.

I for one will steer clear of any features that add inconsistency to my applications (including NativeMenu which is IMHO a step in the wrong direction as far as platform inconsistencies go).

What AIR really requires is a desktop/window manager that can accommodate (even multiple) AIR applications (working together if necessary) in creating a unified desktop experience. NativeMenu could perhaps be something this top level desktop manager could make use of, but AIR applications themselves should have the ability to use the services of this powerful desktop/window manager to unlock the true power of the AIR paradigm without having to suffer the same cross platform native software development headaches.

Of course, all this depends largely on the ultimate vision for AIR I suppose. Is AIR just a nice enough of an enabler for RIAs or a is it to be a true connectivity oriented platform which provides seamless access to both local and remote resources in a completely operating system agnostic fashion? I’ll take the latter thanks :-)

]]> By: everythingflex http://blog.everythingflex.com/2007/10/15/air-nativemenus-your-thoughts-please/#comment-464 everythingflex Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:34:38 +0000 http://blog.everythingflex.com/2007/10/15/air-nativemenus-your-thoughts-please/#comment-464 I suppose changing the menu on Mac would be the best option and I would definitely have a manager handling this. It just seems like these are things that should be handled by the runtime rather than having conditional logic. I also wonder why the runtime reports that on the PC, you can not have a NativeMenu on the Shell. It seems like most of the applications open on the PC (Notepad, Wordpad, ect. ) have menus on the main window. I suppose changing the menu on Mac would be the best option and I would definitely have a manager handling this. It just seems like these are things that should be handled by the runtime rather than having conditional logic.

I also wonder why the runtime reports that on the PC, you can not have a NativeMenu on the Shell. It seems like most of the applications open on the PC (Notepad, Wordpad, ect. ) have menus on the main window.

]]> By: tbm http://blog.everythingflex.com/2007/10/15/air-nativemenus-your-thoughts-please/#comment-463 tbm Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:09:46 +0000 http://blog.everythingflex.com/2007/10/15/air-nativemenus-your-thoughts-please/#comment-463 you have the opton of either.. on focus of a particular window telling the shell to change its abailable options.. like sometimes on the shell menu of a mac youll see some items dull grey as they are not available.. you could also always create your own window menu.. and place it in if on a mac... just a hbox with a few menu items.. extend NativeWindow.. and call it mac window or something. the as nick says do detection for OS the apply relevent windowing. you have the opton of either..

on focus of a particular window telling the shell to change its abailable options.. like sometimes on the shell menu of a mac youll see some items dull grey as they are not available..

you could also always create your own window menu.. and place it in if on a mac… just a hbox with a few menu items.. extend NativeWindow.. and call it mac window or something. the as nick says do detection for OS the apply relevent windowing.

]]> By: Eckehart Röscheisen http://blog.everythingflex.com/2007/10/15/air-nativemenus-your-thoughts-please/#comment-462 Eckehart Röscheisen Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:04:51 +0000 http://blog.everythingflex.com/2007/10/15/air-nativemenus-your-thoughts-please/#comment-462 Maybe creating a menu manager class that handles all that would make sense. Maybe creating a menu manager class that handles all that would make sense.

]]> By: everythingflex http://blog.everythingflex.com/2007/10/15/air-nativemenus-your-thoughts-please/#comment-461 everythingflex Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:17:43 +0000 http://blog.everythingflex.com/2007/10/15/air-nativemenus-your-thoughts-please/#comment-461 So, you would have a single master menu on Mac, but on Windows you may split your menus so that they only show on the appropriate window? If you do this, you may have menus in the master menu on the Mac that are not appropriate to the windows that are currently open. So, you would have a single master menu on Mac, but on Windows you may split your menus so that they only show on the appropriate window? If you do this, you may have menus in the master menu on the Mac that are not appropriate to the windows that are currently open.

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