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Home » Eclipse Projects » DTP » simplifying the connection setup process
simplifying the connection setup process [message #37332] Wed, 24 October 2007 08:19 Go to next message
Max Rydahl Andersen is currently offline Max Rydahl AndersenFriend
Messages: 233
Registered: July 2009
Senior Member
Hi,

Is there any work going on providing a simpler way of setting up
connections ?

Currently the ui requires 4-6 poorly layed out dialogs (the tables/tree
are fully expanded which gives 100% heigh) + alot of redundant information
(from the perspective of the user) for a simple setup of a single
connection.

I know the ui covers all of the flexibility in connection providers etc.
but for users that just want a simple connection to their database having
to go through all these steps are daunting.

/max
Re: simplifying the connection setup process [message #37366 is a reply to message #37332] Wed, 24 October 2007 08:52 Go to previous messageGo to next message
John Willson is currently offline John WillsonFriend
Messages: 22
Registered: July 2009
Junior Member
+1
"Max Rydahl Andersen" <max.andersen@jboss.com> wrote in message
news:op.t0oz23khsj49yt@xam...
> Hi,
>
> Is there any work going on providing a simpler way of setting up
> connections ?
>
> Currently the ui requires 4-6 poorly layed out dialogs (the tables/tree
> are fully expanded which gives 100% heigh) + alot of redundant information
> (from the perspective of the user) for a simple setup of a single
> connection.
>
> I know the ui covers all of the flexibility in connection providers etc.
> but for users that just want a simple connection to their database having
> to go through all these steps are daunting.
>
> /max
Re: simplifying the connection setup process [message #37749 is a reply to message #37366] Mon, 29 October 2007 17:16 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Eclipse UserFriend
Originally posted by: brianf.sybase.com

John & Max...

Can you provide additional details about what it is (components, etc.) that
you're seeing and what you're proposing? We can certainly look into it.

--Brian Fitzpatrick
Re: simplifying the connection setup process [message #38648 is a reply to message #37749] Sun, 11 November 2007 09:18 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Max Rydahl Andersen is currently offline Max Rydahl AndersenFriend
Messages: 233
Registered: July 2009
Senior Member
Hi brian,

> John & Max...
>
> Can you provide additional details about what it is (components, etc.)
> that
> you're seeing and what you're proposing? We can certainly look into it.

sorry - didn't spot your posting before now.

Current issues I have with DTP connnection setup as it is now (in the
sequence of how I remember things ;)


1) The layout of the dialogs only work decently on windows - on linux and
I also think mac all the dialogs fill up the screen in the full height.

2) Default selections are weird - e.g. I create a driver by finding the
MySQL Driver/Mysql 5.something driver folder, fill in the details and when
I come back the folder MySQL driver is selected instead of the Mysql
5.something which is the new driver i created.

3) The tree ui is used waay to much; it is not very scalable in smallish
dialogs. Having a treetable would be much better since i wouldn't need to
expand the nodes and then adjust the scrollbar constantly to get to the
relevant children

4) The tree ui also shows everything by default which is probably what is
causing #1 and I have to use the scrollbars *all* the time to find what
i'm looking for instead of just browsing the part of the tree that I
actually need.

5) But the *biggest* issue is that I have to go through so many dialog
boxes to setup just one New connection.
Here are the steps needed to create the *simplest* mysql connection:

Click New Connection profile
a) Connection Profile Type
Select: "Generic JDBC Connection"
Click Next
b) Create connection Profile
Enter name, "local mysql" (the only required field here)
Click Next
c) New JDBC Connection Profile
There won't be any drivers, click the ...
d) Driver definitions
(this list shows up as one huge tree on linux (ugly), on windows I
would have to scroll (tiresome))
Select Mysql/5.1 folder
Click Add...
e) Specify a Driver Template and Definition Name
(For MySql there are only *one* choice here - so why even show
this dialog, why in a tree ?)
Expand the Mysql/5.1 node to be able to select the driver
Select driver
Click Ok
d) Edit Driver definition
Click the driver jar
Click Edit jar/zip
Click N times until I find the jar
(Here if I hadn't used an existing driver definition I would also
have had to fill in the Driver class etc.)
Click Ok
f) Returns to Driver definitions with the 5.1 folder selected instead
of the just created driver definition
Click MySQL JDBC Driver
Click Ok
g) Returns to Specify a Driver Template and Definition Name
Adjust the url/username's as apropriate
Click Next
h) Summary
Click Finish
Done!

Summary:
That is *7* different wizard/pages + *minimum* 20(!) clicks/selections
+ the clicks I need to find the driver + the adjustments for url/username.
That's crazy.
To be fair it gets reduced to about 4 wizard/pages + 9 clicks/selection
if the driver is already there.

But lets compare this to e.g. create an connection in e.g. Aqua datastudio:

Click Register Server
a) Register server dialog
I select Generic JDBC here since Aqua datastudio bundles mysql.jar
which is an unfair advantage ;)
Enter url/usernames (more typing is required here because i didn't
select the Mysql template, so won't count it since it is just 4 easily
filled in text fields)
Select Driver (N steps)
Click Ok

Summary:
That is *1* wizard/page + *3* clicks/selections + the clicks I need to
find the driver + the adjustments for url/username

My point is that all the templating in DTP is nice etc. but it is waaay
more intrusive than it need to be.

Why don't we just have *one* single page dialog where you can *choose* to
use the templates or just fill in the details and don't care about the
templates ?
And for the driver then if I fill in the details DTP could just store
these if they are some new driver info.

/max
Re: simplifying the connection setup process [message #40116 is a reply to message #38648] Wed, 19 December 2007 17:00 Go to previous message
Eclipse UserFriend
Originally posted by: brianf.sybase.com

Hi Max...

We've started some usability discussions on a DTP Wiki page

http://wiki.eclipse.org/DTP_Ganymede_Connection_Wizards_Disc ussion
And after the holidays, I'm going to be focusing on Usability and
simplifying the process for Ganymede as much as possible (which may spill
into the following release). I greatly appreciate this extra detail and will
see what we can do to help you out.

In the meantime, if you'd like to take a look at the Wiki page and add
comments or continue to respond via the newsgroup or mailing list, we'd
greatly appreciate your input!

Thanks again! Hopefully I'll have more details by sometime mid January on
what we will be able to do in the short term.

--Fitz
Re: simplifying the connection setup process [message #588211 is a reply to message #37332] Wed, 24 October 2007 08:52 Go to previous message
John Willson is currently offline John WillsonFriend
Messages: 22
Registered: July 2009
Junior Member
+1
"Max Rydahl Andersen" <max.andersen@jboss.com> wrote in message
news:op.t0oz23khsj49yt@xam...
> Hi,
>
> Is there any work going on providing a simpler way of setting up
> connections ?
>
> Currently the ui requires 4-6 poorly layed out dialogs (the tables/tree
> are fully expanded which gives 100% heigh) + alot of redundant information
> (from the perspective of the user) for a simple setup of a single
> connection.
>
> I know the ui covers all of the flexibility in connection providers etc.
> but for users that just want a simple connection to their database having
> to go through all these steps are daunting.
>
> /max
Re: simplifying the connection setup process [message #588331 is a reply to message #37366] Mon, 29 October 2007 17:16 Go to previous message
Brian Fitzpatrick is currently offline Brian FitzpatrickFriend
Messages: 500
Registered: July 2009
Senior Member
John & Max...

Can you provide additional details about what it is (components, etc.) that
you're seeing and what you're proposing? We can certainly look into it.

--Brian Fitzpatrick
Re: simplifying the connection setup process [message #588586 is a reply to message #37749] Sun, 11 November 2007 09:18 Go to previous message
Max Rydahl Andersen is currently offline Max Rydahl AndersenFriend
Messages: 233
Registered: July 2009
Senior Member
Hi brian,

> John & Max...
>
> Can you provide additional details about what it is (components, etc.)
> that
> you're seeing and what you're proposing? We can certainly look into it.

sorry - didn't spot your posting before now.

Current issues I have with DTP connnection setup as it is now (in the
sequence of how I remember things ;)


1) The layout of the dialogs only work decently on windows - on linux and
I also think mac all the dialogs fill up the screen in the full height.

2) Default selections are weird - e.g. I create a driver by finding the
MySQL Driver/Mysql 5.something driver folder, fill in the details and when
I come back the folder MySQL driver is selected instead of the Mysql
5.something which is the new driver i created.

3) The tree ui is used waay to much; it is not very scalable in smallish
dialogs. Having a treetable would be much better since i wouldn't need to
expand the nodes and then adjust the scrollbar constantly to get to the
relevant children

4) The tree ui also shows everything by default which is probably what is
causing #1 and I have to use the scrollbars *all* the time to find what
i'm looking for instead of just browsing the part of the tree that I
actually need.

5) But the *biggest* issue is that I have to go through so many dialog
boxes to setup just one New connection.
Here are the steps needed to create the *simplest* mysql connection:

Click New Connection profile
a) Connection Profile Type
Select: "Generic JDBC Connection"
Click Next
b) Create connection Profile
Enter name, "local mysql" (the only required field here)
Click Next
c) New JDBC Connection Profile
There won't be any drivers, click the ...
d) Driver definitions
(this list shows up as one huge tree on linux (ugly), on windows I
would have to scroll (tiresome))
Select Mysql/5.1 folder
Click Add...
e) Specify a Driver Template and Definition Name
(For MySql there are only *one* choice here - so why even show
this dialog, why in a tree ?)
Expand the Mysql/5.1 node to be able to select the driver
Select driver
Click Ok
d) Edit Driver definition
Click the driver jar
Click Edit jar/zip
Click N times until I find the jar
(Here if I hadn't used an existing driver definition I would also
have had to fill in the Driver class etc.)
Click Ok
f) Returns to Driver definitions with the 5.1 folder selected instead
of the just created driver definition
Click MySQL JDBC Driver
Click Ok
g) Returns to Specify a Driver Template and Definition Name
Adjust the url/username's as apropriate
Click Next
h) Summary
Click Finish
Done!

Summary:
That is *7* different wizard/pages + *minimum* 20(!) clicks/selections
+ the clicks I need to find the driver + the adjustments for url/username.
That's crazy.
To be fair it gets reduced to about 4 wizard/pages + 9 clicks/selection
if the driver is already there.

But lets compare this to e.g. create an connection in e.g. Aqua datastudio:

Click Register Server
a) Register server dialog
I select Generic JDBC here since Aqua datastudio bundles mysql.jar
which is an unfair advantage ;)
Enter url/usernames (more typing is required here because i didn't
select the Mysql template, so won't count it since it is just 4 easily
filled in text fields)
Select Driver (N steps)
Click Ok

Summary:
That is *1* wizard/page + *3* clicks/selections + the clicks I need to
find the driver + the adjustments for url/username

My point is that all the templating in DTP is nice etc. but it is waaay
more intrusive than it need to be.

Why don't we just have *one* single page dialog where you can *choose* to
use the templates or just fill in the details and don't care about the
templates ?
And for the driver then if I fill in the details DTP could just store
these if they are some new driver info.

/max
Re: simplifying the connection setup process [message #589433 is a reply to message #38648] Wed, 19 December 2007 17:00 Go to previous message
Brian Fitzpatrick is currently offline Brian FitzpatrickFriend
Messages: 500
Registered: July 2009
Senior Member
Hi Max...

We've started some usability discussions on a DTP Wiki page

http://wiki.eclipse.org/DTP_Ganymede_Connection_Wizards_Disc ussion
And after the holidays, I'm going to be focusing on Usability and
simplifying the process for Ganymede as much as possible (which may spill
into the following release). I greatly appreciate this extra detail and will
see what we can do to help you out.

In the meantime, if you'd like to take a look at the Wiki page and add
comments or continue to respond via the newsgroup or mailing list, we'd
greatly appreciate your input!

Thanks again! Hopefully I'll have more details by sometime mid January on
what we will be able to do in the short term.

--Fitz
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