Correct me if I'm wrong, I am just starting with Ofbiz, but I understand that freemaker is just a template language like velocity so that means it is possible to enhance the UI using almost whatever you want, even embedded flash. I'm wondering if I could integrate OpenLaszlo or Adobe Flex 3, sorry if it sounds stupid...
So under my limited knowledge, I think the Ofbiz UI is as it should be, because it's a generic opensource ERP platform and it should include the flexibility to integrate them but not implement them from scratch. On Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 10:06 PM, David E Jones <[email protected]> wrote: > > It's a good point Jacopo... FaceBook and Google are not example of good UIs > for complicated things, they are just simple applications where the UI is > hard to mess up. > > IMO the usefulness of an application is all about applicability to > requirements, or end-user needs. If it is close to those needs, great! If it > is not, then it is painful to use, if helpful at all. So, step one is > identifying user needs (aka requirements). Without those even the best > design will be hit-and-miss based on which user's requirements it happens to > meet. > > -David > > > > On Nov 11, 2009, at 2:06 AM, Jacopo Cappellato wrote: > > >> On Nov 11, 2009, at 2:18 AM, Shi Jinghai wrote: >> >> Forgot to say, Facebook and iGoogle are the best samples of all :). >>> >>> >> Hmmmm... the ui of FB and Google are example of ui that are richer than >> the one of OFBiz, but I would not say that they are good examples of good >> ui. >> Often what is "nice" is not really useful, especially when the user >> performs repetitive tasks. >> For example: sometimes it is annoying to move your hands from the keyboard >> to the mouse. >> >> Some general enhancements I would like to see in OFBiz: >> * better error/success messages >> * better handling of keyboard tab to move from one field to another >> * more and better multi row submit screens >> * more informative form fields (e.g. showing descriptions instead of just >> ids) >> * enhancing field interactions (the value of one field can change/hide/ >> etc other elements/data in the screen) >> >> BTW, I think it would be much better to focus on specific use >> cases/workflows/system interactions, and suggest enhancements; for example: >> 1) go to order manager >> 2) select "order entry" >> 3) select a customer; SUGGESTION: here I would like to get a better >> selection mechanism, with.... >> 4) after the selection of a customer, etc... >> >> In this way it will be easier to focus on specific solutions and improve, >> working with the community, key processes in the system. >> >> Cheers, >> >> Jacopo >> >> >> >>> 在 2009-11-11三的 09:13 +0800，Shi Jinghai写道： >>> >>>> In the architectural level, JBoss Portal can be a good sample, the >>>> concepts are portal, page, window. >>>> http://www.jboss.org/jbossportal/ >>>> or >>>> http://www.jboss.org/gatein >>>> >>>> If you're interested in how a user configs his/her page, you can login >>>> our portal: >>>> http://sso.langhua.org/cas/login?service=http%3A%2F%2Flanghua.org% >>>> 2Fportal%2Fauth%2Fportal%2Fdefault%2FHome >>>> Username: anon >>>> Password: anon >>>> >>>> >>>> In window level, OpenCms is a good example, list, dialog and etc. >>>> http://demo.opencms.org/en/ >>>> >>>> If you're interested in how a user use it, you can login our cms >>>> workplace: >>>> http://sso.langhua.org/cas/login?service=http%3A%2F%2Fcms.langhua.org% >>>> 3A80%2Fopencms705%2Fopencms%2Fsystem%2Flogin%2Findex.html >>>> Username: anon >>>> Password: anon >>>> >>>> Regards, >>>> >>>> Shi Jinghai/Beijing Langhua Ltd. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> 在 2009-11-10二的 19:02 -0500，Ruth Hoffman写道： >>>> >>>>> Hello Shi: >>>>> Please excuse my ignorance, but what exactly do you mean by "web GUI"? >>>>> Could you give an example of another application suite that has a "web >>>>> GUI" as you suggest? >>>>> Regards, >>>>> Ruth >>>>> >>>>> Shi Jinghai wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> OFBiz already has a core system (like a dos or linux core), it needs a >>>>>> Windows/GNU(web GUI), perhaps it's time to consider to introduce a new >>>>>> party who is an expert on this. Please don't confuse the GUI with CSS, >>>>>> it's on dialog, window, menu, list, form and etc. >>>>>> >>>>>> Just my 2 cents, >>>>>> >>>>>> Shi Jinghai/Beijing Langhua Ltd. >>>>>> >>>>>> PS: please rename the GUI in framework to another name. >>>>>> >>>>>> 在 2009-11-10二的 07:17 -0700，Brett Palmer写é“： >>>>>> >>>>>> Here are the notes that I took during the ApacheCon 2009 User Round >>>>>>> Table. >>>>>>> The conference was a success but I believe was less attended than >>>>>>> normal. >>>>>>> I've been to about 6 ofbiz conferences and this one was the least >>>>>>> attended >>>>>>> by ofbiz users than others. I attribute this to the current economic >>>>>>> situation rather than anything else. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Interestingly, a lot of the comments during the round table were >>>>>>> similar to >>>>>>> ones that we have had in the past. The project continues to make >>>>>>> progress >>>>>>> but from outsiders it is difficult to measure as some of the new >>>>>>> features >>>>>>> takes months to see in the end product. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> There were six people in attendance at the round table. A few had to >>>>>>> leave >>>>>>> early to catch planes in the afternoon. Of those that attended the >>>>>>> round >>>>>>> table two were speakers (myself and Ruth). Three of the attendees >>>>>>> were >>>>>>> service providers trying to better understand the direction of ofbiz >>>>>>> and one >>>>>>> was a new user that was active in other Apache projects and wanted to >>>>>>> know >>>>>>> more about ofbiz. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Here are the key comments: >>>>>>> >>>>>>> * Everyone was very interested in the new project that Dave >>>>>>> introduced a >>>>>>> couple of weeks ago about a specialized application for small >>>>>>> business. They >>>>>>> wanted to know a lot more about this project and what it would >>>>>>> include. >>>>>>> There was a lot of excitement about the proposal. I didn't have a >>>>>>> lot of >>>>>>> details to share so I told them to watch the mailing list for more >>>>>>> details >>>>>>> on the subject. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> * Most common complaint. The UI for the out of the box ecommerce >>>>>>> application. The general feedback was that from a technical >>>>>>> perspective >>>>>>> people like ofbiz but it was difficult to convince key business >>>>>>> people that >>>>>>> ofbiz was right for their organization because of the lacking >>>>>>> "sizzle" in >>>>>>> the default application. Non-technical people have a hard time >>>>>>> determining >>>>>>> how difficult it is to customize the UI and in a quick review will >>>>>>> opt for a >>>>>>> better looking application because that is all they can really >>>>>>> evaluate. >>>>>>> The general thought was that the lack of a very nice front end was >>>>>>> slowing >>>>>>> the adoption for ofbiz >>>>>>> >>>>>>> * Another suggestion was around content management. The ofbiz CMS is >>>>>>> not >>>>>>> fully complete with a UI and business logic. The question was asked >>>>>>> if it >>>>>>> was possible to plugin other CSM packages the the Java Content >>>>>>> Repository >>>>>>> (JCR). >>>>>>> >>>>>>> * There were some comments on OpenTaps and what it means to OFBiz. >>>>>>> This is >>>>>>> always an interesting discussion and I tried to explain the licensing >>>>>>> problems with using OpenTaps. The one benefit people had about using >>>>>>> OpenTaps is that it has a full CRM application that people can use >>>>>>> from the >>>>>>> start. OfBiz is more general and requires more customization. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> * SugarCRM and other similar applications are examples of very large >>>>>>> user >>>>>>> communities because the application is a complete solution. It is >>>>>>> difficult >>>>>>> to convince people to use ofbiz because there are pieces that are not >>>>>>> complete and require customization. The ability to customize is a >>>>>>> benefit >>>>>>> for some users but a drawback for others and is a hindrance to wide >>>>>>> spread >>>>>>> adoption. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> * Is it possible to break up the components more into separate >>>>>>> installable >>>>>>> modules. For example, framework versus applications. We discussed >>>>>>> how this >>>>>>> is currently done but the feedback was to make it easier for people >>>>>>> to pick >>>>>>> and choose what components to install. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> * Any plans to integrate a complete rules engine into ofbiz >>>>>>> >>>>>>> * Version control for release branches. Are they plans to do more >>>>>>> frequent >>>>>>> releases? The current download of the nightly build is misleading as >>>>>>> user >>>>>>> think it is a stable release build but it is really just the nightly >>>>>>> build >>>>>>> from the trunk. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> * It was stated that OFBiz is a unique apache project as it is >>>>>>> focused on >>>>>>> business solutions where as most apache projects focus on a single >>>>>>> technical >>>>>>> problem. How that technology is used in an application is generally >>>>>>> irrelevant. OFBiz is different in that it tries to provide a >>>>>>> complete >>>>>>> solution for businesses and users. The feedback was that in the >>>>>>> future it >>>>>>> would be nice to attract more end users to the ofbiz apache >>>>>>> conference >>>>>>> rather than technical people that implement the solution. This was >>>>>>> agreed >>>>>>> that if there were more complete applications that the user community >>>>>>> would >>>>>>> grow and all people in the community would benefit. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> * Another strategy for OFBiz would be to define business best >>>>>>> practices and >>>>>>> then implement those processes into the applications. This is a >>>>>>> difficult >>>>>>> task as all businesses are unique but just as ofbiz adopted a common >>>>>>> data >>>>>>> model there most be common business practices that would benefit all >>>>>>> businesses. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> * Improving the integration of the seleniumXml test framework with >>>>>>> the >>>>>>> existing ofbiz test framework. Also more examples of tests using the >>>>>>> OOTB >>>>>>> ofbiz applications would be desired. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> The above comments are notes that I took during the round table >>>>>>> discussion. >>>>>>> They are not my own personal opinions but of those of the group. >>>>>>> Please >>>>>>> feel free to comment on these ideas for the benefit of the community. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Overall, the people attending the conference commented that they >>>>>>> would like >>>>>>> OFBiz to continue to have these each year. They would like to see >>>>>>> more >>>>>>> users attending the conference in the future. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Thanks, >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Brett >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>> >>> >> > -- Jonatan Soto Aguilera C/ Comte Borrell, 328 3º4ª 08029 Barcelona Telf: +34935350010 Móvil: +34669908135 www.japanflavour.com
