About DataModels

[Sliver]

Hi Jack !
(In advance, scuze me for my english.. :D )

First I'd like to congratulate you for the wonderfull job you've done on yui-ext.

I have 3 questions for you :

1°/ Why did you choice to keep the DataModels strongly linked with the Grid component ?
I've worked on implementing a dynamic comment system (a little like your blog's one) based on XML data files, and DataModels where the only way I found to easily manipulate XML datas (with the load() function for example...). Maybe there are other ways to load XML files into JSON objects in the Yui.utils, but they did not provide the same easy-use functionalities.
My problem is : I use DataModel a lot, but I don't touch any of the Grid components. On the SVN, I saw that the DataModels where implemented in a different folder named /data/.
So why are the DataModels forced to be a sub-component of Grid ??
Couldn't we have a way to access DataModels functionalities without loading exedent amounts of grid code ?

2°/ Will yui-ext become (in the future) a project developped by a community of programmers or will you keep the monopole of developping this wonderfull JS librairy (in order it to be a coherent librairy ) ?
At least, other programmers would enjoy to help you writing a detailled documentation ;)


3°/ About internationalization :
Some components, like the little Calendar (YAHOO.ext.grid.DateEditor) avaible in the Grid components, lack of internationalization abilities (I'd like to change the initials used for the day of the week, change the text of the 'Today' button...)
Did you plan to change this ?


Anyway, good continuation for you.
You do a great job guy !

[TommyMaintz]

its jack, not john...

[jack.slocum]

1. Although the models are packaged under YAHOO.ext.grid, there is no dependency and they can be used anywhere. The only link was with the sort function, and that has been broken.

In .40 they will officially be moved to their own package (data) and any traces of the column model link is gone. They are also much more powerful (the xml one at least) and support complex schemas, named data indexes and basic xpath.

2. Not sure yet. Help on documentation would be a good first step. A manual is currently in the works and it is a community effort (yui-ext.com/manual). It's still very raw.

3. Every component in yui-ext support localization. All text is defined on the prototype to support changing it. There a thread on this with more details in the help forum.