support for ImageBundle in GXT

[plitvak]

It was promised a few times but yet to appear in GXT. I'm talking about support of the ImageBundle for all image related properties, e.g. images for buttons and icon buttons.

[darrellmeyer]

I have done a little more research on image bundles and am unclear where they might be useful within GXT. Can you give an example where you would like to see them supported?

[plitvak]

Right now the approach GXT take is to provide custom made image stripes and then use background X,Y attributes to pick the right image for the button.
The alternative and in my view better approach would be to utilize the ImageBundles.
So instead of writing:
IconButton ib = new IconButton();
ib.setIconStyle("xxx");

One would be able to write:
IconButton ib = new IconButton();
ib.setImage( uourImageBundleInstance.getMyXxxImage().createImage() )

The GWT does really good job on producing just one image stripe per application and managing all of the chopping for you.
So you don't really care about styles any more.
As an argument you may say that in the case when several images needed (like hover, disabled and so forth) it is easy to use styles. But I would at least prefer to have an option with ImageBundles.
Managing custom build image stripes is not a picnic, the graphic designer (a person) can misplace an image in the stripe accidentally and all your buttons will be screwed.

[sdc]

I was also wondering about how could GXT take benefit of the GWT ImageBundle system. It would be a nice performance enhancement, I guess, in replacement of the use of setIconStyle relying on CSS. But I have no idea about how you could integrate it :D

[cravemusic]

Right now the approach GXT take is to provide custom made image stripes and then use background X,Y attributes to pick the right image for the button.
The alternative and in my view better approach would be to utilize the ImageBundles.
So instead of writing:
IconButton ib = new IconButton();
ib.setIconStyle("xxx");

One would be able to write:
IconButton ib = new IconButton();
ib.setImage( uourImageBundleInstance.getMyXxxImage().createImage() )

The GWT does really good job on producing just one image stripe per application and managing all of the chopping for you.
So you don't really care about styles any more.
As an argument you may say that in the case when several images needed (like hover, disabled and so forth) it is easy to use styles. But I would at least prefer to have an option with ImageBundles.
Managing custom build image stripes is not a picnic, the graphic designer (a person) can misplace an image in the stripe accidentally and all your buttons will be screwed.
++
I would find this very useful as well.

[sdc]

As an argument you may say that in the case when several images needed (like hover, disabled and so forth) it is easy to use styles.
Yes, but we could also be able to write :

IconButton ib = new IconButton();
ib.setImage( uourImageBundleInstance.getMyXxxImage().createImage() );
ib.setHoverImage(..);
...

[plitvak]

So, Darrell, any intention to include this in some 1.1.x release? :)

[Adam Ward]

This would be a MUCH appreciated addition!

[sdc]

Seems to be previewed for 2.0 release : http://extjs.com/products/gxt/roadmap.php
Thanks, Darell, for your listening.

[cravemusic]

I downloaded the M1 version of 2.0 this morning, looking around to see if this feature has been added, since it is on the roadmap. It appears it has not (unless it's not called ImageBundle). Can someone from GXT comment on when this might appear? 2.1 maybe?