JAN
29
2018

KEXI 3.1.0 Beta & Frameworks

Submitted by Jarosław Staniek

Today is the release day for KEXI 3.1.0 Beta & its frameworks: https://community.kde.org/Kexi/Releases#3.1.0_Beta_1

Since version 3 it becomes KEXI not Kexi to suggest becoming a standalone app. It's standalone status includes being first-class app also outside of KDE Plasma. To make this real things such as useful yet simple file widget are developed or single click mode is really single click mode "even" on XFCE. Actually implementing optimal experience for Windows is quite similar to supporting XFCE.

KEXI Frameworks are now prepared for backward compatibility rules within the series >=3.1. So I would encourage to try KProperty if you need powerful property editing features in your app in place of tedious Qt list or tree views. There's KPropertyExample in the same repository. Then there's KDb if you actually expect more (something low or high-level) than QtSql, that is also need to create database or SQLite-based documents, what seems to be very popular container in our times. Then try KReport if you want escape from generating (ODF/HTML/whatever) documents "by hand", or QPainting them by hand, just to be able to print your application's data in a structured way with nice title, header, footer. Try KReportExample to see KReport in action with "a few lines of code" app.

Finally, try KEXI to create designs of reports mentioned above, design data-driven apps (lots of features are missing before you're able to desing, say, a JIRA like app but it IS coming), integrate data, perform some analysis (again, lots of these features are not shipped as stability was, again, the goal).

I trust stability makes KEXI and its frameworks pretty competitive already. The codebase was tested with Coverity, works with gcc, clang, msvc. Critical parts are autotested much more than in the 2.9 or 3.0 times. Much of the 220 improvements since 3.0.2 is stability, usability or API fixes.

We expect stable release in one month. And here's one request: if you're packager or know one, please send link to available 3.1 packages so we can eventually have a Download page. If you are able to create AppImage or Flatpak packages or work on Craft support for Windows, or test existing source or binary packages once they are published, we are looking for help.

Comments

KEXI is a wonderful software. Its amazingly easy to work with and incredibly powerful.

There is only 2 things i wish for it:
1º - Would be good to be able to set preferences, when one executes the file, for it to open a specific form by default and in full screen ( without KEXI controls, like if it was a "regular" program )
2º - Windows availability (in .Exe or .MSI format)

All the rest is great!!! Works like a charm! =)

Thank you for your work

By John at Tue, 01/30/2018 - 10:53

Thanks for liking the project, John.

Regarding #1, yes that's the direction and that shows KEXI is not a db admin program or data entry tool. There are many admin and data entry apps, often better dedicated to specific db vendor. For KEXI we highlight the "visual app builder" stamp where possible. Traces of the behavior you mention are in the User mode (--user-mode option) and in "Options related to opening objects" -- see here and here. Typing "kexi --help" shows currently available options.
Moreover unlike "standalone" apps that are not "runtime environments", here we are able to eventually have options (and startup options/scripts) at four levels at least: app-level (for given installed app for all users in the OS), user-level (for given installed app for given user in the OS), project-level (for given .kexi project, na matter if in file or on a server), server-level (for all projects that happen to use given server). Sure, balance is needed to avoid hard to understand configuration rules.

Regarding #2 In progress now for the Beta. Code is frozen so it's deployment time :)

Please report any issues and wishes, including the installation topics when you get the upgrade!
Regards, Jarek.

By Jarosław Staniek at Tue, 01/30/2018 - 11:19

Thanks for the links, they have very important tips i was not aware of!

Still, I believe having this options (auto-starting in a specific form in Data mode, for example) easily available in the GUI, instead of command line - cause it might scare new users - is very important! I didn't see any options to hide or compact KEXI's UI to a button, however. That - if the mode mentioned above is active - would be great because it would allow a user to easily create a "program" without needing much knowledge.

That is one of the most usable cases for MS Access i can think of and i believe one of the most sought and useful features of this type of software.

Kexi, for being powerful and yet intuitive, has a tremendous opportunity here! I've been following it from time-to-time and you have accomplished a LOT (I congratulate you for your amazing work in it, by the way!!!), it's just this two point i miss

By John at Thu, 02/01/2018 - 11:46

Options dialog is a good feature idea for 3.2, it's time to finally have it :) I am well aware the command line options isn't friendly even for power users as soon as there are more than 2 or 3 things to set. GUI-wise I am thinking about chrome-type of options, obviously _searchable one_ as we're going to have a huge set of options eventually, including those user-defined (MSA had this a bit too complex). Searchable options are also somehow used by Qt Creator but not yet in KDE apps. In KEXI we're prepared for some reinventing because some options have to stay in the project itself, actually as database records, not in *rc INI files.

Related: you can always find internal documentation for settings at https://cgit.kde.org/kexi.git/tree/src/doc/dev/settings.txt - until 3.2 all you can do is editing your kexirc file. It does not contain the autostart options though.

By Jarosław Staniek at Thu, 02/01/2018 - 12:31