This question is in a similar vein to the currently running "GUI Design tools for Linux" thread, but I didn''t want to hijack it. Does anyone know of any halfway decent(preferably free) form prototyping apps for Windows or Linux/FreeBSD? I''m not looking for something to generate HTML. I just want to be able to drag and drop form fields, add labels, little widget placeholders, etc... for documentation purposes. Basically so I can quickly settle on a layout for my various forms without writing all of the associated code, and constantly tweaking it for each change. Thanks, Steve
Steve V <ruby@...> writes:> Does anyone know of any halfway decent(preferably free) form prototyping > apps for Windows or Linux/FreeBSD? I''m not looking for something to generate > HTML. I just want to be able to drag and drop form fields, add labels, > little widget placeholders, etc... for documentation purposes.I''ve recently started using Visio to do ''information layouts'' of my application and have been very happy with it. I used photoshop in the past for this stage of design but found that my creative side would start taking over and I''d start spending time on details. Now I use Visio to mock up the application, have the client review it, make changes and when the client is happy I move to the visual design stage. This is when I switch to photoshop. Once I''m happy with a visual design, I create html pages for each major page of the application. These pages get turned into views in Rails. I find that by the time I get to the html stage, I''m very anxious to get started with coding but it''s always better to get the html out of the way first. That way you don''t start cutting corners on design when you''re deep into the coding stage. Sorry for the long reply but for the first stage, I find Visio to be great. Hammed
You can use Access (or VB) to lay out your forms as well, and take screen shots (I like srip32.exe) with a utility that will grab window areas, and not just app''s client or the desktop. Visio''s tools work only so-so. The plus side for Access is that you can crib comboboxes and listboxes with sample data as well, and labels attached to other controls stay attached. On 4/27/05, H M <airmalik-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> wrote:> Steve V <ruby@...> writes: > > > Does anyone know of any halfway decent(preferably free) form prototyping > > apps for Windows or Linux/FreeBSD? I''m not looking for something to generate > > HTML. I just want to be able to drag and drop form fields, add labels, > > little widget placeholders, etc... for documentation purposes. > > I''ve recently started using Visio to do ''information layouts'' of my application > and have been very happy with it. I used photoshop in the past for this stage of > design but found that my creative side would start taking over and I''d start > spending time on details. Now I use Visio to mock up the application, have the > client review it, make changes and when the client is happy I move to the visual > design stage. > > This is when I switch to photoshop. Once I''m happy with a visual design, I > create html pages for each major page of the application. These pages get turned > into views in Rails. > > I find that by the time I get to the html stage, I''m very anxious to get started > with coding but it''s always better to get the html out of the way first. That > way you don''t start cutting corners on design when you''re deep into the coding > stage. > > Sorry for the long reply but for the first stage, I find Visio to be great. > > Hammed > > _______________________________________________ > Rails mailing list > Rails-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails >
Corey Lawson <corey.ssf.lawson@...> writes:> The plus side for Access is that you can crib comboboxes > and listboxes with sample data as well, and labels attached to other > controls stay attached.All this can be done in Visio as well. There''s a whole suite of widgets that can dropped on the page. And if you''re up to it, you can actually create links between pages so simulate an actual website. Hammed
Glade and/or QT Designer will both work as well (and cost less than Visio) On 4/27/05, Steve V <ruby-ChEX1j9zMF7JbC0vcoRRxNBPR1lH4CV8@public.gmane.org> wrote:> This question is in a similar vein to the currently running "GUI Design > tools for Linux" thread, but I didn''t want to hijack it. > > Does anyone know of any halfway decent(preferably free) form prototyping > apps for Windows or Linux/FreeBSD? I''m not looking for something to generate > HTML. I just want to be able to drag and drop form fields, add labels, > little widget placeholders, etc... for documentation purposes. > > Basically so I can quickly settle on a layout for my various forms without > writing all of the associated code, and constantly tweaking it for each > change. > > Thanks, > Steve > > _______________________________________________ > Rails mailing list > Rails-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails >
On 4/27/05, H M <airmalik-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> wrote:> Steve V <ruby@...> writes: > > > Does anyone know of any halfway decent(preferably free) form prototyping > > apps for Windows or Linux/FreeBSD? I''m not looking for something to generate > > HTML. I just want to be able to drag and drop form fields, add labels, > > little widget placeholders, etc... for documentation purposes. > > I''ve recently started using Visio to do ''information layouts'' of my application > and have been very happy with it. I used photoshop in the past for this stage of > design but found that my creative side would start taking over and I''d start > spending time on details. Now I use Visio to mock up the application, have the > client review it, make changes and when the client is happy I move to the visual > design stage. > > HammedWe use paintshopto (nice & simple) to mock up the forms/screens to start with so we can drag/cut & move stuff around quick. Luckily, i''m not creative in the art sense so I don''t get sidetracked on the eye candy.;) But I can churn out some mean forms. Clay
On Wed, 2005-04-27 at 14:24 -0700, Steve V wrote:> Does anyone know of any halfway decent(preferably free) form prototyping > apps for Windows or Linux/FreeBSD? I''m not looking for something to generate > HTML. I just want to be able to drag and drop form fields, add labels, > little widget placeholders, etc... for documentation purposes.Qt Designer has by far the best form design tool I''ve seen available for Linux. I''d start there. John