Many problems with designer LoginManager tutorial

[richw]

I'm trying to follow this tutorial:
http://code.google.com/webtoolkit/tools/gwtdesigner/tutorials/loginmanager.html
I'm a real Java newbie, and perhaps some of the following confusion is
due to that.

1. 1. Set the path to the GWT installation directory.
-> It doesn't tell my which level of the directory tree I should point
at. Perhaps I guessed right.

2. 3. Create the Login Composite.
-> What in the heck is a Composite? I couldn't find the illustrated
menu pick. I made a wild guess that what I wanted was a UiBinder.
What's a UiBinder?

3. Add the following widgets to the FlexTable and arrange it as
follows:
-> The FlexTable refuses to take any widgets. What's this all about? I
finally used two HorizontalPanels to group the labels and text boxes,
but it doesn't look right.

4. Add a TextBox next to the Username and change the variable property
to textBoxUsername.
-> There is no "variable" property. Is "name" the right property?

5. 4. Create and apply CSS styles
Let's create a CSS style for the Label widgets. Click on the CSS
toolbar item to open the CSS Style Editor.
-> Where in the heck is the CSS toolbar icon? OK, I can ignore styles
for now...

6. 5. Add Event Handlers
First, let's convert the text boxes from local to field variables.
Switch to Design mode, select the Username text box and click the
Convert local to field button from the properties pane. Do the same
with the Password text box.
-> The pictured icon is grayed out, and the balloon says "Conversion
is not supported".
And when I try the code that follows, Eclipse claims the text boxes
are undefined.

At this point I gave up and started typing here...

Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
Eclipse SDK 3.7.0.I20110613-1736 org.eclipse.sdk.ide null
Google App Engine Java SDK 1.5.1 1.5.1.r37v201106211634
com.google.appengine.eclipse.sdkbundle.e37.feature.feature.group
Google, Inc.
Google Plugin for Eclipse 3.7 2.3.2.r37v201106211634
com.google.gdt.eclipse.suite.e37.feature.feature.group Google, Inc.
Google Web Toolkit SDK 2.3.0 2.3.0.r37v201106211634
com.google.gwt.eclipse.sdkbundle.e37.feature.feature.group Google,
Inc.
GWT Designer 2.3.2.r37x201106201114
com.google.gdt.eclipse.designer.feature.feature.group Google, Inc.

[Eric Clayberg]

The tutorial you are referencing assumes that you are creating a GWT Java based app rather than a UiBinder app. It also assumes that you are using the full version of GWT Designer and have installed the GWT SDK somewhere specific. To answer your questions above...

1) The path would be the directory you unzipped the SDK to. If you are using the GPE, this step is not needed (GWT Designer will just use the SDK included with the GPE).

2) A Composite is standard GWT Java component used as a container for other widgets. The Composite wizard is part of the full GWT Designer tool. 

3) FlexTable only accepts children when used in a GWT Java class. It does not accept children in a UiBinder context.

4) A widgets "variable" property refers to its Java variable name (field or local variable).

5) The CSS editor is currently available only in the GWT Java context. That will be coming to the UiBinder editor soon.

The basic problem here is that the tutorial is entirely written from the POV of a GWT Java app and not a UiBinder app. By going down the UiBinder path, the rest of the tutorial does not apply. You need the full version of GWT Designer installed and you need to access the GWT Java Composite wizard in step #2.