Use Of Visage In Home Automation Project
Nick Apperley
Home Automation project which aren't applicable to Visage, the use of
the language is. I can think of no better place to post this than in
the Visage Users group.
For a quick introduction into the project it started when the client
wanted to have a standard way of automating the home (both with
hardware and software). Unfortunately the client soon discovered that
there was no open standard protocol being used to communicate between
the hardware (being automated), and the software. Also a lot of the
hardware was either wed to one or the other proprietary home
automation systems (via a closed protocol). In other words all the
hardware bought for home automation was either designed for one system
or the other (cannot mix).
As such the project was born with the intention of creating a standard
solution for home automation. You can find a copy of the requirements
document on my website:
https://sites.google.com/site/napperley/general-files
On the project there is a team of 3 software developers, and 2
hardware engineers. With the software development side one is handling
the embedded software (including the protocol), another is handling
the server side (backend), finally I am handling mainly the front end
but are assisting with the integration of the back and front ends.
Upon looking at a general system (library and language) for doing the
high level graphics that are required for the designer tool part I
found that all potential solutions were too immature/incomplete (for
the web side). In order to do the high level graphics required the
designer tool will need to become a desktop application instead of a
web one, since there are some proper solutions on the desktop side.
However such a change will require the client to change the
requirements significantly in order to make it possible to design/
create the designer tool.
Much research with the high graphics has led to a scenegraph type
solution which most of you will be familiar with, JavaFX (version 2)
along with Visage for a language to handle the front end. The big
issues that I am facing with this are:
1. Speed of maturity with JavaFX 2 and Visage (will they be usable in
time)
2. Is it going to be possible to be part of the JavaFX 2 early access
programme (to evaluate the technology)
3. Proper tooling for Visage
4. Licensing of Visage and JavaFX 2
5 .Free distribution (bundling) of the JavaFX 2 runtime
6. Level of access to JavaFX 2 APIs with Visage (how comprehensive
will it be)
There is a reasonable chance that the solution being developed via the
project will go global. Also there may be a possibility for an
operator client for Android to be developed where Visage can be used
(once Android starts to dominate on the mobile side).
Stephen Chin
Sounds like a very exciting project!
Let me take a stab at answering some of your questions.
On 1/15/11 2:27 PM, Nick Apperley wrote:
> 1. Speed of maturity with JavaFX 2 and Visage (will they be usable in
> time)
I can't speak for JavaFX 2.0, but as far as I know they are still on
schedule for hitting their Q3 deliverable this year. As soon as they
provide some pre-release builds of JavaFX 2.0 I will start on the Visage
API wrapping. I can't guarantee that I can keep pace with the level of
change that happens during a pre-release program, so there may be some
lag between the final release of the JavaFX 2.0 and Visage 1.0. If
things go well we will have stable developer snapshots along the way and
be able to release simultaneously.
> 2. Is it going to be possible to be part of the JavaFX 2 early access
> programme (to evaluate the technology)
Jai Suri mentioned that they would be very liberal in providing access
to the early access program when he spoke at the SvJugFx. If you are
interested in getting in the pre-release program early, I would
recommend talking to him or Nicolas Loraine. (both of their e-mail
addresses are first...@oracle.com)
> 3. Proper tooling for Visage
We have the intention of providing the same level of tooling as JavaFX
1.3 had upon release and improved tooling going forward. This comes
secondary to getting stuff working, but is something we care a lot about
(as you have seen from the enthusiastic posts on this group).
> 4. Licensing of Visage and JavaFX 2
I can't speak for JavaFX 2.0 licensing, but I would imagine it will be
similar to JavaFX 1.3. Visage is partially licensed under GPL v2
(compiler) and partially under BSD (libraries). This combination allows
you to use Visage-developed applications with no commercial restrictions.
> 5 .Free distribution (bundling) of the JavaFX 2 runtime
I have heard that there will be an option for this with JavaFX 2.0 (this
was certainly the plan with JavaFX 1.3, but it got canceled). This
would be a better question for Jai or Nicolas.
> 6. Level of access to JavaFX 2 APIs with Visage (how comprehensive
> will it be)
100%
Anything you will be able to do from JavaFX 2.0 will be available with
Visage out of the box at the point we have a 1.0 release (see answer 1).
>
> There is a reasonable chance that the solution being developed via the
> project will go global.
Visage supports localization, and Java overall has excellent support for
multibyte characters and international needs.
> Also there may be a possibility for an
> operator client for Android to be developed where Visage can be used
> (once Android starts to dominate on the mobile side).
This may be a good application of Visage Android. While the APIs are
not intended to match JavaFX 2.0, you will be able to get the same
development productivity benefits and use the same language for your
Android development.
Cheers,
--
--Steve
blog: http://steveonjava.com/
Nick Apperley
On Jan 19, 10:42 pm, Stephen Chin <st...@widgetfx.org> wrote:
> Nick,
>
> Sounds like a very exciting project!
>
> Let me take a stab at answering some of your questions.
>
> On 1/15/11 2:27 PM, Nick Apperley wrote:> 1. Speed of maturity with JavaFX 2 and Visage (will they be usable in
> > time)
>
> to the early access program when he spoke at the SvJugFx. If you are
> interested in getting in the pre-release program early, I would
> recommend talking to him or Nicolas Loraine. (both of their e-mail
Stephen Chin
Nick Apperley
program which I have already done. Today after having a meeting with
the client he has allowed the designer tool to be developed as a
desktop application, which means I can go forward with the plan. In a
surprising turn of events the client wants another part of the project
to be developed as a desktop application instead of as a web
application (hardware configuration tool).