topic Re: Dev environ? in Web AppBuilder Custom Widgets Questions

Dev environ?

GisGKAuckland — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 02:49:02 GMT

I am currently using the WAB downloaded and changing the files in an editor notepad++ and toggling between the server and client folders.

Anyone using better methods for faster results? Any chance of using IDE like visual studio?

Re: Dev environ?

JordanBaumgardner — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 16:39:08 GMT

I would think using the standard web front end build tools would work much better for you. grunt, gulp, yeoman - things like that. They are great at moving things around and modifying paths and other tedious tasks.

https://medium.freecodecamp.com/making-sense-of-front-end-build-tools-3a1b3a87043b#.hf6jxsa0z

There is no reason VS can't modify the files as well. We use it to check in our config changes and develop new widgets. Since we often have a C# backend and we are a Microsoft shop, it's a natural fit.

But if you are moving files around and changing strings - grunt or the like is an easy way to go.

Editing configs can easily be done with VS, but I actually prefer notepadd++ ; )

We have a project that contains all the downstream paths making it easy to navigate using the usual VS tools.

Re: Dev environ?

RobertScheitlin__GISP — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 17:57:02 GMT

GisGeek,

The widget/theme development work flow I use for all my work is this.

1. Copy the [install dir]\client\stemapp\widgets\samplewidgets\CustomWidgetTemplate folder to the stemapp widget folder and rename it to your custom widgets name.
2. Open the manifest.json and change the name property to the exact name of the widget folder from step one.
3. I now work on changing the icon and some basics of the widget.
4. Now I create a new app (normally the app will be named the same as my custom widgets name) and will see that my new custom widget is a choice in the widget choices.
5. Add my custom widget to the new app.
6. Now I do ALL my development in the [install dir]\server\apps\[app #]\widgets\my custom widget name folder.
7. Once I am done will my development I copy the widget folder back into the stemapp widgets folder so that new apps will use the completed widget code.

I have been a VS developer for many years but When I went to JS I choose to not use an IDE that has intelli sense, as it forced me to really learn the API and not just depend on the itelli sense. I have used Brackets and now use Atom as my main IDE. VS code is a good IDE if you just want to stick with MS.

Re: Dev environ?

GisGKAuckland — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 01:07:53 GMT

Thanks for the help.

hmmm.. Looks back to days of Linux , Php and bullock carts.

Re: Dev environ?

GisGKAuckland — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 01:17:53 GMT

VS picks up a neat app but if any file is corrupted, it just refuses to nudge.

Does VS has templates for dojo like angular?

Re: Dev environ?

RobertScheitlin__GISP — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 03:51:08 GMT

GisGeek,

You can use Download Visual Studio Code - Mac, Linux, Windows it seems to be a popular IDE with esri and many other big names. It does very well with JS code. I am not sure about a dojo template.