Gap Analysis and Verified Bug List by Feature in Release Notes

Targets Web
1

Please don’t perceive this as negative.

(Eventually) I’d like to migrate a number of Web 1.0 projects to Web 2.0.

Even assuming no direct migration path and that I have to rebuild them from scratch in Web 2.0 - I have interest in doing so (primarily due to familiarity with Xojo). However my time frame is not without limits.

I recently downloaded the current Release 2021 R1.1 to re-try Web 2.0.

I re-read the Release Notes from versions 2020 R1 through 2021 R1.1 to gain an overview of the current state of transition from Web 1.0 and the maturity of Web 2.0. I certainly acknowledge much progress has been made, however I failed to gain a real sense of the state of readiness of Web 2.0 for my projects from the information in the release notes.

I dived in to use the 2021 R1.1. I built a small app, enjoyed using the new Chart object (changing it dynamically). I then noticed some basic events I had expected of the WebTextField were missing.

I then found I needed to perform my own “gap analysis” of what was once available in Web 1.0 versus what is available in Web 2.0 (and moreover, what is available in Web 2.0 but is the subject of unresolved bug reports). I don’t believe this is something I’ve been forced to do with the other dev tools I use, other than to check the resolution of 1 maybe 2 bugs per release. But certainly never in this manner.

In other words, how can I track my journey to Web 2 and pick the right to migrate without performing my own time-sapping analysis with each incremental release. I think the answer lies in better release notes.

There’s a lot to like about Web 2.0. I generally take a positive viewpoint.

I get that Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 are different beasts (and I have no expectation of feature parity).

As a microcosm of the readiness of Web 2.0 I simply compared the state of available of events in the WebTextField, between 2019 R3.2 and 2021 R1.1. I chose the WebTextField because, because, well that is where I first came undone on Friday night.

My analysis is presented below:

gap_analysis_WebTextField
gap_analysis_WebTextField834×619 73.8 KB

I’m far from lazy, however is Xojo expecting me to perform this kind of gap analysis with every release?

Can’t the release notes, also provide a feature gap analysis as well as a list verified and outstanding bugs by feature? especially for the transition to Web 2.0. You would then know where you stand in a heartbeat.

Kind regards, Andrew

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2

Maybe Xojo is expecting that you do your migration right away using lots of workarounds and tolerate the many bugs. Just look at the forum the numerous memory leaks, What are you told there: Just restar your app frecuently :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

And admit that this looks like a step back?

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We have several Web 1 projects on hold for the migration as a couple of things are still to do for Web 2.

  • Memory Leaks with JSON
  • WebFileUploader broken for multiple file uploads.
  • Control Arrays missing
  • Style Editor missing
  • Style conversion/import from old projects
  • Missing events like MouseExit or KeyPressed for some controls.
  • Palette windows

Porting a big project with 100+ web layouts using various styles for controls is still not really possible. Especially as we loose style assignments when opening it, get tons of messages about no more supported controls and the IDE may not help on renamed events.

We’ll see. We hope Xojo Inc. is ready before we have to move (or rewrite).

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Hello Christian,

Thank you in the sense you agree there is a gap in functionality between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 that is preventing you from migrating your larger from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0.

The point I was trying to make is that it is demanding of developers to repeatedly perform their own gap analysis for each release until such time as Web 2.0 is fit for your, mine or another developers intended purpose.

I was simply making the case for better releases note that address both the gaps in expected functionality and list unresolved bugs (that would impact adoption) of the current release

  • Style conversion/import from old projects

Is an interesting case in point. You have an expectation that Xojo will at some point be able import Web 1.0 projects and convert styles, however, where have Xojo committed in writing to provide that functionality?

The release notes, when addressing gaps in functionality between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 could make statements like:

Gap Analysis:

WebTextField: Event: MouseDown is expected to be restored in the next release.
WebTextField: Event: MouseEnter is expected to be restored in a future release.
WebTextField: Event: MouseEnter is expected to be restored in a future release.
etc…

and in your case:

Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 Project Conversion is not expected to offered in a future Web 2.0 release.
WebFileUpload is not fully functional due to Feedback Case: ##### which remains unresolved at the time of this release.

You would then, having read the release notes, be able better plan your next steps as a developer, without the ongoing need to perform your own gap analysis for each release.

Kind regards, Andrew

5

There is no promise from Xojo Inc. to help on the styles. But simply removing the style information is no good solution and I demanded in a feedback case to provide help in the IDE to convert.
That may be to bring back styles as objects in the IDE, or convert them to a bootstrap.css file and provide code in Open events to assign initial styles.

This must be an easy transition. Because if it is a rewrite, the developers may decide to use something else than Xojo!

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There is no promise from Xojo Inc. to help on the styles.

100% correct, so why do you believe it will happen when every indication by team Xojo on the forum since the introduction of Web 2.0 is that it won’t happen?

I demanded in a feedback case to provide help in the IDE to convert

That’s funny Christian. Perhaps your demands as an MVP carry additional weight.

There is no mention of your demand in the current “Road Map”. In fact no mention of Web 2.0 whatsoever in the current roadmap. It’s already delivered! So to be fair you might be waiting a while.

I’d rather you comment on the actual topic I raised.

Either you believe the Release Notes can be improved (with gap and bug analysis) to better serve Xojo’s Customers, or you don’t. I don’t believe I could have been be any clearer.

Kind regards, Andrew

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7

Go to Feedback and try to find feature requests for the features you need. Then subscribe to the Feedback cases. If you are lucky you will get an email when a feature has been implemented. At least you can have a look at your open Feedback cases to see the progress of lack of it.

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8

Hello Beatrix,

Firstly, thank you (sincerely), I certainly do use Feedback as a reference point, but it’s certainly not an ideal solution.

I’d hoped not to get into an analysis of the effectiveness of Feedback (which has been widely discussed before).

Sure I can follow individual feedback cases that I create or are drawn to my attention and again perform my own gap analysis of their progress. However, given the volume of cases is that even feasible / time effective.

I can’t effectively filter ALL publicly feedback cases by framework target (eg web) or release version to obtain a snapshot of the health of the platform on a given target. I can only review Newest or Recently Active Cases without searching with criteria targeting individual cases.

Further, using my mini Gap Analysis, even if I type WebTextField as search criteria in Feedback it displays “Your filter choices are hiding the contents of this list”. Why would it not for instance retrieve any and all cases with a subject or body containing “WebTextField”. Who knows!

Being able to filter ALL Feedback cases by framework target and release version would no doubt help. It’s certainly built in but it doesn’t really work. The version is not populated and the category is often N/A. I tried, see below:

feedback_filtering_version_and_framework
feedback_filtering_version_and_framework1355×362 55.6 KB

Kind regards, Andrew

9

You probably have selected “closed” as state for the Feedback cases. That’s why you can’t see everything.

Xojo doesn’t want you to do a detailed analysis. It’s a simple as that.

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@Beatrix_Willius, (it’s probably a mute point) however if you check my screen capture you can clearly see I did not filter on Status. It is set to “Any Status” (not “Closed”).

Xojo doesn’t want you to do a detailed analysis. It’s a simple as that.

(Smiling at your comment) Sadly, it would seem so. That is why I thought Xojo should lift their game on the Release Notes.

Let’s put this topic to bed.

Kind regards, Andrew

11

lift their game on the Release Notes would make obvios that they need to lift their game on everything else :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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