This document discusses Griffon, a Swing framework for Grails applications that aims to simplify Swing development. It highlights Griffon's use of bindings to connect model properties to view components, its implementation of the MVC pattern using MVC groups, and its plugin architecture similar to Grails. While noting Griffon's potential, it also comments that Swing development can be painful and Griffon currently lacks documentation as it is still in version 0.1.

1. Griffon
... a Grails Developer’s Perspective

2. Swing + Groovy + Grails

3. Wait... Swing?

5. BORDER LAYOUT
BOX LAYOUT
CARD LAYOUT
FLOW LAYOUT
GRID LAYOUT
SPRING LAYOUT

6. THREADING HELL
EVENT MADNESS BORDER LAYOUT
BOX LAYOUT
CARD LAYOUT
FLOW LAYOUT
GRID LAYOUT
SPRING LAYOUT

7. GRIDBAGLAYOUT

8. GRIDBAGLAYOUT

9. MVC Triad
bindings
MODEL
actions swing
CONTROLLER VIEW

10. bind ( source: c1, sourceProperty: ‘text’
Bindings
target: c2, targetProperty: ‘text’ )
Can bind view components to
view components
Model properties can be
@Bindable and available from
Controller and View
Validation is available within
bindings

11. Binding example (view)
def counter = 0
application(title:'bindfun', pack:true, locationByPlatform:true) {
gridLayout( cols:1, rows:2)
button(quot;Click mequot;, id:'b')
label(id:'lbl', text: bind( source: b,
sourceEvent: 'actionPerformed',
sourceValue: { counter++ },
converter: { lbl.text + it}
)
)
}

12. MVC Groups
MVC pattern can have a very small footprint
Can be in lots of places
Griffon’s MVC groups allows easy creation and
deletion of MVC pattern
griffon create-mvc to create skeleton
createMVCGroup() to instantiate in running app

13. Image Viewer Demo

14. Plugins
10+ available
griffon list-plugins
griffon install-plugin myPlugin
Just like Grails

15. Thoughts
Swing is painful
Griffon is good
Missing documentation (only 0.1)
Great potential for growth
I wish I had this 3 years ago!

16. Resources
http://griffon.codehaus.org
http://groovy.codehaus.org/Swing+Builder
http://docs.codehaus.org/display/GRIFFON/
FileViewer