Overview

# Introduction

This document lists changes made to the View Model APIs. Please ask on the `nbdev@netbeans.org` mailing list if you have any questions about the details of a change, or are wondering how to convert existing code to be compatible.

# Index of APIs

- View Model API

# Incompatible changes by date

Fuller descriptions of all changes can be found below (follow links).

Not all deprecations are listed here, assuming that the deprecated APIs continue to essentially work. For a full deprecation list, please consult the Javadoc.

- (Mar 31 '05) I need to add TreeModelEvent to ViewModelAPI.
- (Jan 13 '05) Access to tree node expansion added.
- (Jan 7 '05) Support for synchronous and asynchronous ViewModels implementation fixed.

# All changes by date

- (Aug 25 '05) CompoundModel enhanced with a possibility to set help ID.
- (Jul 21 '05) ModelEvent enhanced with more fine-grained changes
- (Mar 31 '05) I need to add TreeModelEvent to ViewModelAPI.
- (Jan 13 '05) Access to tree node expansion added.
- (Jan 7 '05) Support for synchronous and asynchronous ViewModels implementation fixed.
- (Jul 23 '04) TreeModel.getChildrenCount (Object node) method added.
- (Apr 29 '04) Support for pop-up menu actions fixed.

# Changes by version

These API specification versions may be used to indicate that a module requires a certain API feature in order to function. For example, if you see here a feature you need which is labelled `1.20`, your manifest should contain in its main attributes the line:

    OpenIDE-Module-Module-Dependencies: org.netbeans.spi.viewmodel/2 > 1.20

- (1.7) CompoundModel enhanced with a possibility to set help ID.
- (1.6) ModelEvent enhanced with more fine-grained changes

# Changes by affected class

## `org.netbeans.spi.viewmodel.ModelEvent`

- (Jul 21 '05) ModelEvent enhanced with more fine-grained changes

## `org.netbeans.spi.viewmodel.Models`

- (Aug 25 '05) CompoundModel enhanced with a possibility to set help ID.
- (Jan 13 '05) Access to tree node expansion added.

## `org.netbeans.spi.viewmodel.TreeExpansionModel`

- (Jan 13 '05) Access to tree node expansion added.

## `org.netbeans.spi.viewmodel.TreeModel`

- (Jul 23 '04) TreeModel.getChildrenCount (Object node) method added.

# Details of all changes by API and date

## View Model API

### CompoundModel enhanced with a possibility to set help ID.

Aug 25 '05; API spec. version: 1.7; affected top-level classes: `Models`; made by: mentlicher; issues: #62617
In order to have a help ID defined for the GUI component that is created from the compound model, it's necessary to be able to set that help ID on the compound model instance. Two methods are added for that purpose: `CompoundModel Models.createCompoundModel (List, String)` and `String CompoundModel.getHelpId()`.

### ModelEvent enhanced with more fine-grained changes

Jul 21 '05; API spec. version: 1.6; affected top-level classes: `ModelEvent`; made by: mentlicher; issues: #60499
NodeChanged events need to distinguish what node property has changed. Mask constant were added for display name, icon, short description and children properties. By default, mask that aggregates all these properties is used - to assure compatibility.

### I need to add TreeModelEvent to ViewModelAPI.

Mar 31 '05; made by: jjancura; issues: #57273
NB4.0 version of ViewModelAPI had several event firing related issues: 1) It supported two types of changes only: i) whole tree has been changed notification ii) node and all subnodes change notification There where no support for small grained changes (one table cell change). 2) The same listener type (TreeModelListener) has been used for all model types (TreeModel, NodeModel, ...) 3) There was no TreeModelEvent, so evolving of this api was problematic. I have done folowing incompatible api change, to fix this problem: 1) TreeModelListener has been renamed to ModelListener (Because its used for other models too). 2) ModelEvent class has been added. 3) Two methods removed from TreeModelListener: public void treeNodeChanged (Object node); public void treeNodeChanged (TreeModelEvent event); and replaced by folowing method: public void modelChanged (ModelEvent event); 4) three innerclasses added to ModelEvent TreeChanged TableValueChanged NodeChanged These three innerclasses are designed to support firing of all kinds of model changes. TreeChanged - Designed to notify about chages of whole tree content / structure. This event has no parameters. TableValueChanged - Designed to notify about chages of one cell in table. Two parameters: Object row, String columnID NodeChanged - Designed to notify about chages of one node - icon and display name. One parameter: Object node.

### Access to tree node expansion added.

Jan 13 '05; affected top-level classes: `Models` `TreeExpansionModel`; made by: jjancura; issues: #46167
This change has been done to cover user requirement #46167. List of changes: 1) new TreeExpansionModel introduced 2) new class Models.TreeFeatures contains tree expansion methods. During implementation of this user requirement I have discovered important problem in ViewModel API. There is no possibility to add a new model to it. List of changes fixing this problem: 1) Models.createView (...) and Models.setModelsToView (...) methods do not use fixed set of models as parameters, but they use Models.CompoundModel. 2) Models.CompoundModel is final class implementing all currently supported models. The only way how to create a new instance of it is Models.createCompoundModel (List listOfModels). It allows future additions of new models. 3) Methods Models.createCompoundTreeModel (...), Models.createCompoundNodeModel (...), Models.createCompoundTableModel (...), Models.createCompoundNodeActionsProvider (...), and field Models.EMPTY_TREE_MODEL has been removed as useless. How to update your code using these exceptions: No changes required for most of clients. You should change your code only if you are providing some new view based on ViewModel. In this case you should put all your model instances to one list, and call Models.createCompountModel (list), in place of calling create*Model* methods.

### Support for synchronous and asynchronous ViewModels implementation fixed.

Jan 7 '05; made by: jjancura; issues: #53073
Support for synchronous and asynchronous ViewModels implementations is one of the major ViewModel API requirements. During fixing of #46614 (toString update should not run in AWT thread) I have realized, that current support for asynchronous ViewModels implementations is not usable. This change fixes the problem: 1) ComputingException, and NoInformationException removed - as completely useless. 2) All methods throwing these exceptions changed. 3) New ViewModel implementation supports asynchronous model only. Its fast and safe. How to update your code using these exceptions: Old code: public Object getValueAt (Object row, String columnId) throws ComputingException { if (....) throw new ComputingException (); ... } Fixed code: public Object getValueAt (Object row, String columnId) { if (....) return "Computing"; ... }

### TreeModel.getChildrenCount (Object node) method added.

Jul 23 '04; affected top-level classes: `TreeModel`; made by: jjancura; issues: #46368
TreeModel uses indexed approach (getChildren (Object node, int from, int to). But the children count has not been accesible through the API. This was important problem.

### Support for pop-up menu actions fixed.

Apr 29 '04; made by: jjancura
Support for different models in multiselection has been added.
Compatibility:

Incompatile changes (additions / removals).

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