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The tree editor should like the text editor guide a user while editing it content. While inserting new element a grammar and current context (parents + parent children) should be examined and proper element offered. In a validity constrained mode all mandatory children must be added (in recursive manner). In this mode must be also constrained removal and renaming of mandatory elements and attributes. A reason why it is not allowed should be displayed.
How exactly will this work? May I suggest a context menu in the tree that offers valid children. In order to enforce correct attribute syntax, what we have done is replace the CustomizerView with a PropertySheetView. The PropertySheet shows all possible attributes and where it makes sense, like for enumerated values, there is an appropriate property editor. We feel that using the PropertySheet is a the way you should show properties in netbeans.
The context menu contains Add submenu displaying suitable types in context. If a user choose Element or Attribute a customizer is shown. This customizer will contain combo boxes instead of text fields.
*** Issue 19415 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
Let these are considered while planning next release.
One of our team, Rich Unger, has already contributed the code that does most of this, and he can contribute the rest, if you want it.
Of cource we are interested. Unfortunatelly it is too late to incorporate the contribution into NetBeans 3.4 release making it visible to huge audience. May be AutoUpdate release may help. Rich said that he ported it to latest codebase. It would be great! Based on experience with the latest patch I would preffer "cvs diff -c" to be included (format that I could apply by patch). I also expect that Rich will ask for commiter role :-).
I forgot to mention that dependency on external DTD parser may slow down patch acceptance. We can port it to SAX based DTD parser or undergo long legal approval process :-( ...
Target milestone was changed from not determined to TBD
NB 3.5 contains experimental implemtetion of this feature. Rich Unger thanks for the contribution!
This post seems related to this issue: http://www.netbeans.org/servlets/ReadMsg?msgId=739076&listName=nbui
XML tree editor is not part of NetBeans since 3.5 version. No plans to bring it back.