SWX: SWF Data Format

I took today to implement further usability enhancements to the SWX Service Explorer (formerly the PHP Service Browser) and the SWX Data Analyzer (formerly the SWX Analyzer) and to give them both a new, more streamlined and consistent look and feel.

You can see the results here:

• SWX Service Explorer
• SWX Data Analyzer

Here are the changes I made to the SWX Service Explorer:

• Replaced the methods data grid with a combo box (usability enhancement). It is now much faster to browse the methods in a service class/API and to go to the one you want (you can press the first letter of a method to jump to it, for example.)
• All action buttons have been moved into control bars at the bottom of the sections that they affect (usability enhancement).
• Defaults to the correct gateway (amf.php not gateway.php) and will work out of the box with the SWX MAMP Bundle without requiring any configuration.
• Added labels to the buttons to make their purpose clearer.
• Reduced size of the header and made it consistent with the one in the SWX Data Analyzer.

The only changes to the SWX Data Analyzer are aesthetic changes. Both apps now use a custom background color for the preloader too (what can I say, I'm a sucker for pretty things!)

The URL of the SWX Service Explorer on the public SWX gateway will change to http://swxformat.org/php/explorer with the release of SWX Beta 1.2 this week. The http://swxformat.org/php/browser URL will forward to the new one so old links don't break.

I will be recording new screencasts for Beta 1.2 featuring the new Analyzer and Explorer.

I hope you like the new tools and here's to Beta 1.2!