Getting Started

With your project selected, select File › New › Other (or press CtrlN), choose Vaadin Design from the list, and click Next.

In the design parameters step, make sure the locations are correct (if you are using Maven they might point to different folders, otherwise probably not). You can put the design(s) in a specific package if you wish.

Give your design a descriptive name. Using a naming convention to separate the design’s companion Java file from the classes using it will make things easier for you later.

For example, the name UserEditorDesign will result in UserEditorDesign.html and UserEditorDesign.java. You could then create a UserEditor component that extends the UserEditorDesign, and perhaps a UserEditorView to place the editor component in a bigger context.

In another case, you could make a LoginDesign that is used in a LoginWindow (but not extended).

Finally, you can choose a template as starting point, or start from scratch (Blank).

Choose Finish to create the design and open Vaadin Designer.

Vaadin Designer is fully integrated with Eclipse and its views can therefore be freely moved and arranged as you wish. However, it is best to first try the Designer in its default setup by choosing Show perspective from the dialog that is presented when a new design is created.

To be able to successfully use the Designer, you will need the Outline, Palette and Properties views, in addition to the main editor. If you accidentally close a view, it can be opened from Window › Show view.

The elements of the perspective illustrated in Panels in Vaadin Perspective are as follows:

In the editor view, illustrated in Component Editor, you have a number of controls in the toolbar.