Writing custom cell editors

Basic interface

function IEditor(args) {

    // initialize the UI


    /*** REQUIRED METHODS ***/

    this.destroy = function() {
        // remove all data, events & dom elements created in the constructor
    };

    this.focus = function() {
        // set the focus on the main input control (if any)
    };

    this.isValueChanged = function() {
        // return true if the value(s) being edited by the user has/have been changed
        return false;
    };

    this.serializeValue = function() {
        // return the value(s) being edited by the user in a serialized form
        // can be an arbitrary object
        // the only restriction is that it must be a simple object that can be passed around even
        // when the editor itself has been destroyed
        return "";
    };

    this.loadValue = function(item) {
        // load the value(s) from the data item and update the UI
        // this method will be called immediately after the editor is initialized
        // it may also be called by the grid if if the row/cell being edited is updated via grid.updateRow/updateCell
    };

    this.applyValue = function(item,state) {
        // deserialize the value(s) saved to "state" and apply them to the data item
        // this method may get called after the editor itself has been destroyed
        // treat it as an equivalent of a Java/C# "static" method - no instance variables should be accessed
    };

    this.validate = function() {
        // validate user input and return the result along with the validation message, if any
        // if the input is valid, return {valid:true,msg:null}
        return { valid: false, msg: "This field is required" };        
    };


    /*** OPTIONAL METHODS ***/

    this.hide = function() {
        // if implemented, this will be called if the cell being edited is scrolled out of the view
        // implement this is your UI is not appended to the cell itself or if you open any secondary
        // selector controls (like a calendar for a datepicker input)
    };

    this.show = function() {
        // pretty much the opposite of hide
    };

    this.position = function(cellBox) {
        // if implemented, this will be called by the grid if any of the cell containers are scrolled
        // and the absolute position of the edited cell is changed
        // if your UI is constructed as a child of document BODY, implement this to update the
        // position of the elements as the position of the cell changes
        // 
        // the cellBox: { top, left, bottom, right, width, height, visible }
    };
}