The current UI you have to write the id into the text and select it and use the button to enter the details.
The new IDE requires you to go to the sidebar, click plus, enter id and details, then drag and drop it into the layout.
Options
Palette
Split the IDE side bar into a browser and palette. The palette can be expanded when you creating the form and shrunk when you are working on code or settings and want to browse existing objects.
Palette contains new objects that can be created. This includes all the field types, forms, views etc. The list is the same regardless of context.
you can drag and drop into the layout or click and drop into the layout. It will generate a new id. You can double click to edit.
if you aren't editing a layout, it will create the object in the current context. E.g if you are editing a field code, and you drag a new field onto it, it will create the field in the same form and switch tabs to edit the new field.
if you drag a form into a layout it will create an empty subform
if you drag onto the browser it will create a new element without edting.
the search can filter both the browser and the palette
will need icons or visual representations of the widgets
hidewhens would be dragged on and then you can drag the start or end to the right place. Perhaps you can also select text and click the palette to add. Same with labels.
layout macros would also appear in the palette. Like formula macros they are defined by a form. They return a fragment of html. They have settings and can refreshed.
So typical scenario might be
Enter label into form layout
Drag label obj from palette next to label. Move end to other side of text
type "text" into sidebar filter.
drag text field onto form layout
repeat 1-4 until form looks right
go back and edit ids, defaults and label linkages.
drag new hidewhen into form layout. Move other end to other side of input.
Might need warnings on save for unentered info or red lines on fields/labels/hidewhens etc.
User problem
I think most users think visually. They want to layout a form visually and think about details like validation, ids, defaults etc later.
Options
Palette
Split the IDE side bar into a browser and palette. The palette can be expanded when you creating the form and shrunk when you are working on code or settings and want to browse existing objects.
So typical scenario might be
Might need warnings on save for unentered info or red lines on fields/labels/hidewhens etc.