Eclipse Rich Client Platform: Designing, Coding, and Packaging Java™ Applications By Jeff McAffer, Jean-Michel Lemieux ............................................... Publisher: Addison Wesley Professional Pub Date: October 17, 2005 ISBN: 0-321-33461-2 Pages: 552 Table of Contents | Index Build Powerful, Cross-Platform Rich Client Applications Eclipse is more than a state-of-the-art IDE: its Rich Client Platform (RCP) plug-ins form an outstanding foundation for any desktop application, from chat applications to enterprise software front-ends. In Eclipse Rich Client Platform, two leaders of the Eclipse RCP project show exactly how to leverage Eclipse for rapid, efficient, cross-platform desktop development. In addition to explaining the power of Eclipse as a desktop application development platform, the authors walk step-by-step through developing a fully featured, branded RCP application. They introduce a wide range of techniques, including developing pluggable and dynamically extensible systems, using third-party code libraries, and packaging applications for diverse environments. You'll build, refine, and refactor a complete prototype; customize the user interface; add Help and Update features; and build, brand, and ship the finished software. For every Java developer, regardless of previous Eclipse experience Thoroughly covers Eclipse 3.1's new RCP features and its extensive new tools for designing, coding, and packaging RCP applications Presents techniques for branding and customizing the look and feel of RCP applications Shows how to overcome the challenges and "rough edges" of RCP development Discusses the similarities and differences between RCP and conventional plug-in development Includes an overview of OSGi, the base execution framework for Eclipse If you want to develop and deploy world-class Java applications with rich, native GUIs, and use Eclipse RCPget this book. CD-ROM contains the Eclipse 3.1 SDK, Eclipse 3.1 RCP SDK, and Eclipse 3.1 RCP Delta Pack appropriate for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X. It also contains all the code samples developed in the book. © Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Eclipse Rich Client Platform: Designing, Coding, and Packaging Java™ Applications By Jeff McAffer, Jean-Michel Lemieux ............................................... Publisher: Addison Wesley Professional Pub Date: October 17, 2005 ISBN: 0-321-33461-2 Pages: 552 Table of Contents | Index Copyright The Eclipse Series Titles in the Eclipse Series Foreword by John Weigand Foreword by Jeff Norris Acknowledgments Preface About this Book Audience Sample Code Conventions Feedback Part I: Introduction Chapter 1. Eclipse as a Rich Client Platform Section 1.1. Eclipse Section 1.2. The Eclipse Rich Client Platform Section 1.3. Eclipse RCP Over the Years Section 1.4. Uses of RCP Section 1.5. Summary Chapter 2. Eclipse RCP Concepts Section 2.1. A Community of Plug-ins Section 2.2. Inside Plug-ins Section 2.3. Putting a System Together Section 2.4. OSGi Framework Section 2.5. The Runtime Section 2.6. SWT Section 2.7. JFace Section 2.8. UI Workbench Section 2.9. Summary Part II: RCP by Example Chapter 3. Tutorial Introduction Section 3.1. What Is Hyperbola? Section 3.2. The Evolution of Hyperbola Section 3.3. Development Environment Installation Section 3.4. Target Setup Section 3.5. Checkpoint Section 3.6. Sample Code Section 3.7. Learning by Example Section 3.8. Summary Chapter 4. The Hyperbola Application Section 4.1. Hyperbola Hello World Section 4.2. Tour of the Code Section 4.3. Running and Debugging Section 4.4. Summary Chapter 5. Starting the Hyperbola Prototype Section 5.1. Continuing from the Shell Section 5.2. Adding a Contacts View Section 5.3. The Chat Model Section 5.4. Filling in the Contacts View Section 5.5. Adding Images Section 5.6. Summary Section 5.7. Pointers Chapter 6. Adding Actions Section 6.1. Adding to the Menus and Toolbar Section 6.2. Adding to the Status Line Section 6.3. System Tray Integration Section 6.4. Summary Section 6.5. Pointers Chapter 7. Adding a Chat Editor Section 7.1. Views and Editors Section 7.2. Defining the Chat Editor Section 7.3. Checkpoint Section 7.4. Summary Section 7.5. Pointers Chapter 8. Branding Hyperbola Section 8.1. Defining the Hyperbola Product Section 8.2. Window Images Section 8.3. Customizing the Launcher Section 8.4. Splash Screen Section 8.5. About Information Section 8.6. Summary Chapter 9. Packaging Hyperbola Section 9.1. Exporting Hyperbola Section 9.2. Exporting for Other Platforms Section 9.3. Summary Section 9.4. Pointers Chapter 10. Messaging Support Section 10.1. Integrating a Third-Party Library Section 10.2. Refactoring the Model Section 10.3. Updating the UI Section 10.4. Chatting with Eliza Section 10.5. Summary Chapter 11. Adding a Login Dialog Section 11.1. Adding the Login Dialog Section 11.2. Remembering Login Settings Section 11.3. Adding Auto-login Preferences Section 11.4. Summary Chapter 12. Adding Key Bindings Section 12.1. Defining Commands Section 12.2. Checkpoint Section 12.3. Adding Key Bindings for Workbench Actions Section 12.4. Key Configurations Section 12.5. Keys Preference Page Section 12.6. Summary Chapter 13. Adding Help Section 13.1. Adding to the Target Platform Section 13.2. Getting the Help Plug-ins Section 13.3. Configuring the Help Plug-ins Section 13.4. Add the Help Action Section 13.5. Adding Help Content Section 13.6. Help Content Structure Section 13.7. Infopops or F1 Help Section 13.8. Exporting Plug-ins with Help Section 13.9. Summary Section 13.10. Pointers Chapter 14. Adding Update Section 14.1. Getting Update Plug-ins Section 14.2. Configuring the Update Plug-ins Section 14.3. Defining Features Section 14.4. Branding Features Section 14.5. Adding Update Actions Section 14.6. Automatic Updates Section 14.7. Summary Part III: The Workbench Chapter 15. Workbench Advisors Section 15.1. What Is an Advisor? Section 15.2. WorkbenchAdvisor Section 15.3. WorkbenchWindowAdvisor Section 15.4. ActionBarAdvisor Section 15.5. Workbench Overview Section 15.6. Summary Chapter 16. Perspectives, Views, and Editors Section 16.1. Perspectives Section 16.2. Views and Editors Section 16.3. Multiple Workbench Windows Section 16.4. Drag and Drop with Editors Section 16.5. Summary Chapter 17. Actions Section 17.1. Overview Section 17.2. Declarative Actions in Hyperbola Section 17.3. Standard Workbench Actions Section 17.4. Retargetable Actions Section 17.5. Consolidating Declarative Actions Section 17.6. Toolbar Action Tricks Section 17.7. Adding Contributions to the Status Line Section 17.8. Reporting Progress Section 17.9. Summary Chapter 18. Customizing Workbench Windows Section 18.1. Customization Defined Section 18.2. Customizing a Workbench Window Section 18.3. Custom Window Shapes Section 18.4. Summary Chapter 19. Customizing the Presentation of Views and Editors Section 19.1. Presentations Section 19.2. Sample Presentations Section 19.3. Writing a Presentation Section 19.4. Example Presentation Section 19.5. Summary Part IV: Development Processes Chapter 20. Integrating Code Libraries Section 20.1. Plug-ins as JARs Section 20.2. Bundling by Injection Section 20.3. Bundling by Wrapping Section 20.4. Bundling by Reference Section 20.5. Troubleshooting Classloading Problems Section 20.6. Summary Chapter 21. Installing and Updating Plug-ins Section 21.1. Update's Roles Section 21.2. Features Section 21.3. Creating and Managing Update Sites Section 21.4. Example: Dynamic Content Handling Section 21.5. Summary Section 21.6. Pointers Chapter 22. Dynamic Plug-ins Section 22.1. Making Hyperbola Dynamic Section 22.2. Dynamic Challenges Section 22.3. Dynamic-awareness Section 22.4. Dynamic-enablement Section 22.5. Summary Chapter 23. RCP Everywhere Section 23.1. Sample Code Section 23.2. The Scenario Section 23.3. Product Configurations Section 23.4. Hyperbola Product Configurations Section 23.5. Code Structure Section 23.6. Designing a Platform Section 23.7. RCP-friendly Plug-ins Section 23.8. Summary Chapter 24. Building Hyperbola Section 24.1. What Is PDE Build? Section 24.2. Plug-in build.properties Section 24.3. Feature build.properties Section 24.4. Setting Up a Hyperbola Builder Section 24.5. Running the Builder Section 24.6. Building Products Section 24.7. Cross-platform Building Section 24.8. Tweaking the Build Section 24.9. Summary Chapter 25. The Last Mile Section 25.1. Archives Section 25.2. Native Installers Section 25.3. Java Web Start (JNLP) Section 25.4. Update Sites Section 25.5. Initializing the Install Section 25.6. Pre-initialized Configurations Section 25.7. Multi-user Install Scenarios Section 25.8. Summary Section 25.9. Pointers Part V: Reference Chapter 26. OSGi Essentials Section 26.1. OSGi and the Eclipse Runtime Section 26.2. The Shape of Plug-ins Section 26.3. Fragments Section 26.4. Version Numbering Section 26.5. Services Section 26.6. Singletons Section 26.7. Bundle Lifecycle Section 26.8. Early Activation Section 26.9. Auto-activation Section 26.10. Classloading Section 26.11. Data Areas Section 26.12. Putting It All Together Section 26.13. Summary Chapter 27. Eclipse.org Plug-ins Section 27.1. Where to Find Plug-ins Section 27.2. Eclipse Platform Plug-ins Section 27.3. Product Introduction Section 27.4. Resources Section 27.5. Text Editing Section 27.6. Consoles Section 27.7. Variables Section 27.8. Outline and Property Views Section 27.9. Forms Section 27.10. Browser Section 27.11. Summary Index Copyright Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and the publisher was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters or in all capitals. The authors and publisher have taken care in the preparation of this book, but make no expressed or implied warranty of any kind and assume no responsibility for errors or omissions.