RCP applications and plugins

Outline

• Day 1 - Eclipse: Foundations
• Introduction to the eclipse platform and component model
• How Eclipse and the Rich Client Platform allow you to develop consistently structured and highly configurable Java based UI
• How Eclipse provides the infrastructure, with a discussion on relevant design patterns.
• How OSGI fits in and what it mean for Eclipse
• Day 2 - RCP UI
  • Interactive Front-end design session with a realistic business case
  • SWT: layouts, widgets and Listener
  • How JFace leverages SWT
  • Designing tools
• Day 3 - The workbench
  • Contributing to the workbench: extension points
  • How and when to define your own extension points
  • I18N
  • Threading and the UI
  • Effective UI testing
• Day 4 - RCP in the enterprise
  • Headless build, continuous integration
  • Branding
  • Exploring the options for persistence and remoting.
  • Authentication, Authorisation

Day by day account

A detailed, day in the life of account of each day follows:

Day 1

Day 1 will start with a detailed explanation of the concepts of the foundations of the Eclipse platform. You will learn how to use those fundamental principles to create well designed, layered UI. You will apply design patterns thatbest suited for use in the UI. Next you'll dive into the world of OSGI and learn how to leverage the inner plugin architecture of Eclipse.

By the end of the day, you'll understand the big picture about what the Eclipse platform is all about, and how it helps you write applications faster.

Show case: successful eclipse projects: JP Morgan, ERP

Day 1 ends with a business case to fuel the hands-on application development over the next three days of the course.

Day 2

Day 2 picks up where Day 1 left off: the business case. You'll gain experience designing a Front-end, how to separate your actions from your layout, how to compartimentalize your applications into plugins. Then you'll learn how to effectively design the UI, maximizing SWT anf JFace capabilities. Then SWT tooling will be explored.

Day 3

You will dive into the eclipse workbench and learn to differenciate between workbench, IDE and JDT components. you will undertstand the proper usage of perspectives, views and editors. You will define actions to react to UI components and contribute them to toolbar, coolbar, menus and popus. You'll contribute action set to perspectives, views and editors. KeyBinding will hold no secrets for you. You will explore the i18 capablities of the eclipse platform. and finally how to provide extensions points.

Day 4

Day 4 will concentrate on entreprise class RCP applications, So after having leanrt about PDE builder, you will be able to parametrize headless build and setup continuous integration for your projects, but also the branding of your application, in terms of splash screen, icons, look and feel. Enterprise implies database and n-tiered applications, you will understand how Eclipse fits in. But entreprise also implies authentication and authorisation, without going the full JAAS way, you will be able to authenticate and authorize your users to some specific parts of your application.

• Eclipse Intro
• Plugin Model
• OSGI Model
• Bundle
• MANIFEST.MF
• plugin.xml
• extension points
• Class loading
• visibility
• hidding
• Spring 2.0 + OSGI
• UI
• AWT, Swing
• SWT/JFace
• Button
• Table
• Tree
• TreeTable
• Combo
• List
• Viewer
• FieldDecoration
• ContentAssist
• Workbench
• Perspective
• View
• Editor
• Action
• Toolbar

• Spring remoting
• RMI
• ECF

• continuous integration (Headless build)
• branding

General information

Approach

Through our trainings, you benefit from the wide experience and architectural expertise of our trainer. We bring that experience to you in an highly interactive, intensely hands-on setting.

The RCP course not only focuses on explaining Eclipse features and how to use them, but also on fundamental architectural issues. It's important to know how to use certain parts of a framework, but it's even more important to be able to decide when to use them.

Prerequisites

We assume participants have the a good understanding of the core Java APIs, as well as a basic knowledge of general J2EE concepts and APIs, such as JTA and the Servlet API. As we cover object-relational mapping technologies (ORM) in this course as well, we assume basic knowledge of ORM concepts. After you register, an PRC staff member will be happy to recommend any necessary reading to ensure that you get maximum value from the training.

Lab Work

Since this class focuses on RCP as well as the theory of developing eclipse plugins and applications that are maintainable and extensible from the ground up, it is 60% theory-oriented. There is 40% lab-work.

Since lab work is a major part of the course, you use a computer when taking this course. You may bring your laptop, but PRC also offers the possibility of arranging a development machine for you. More information about the availability of computers is available when registering for this course.

Learning Resources

Contact Us

If you would like more information on this training, please contact us.