Table of Contents

Foreword     xxi

Preface      xxv

Acknowledgments      xxix

About the Authors      xxxi

 

Part I: Introduction      1

Chapter 1: Eclipse as a Rich Client Platform       3

1.1   Eclipse  5

1.2   The Eclipse Rich Client Platform   5

1.3   Eclipse RCP over the Years   6

1.4   Uses of RCP   7

1.5   Summary   12

1.6   Pointers   13

 

Chapter 2: Eclipse RCP Concepts      15

2.1   A Community of Plug-ins   15

2.2   Inside Plug-ins   18

2.3   Putting a System Together   19

2.4   OSGi Framework   20

2.5   Equinox   21

2.6   Standard Widget Toolkit (SWT)   25

2.7   JFace   25

2.8   UI Workbench   25

2.9   Summary   27

2.10 Pointers   27

 

Part II: RCP by Example      29

Chapter 3: Tutorial Introduction      31

3.1   What Is Hyperbola?   31

3.2   The Evolution of Hyperbola   32

3.3   Development Environment Installation   33

3.4   Sample Code   34

3.5   Target Platform Setup   36

3.6   Learning by Example   42

3.7   Summary   44

3.8   Pointers   44

 

Chapter 4: The Hyperbola Application      45

4.1   Hyperbola “Hello, World”   45

4.2   Tour of the Code   51

4.3   Running and Debugging   55

4.4   Summary   62

4.5   Pointers   62

 

Chapter 5: Starting the Hyperbola Prototype       63

5.1   Continuing from the Shell   64

5.2   Adding a Contacts View   65

5.3   The Chat Model   70

5.4   Filling in the Contacts View   72

5.5   Adding Images   78

5.6   Summary   81

5.7   Pointers   82

 

Chapter 6: Adding Actions       83

6.1   Adding to the Menus and Toolbar   84

6.2   Adding to the Status Line   93

6.3   System Tray Integration   96

6.4   Summary   100

6.5   Pointers   101

 

Chapter 7: Adding a Chat Editor      103

7.1   Views and Editors   104

7.2   Defining the Chat Editor   105

7.3   Checkpoint   113

7.4   Summary   114

7.5   Pointers   114

 

Chapter 8: Branding Hyperbola      115

8.1   Defining the Hyperbola Product   115

8.2   Window Images   120

8.3   Customizing the Launcher   121

8.4   Splash Screen   122

8.5   About Information   124

8.6   Summary   127

8.7   Pointers   127

 

Chapter 9: Packaging Hyperbola      129

9.1   Exporting Hyperbola   129

9.2   Exporting for Other Platforms   132

9.3   Summary   134

9.4   Pointers   135

 

Chapter 10: Messaging Support      137

10.1   Integrating a Third-Party Library   138

10.2   Refactoring the Model   143

10.3   Updating the UI   149

10.4   Chatting with Eliza   152

10.5   Summary   153

10.6   Pointers   154

 

Chapter 11: Adding a Login Dialog       155

11.1   Adding the Login Dialog   155

11.2   Remembering Login Settings   161

11.3   Adding Auto-login Preferences   170

11.4   Summary   175

11.5   Pointers   175

 

Chapter 12: Adding Key Bindings      177

12.1   Defining Commands   177

12.2   Checkpoint   182

12.3   Adding Key Bindings for Workbench Actions   182

12.4   Key Schemes   184

12.5   Keys Preference Page   185

12.6   Summary   186

12.7   Pointers   186

 

Chapter 13: Adding Help      187

13.1   Adding to the Target Platform   187

13.2   Configuring the Help Plug-ins   190

13.3   Add the Help Action   190

13.4   Adding Help Content   191

13.5   Help Content Structure   195

13.6   Infopops or F1 Help   196

13.7   Exporting Plug-ins with Help   197

13.8   Summary   198

13.9   Pointers   198

 

Chapter 14: Adding Software Management       199

14.1   Getting p2   199

14.2   Features   200

14.3   Defining Features   204

14.4   Branding Features   209

14.5   Updating Hyperbola   210

14.6   Customizing the p2 UI   211

14.7   Defining Categories   213

14.8   Automatic Updates   214

14.9   Summary   215

14.10 Pointers   215

 

Part III: The Workbench        217

Chapter 15: Workbench Advisors       219

15.1   Workbench Advisors   219

15.2   WorkbenchAdvisor   223

15.3   WorkbenchWindowAdvisor   229

15.4   ActionBarAdvisor   231

15.5   Workbench Overview   232

15.6   Summary   238

15.7   Pointers   238

 

Chapter 16: Perspectives, Views, and Editors      239

16.1   Perspectives   240

16.2   Views and Editors   251

16.3   Multiple Workbench Windows   258

16.4   Drag and Drop with Editors   259

16.5   Summary   262

16.6   Pointers   262

 

Chapter: 17 Actions      263

17.1   Overview   263

17.2   Declarative Actions in Hyperbola   265

17.4   Retargetable Actions   275

17.5   Consolidating Declarative Actions   277

17.6   Toolbar Action Tricks   278

17.7   Adding Contributions to the Status Line   281

17.8   Reporting Progress   282

17.9   Summary   289

 

Chapter 18: Commands      291

18.1   The Problem with Actions   292

18.2   Commands   293

18.3   Contributions   294

18.4   Handlers   299

18.5   Summary   301

18.6   Pointers   302

 

Chapter 19: Customizing Workbench Windows      303

19.1   Customization Defined   303

19.2   Customizing a Workbench Window   304

19.3   Custom Window Shapes   312

19.4   Summary   318

19.5   Pointers   318

 

Chapter 20: Customizing the Presentation of Views and Editors      319

20.1   Presentations   319

20.2   Sample Presentations   320

20.3   Writing a Presentation   322

20.4   Example Presentation   326

20.5   Summary   333

20.6   Pointers   334

 

Part IV: Development Processes      335

Chapter 21: Installing and Updating with p2      337

21.1   The Roles of p2   337

21.2   Architecture   338

21.3   Using the p2 API   342

21.4   Metadata Management   345

21.5   Repository Management   349

21.6   Installation Management   350

21.7   Summary   351

21.8   Pointers   351

 

Chapter 22: Dynamic Plug-ins       353

22.1   Making Hyperbola Dynamic   353

22.2   Dynamic Challenges   355

22.3   Dynamic Awareness   355

22.4   Dynamic Enablement   364

22.5   Summary   367

22.6   Pointers   367

 

Chapter 23: RCP Everywhere      369

23.1   Sample Code  369

23.2   The Scenario   370

23.3   Product Configurations   371

23.4   Hyperbola Product Configurations   376

23.5   Code Structure   383

23.6   Designing a Platform   390

23.7   RCP-Friendly Plug-ins   394

23.8   Summary   394

23.9   Pointers   395

 

Chapter 24: Building Hyperbola      397

24.1   What Is PDE Build?   398

24.2   Plug-in build.properties   399

24.3   Setting Up a Builder   401

24.4   Running the Builder   407

24.5   Tweaking the Build   410

24.6   Building Add-on Features   417

24.7   Assembling Multiple Configurations   420

24.8   Summary   422

 

Chapter 25: Testing      423

25.1   Making Hyperbola Testable   423

25.2   Unit Testing Hyperbola   424

25.3   User Interface Testing Hyperbola   426

25.4   Summary   429

25.5   Pointers   429

 

Chapter 26: The Last Mile      431

26.1   Archives   431

26.2   Native Installers   432

26.3   p2 Installer   433

26.4   Java Web Start (JNLP)   433

26.5   Initializing the Install   439

26.6   Preinitialized Configurations   440

26.7   Multiuser Install Scenarios   441

26.8   Summary   445

26.9   Pointers   445

 

Part V: Reference      447

Chapter 27: OSGi      449

27.1   OSGi and the Eclipse Runtime   450

27.2   The Shape of Plug-ins   452

27.3   Fragments   454

27.4   Version Numbering   457

27.5   Services   459

27.6   Bundle Lifecycle   460

27.7   Early Activation   465

27.8   Lazy Activation   467

27.9   Data Areas 469

27.10 Summary   471

27.11 Pointers   472

 

Chapter 28: Eclipse Databinding      473

28.1   Getting Started   473

28.2   Why Databinding?   474

28.3   Architecture   474

28.4   Observables   475

28.5   Properties   480

28.6   Bindings   483

28.7   Summary   487

28.8   Pointers   487

 

Chapter 29: Eclipse Ecosystem      489

29.1   Where to Find Plug-ins   489

29.2   Eclipse Platform Plug-ins   491

29.3   Product Introduction   491

29.4   Resources   492

29.5   Text Editing   495

29.6   Consoles   499

29.7   Variables   500

29.8   Outline and Property Views   501

29.9   Forms   501

29.10 Browser   502

29.11 The Common Navigator Framework   502

29.12 Declarative Services   503

29.13 Summary   503

 

Index     505

 

About the Author

Jeff McAffer has been part of Eclipse since the beginning and currently co-leads the Eclipse Equinox OSGi, RT, and RCP teams. He also has leadership roles in the Eclipse and Tools Projects at Eclipse and is the lead author of OSGi and Equinox: Creating Highly Modular Java Systems Systems (Addison-Wesley, 2010).

Jean-Michel Lemieux, lead architect of the Jazz project, has been a committer on the Eclipse Team and CVS components since the project’s inception.

Chris Aniszczyk is the co-lead of Eclipse’s Plug-in Development Environment (PDE), sits on the Eclipse Architecture Council, and represents the Eclipse committers on the Eclipse Foundation’s Board of Directors.