Why You Should Ship Swing Apps with NetBeans RCP

blueMarine
Or Why You Should Really Ship Swing
Applications
Fabrizio Giudici, Senior Java Architect, Tidalwave s.a.s.

TS-5483

Talk about issues with Java™ platform's Rich
Client Applications; enumerate and introduce
solutions from the perspective of a real project.
“Java is mature for Rich Desktop Applications.
Just look beyond Swing.”

2008 JavaOneSM Conference | java.sun.com/javaone | 2

Agenda

Introduction
NetBeans™ Software RCP
Visual Library
GeoSpatial Components
Java Platform Imaging APIs
Conclusion


blueMarine introductory video


Speaker’s Qualifications

Senior Java Architect with 12 years of Java platform
experience
Project leading, mentoring, teaching
Member of JUG Milano, NetBeans Software Dream Team
Speaker at JavaPolis, Jazoon, JavaOneSM Event, JiniSM
Meeting
Writer for NetBeans Software Magazine, Mokabyte
Blogger at Java.Net


Java Platform on the Desktop: Readiness Phases

Phase -1: prior 2005
• Slow, poorly integrated, ugly L&F
Phase 0: 2005
• JDK™ release 5 spreads, “Extreme GUI Makeover” starts
Phase +1: 2006-2007
• JDK™ release 6, Aerith, SwingLabs matures
• TimingFramework, Nimbus, Filthy Rich Clients
Phase +2: 2008
• Add NetBeans Software RCP: Filthy Rich Platform Clients
• Ready for complex applications - anyone?



blueMarine 0.8
Phase 0: 2005
died here
Phase +1: 2006-2007
Phase +2: 2008



blueMarine 0.8
Phase 0: 2005
died here
Phase +1: 2006-2007
blueMarine 0.9
Phase +2: 2008 reborn here


Problems


Solutions


If you can just remember four points

NetBeans Software RCP
NetBeans Visual Library
SwingLabs
NASA World Wind for Java Platform


OpenBlueSky

Where generic stuff spins off blueMarine
Can be used for other applications
Consolidated stuff going to PlatformX


Agenda

Introduction
Visual Library
Conclusion


Question

What do you expect from a (desktop) framework?


Desktop Frameworks

Solid foundation to base your application on
APIs working together, well tested
Service discovery and provider
Plugin support
Messaging infrastructure (via events)
Integrated help system
And more


Swing is not a framework

Missing sophisticated components
• e.g.: date picker, tree+table, etc...
Neither service discovery nor providers
No plugins
No messaging (only simple listeners)
Threading issues
JSR-296 (Java Specification Request Swing Application
Framework) not good for large applications


What is NetBeans Software RCP?

NetBeans { NetBeans IDE
NetBeans RCP



NetBeans RCP



NetBeans RCP
Your Desktop Application



You start with a skeleton application
You populate it
• panels, views
• actions, menus, toolbars
• etc..
Often declaratively
Based on Swing
• You can integrate third parties' components
• You can control the Look&Feel


Most important NetBeans RCP APIs

Actions Modules
DataObjects Nodes
Dialogs Options
Explorer Progress
FileSystem Visual Library
Lookup Windowing/docking


Explorers, Viewers, Actions


Lookup API

Plays a fundamental role in many APIs
Repository for a bag of objects
Locator for services
Fires events
“Global” lookup can be used as a simple “event bus”

Service service =
Lookup.getDefault().lookup(Service.class);


DataObject represents a file-based entity


You can extend DataObject


Creating a new DataObject
layer.xml:
<filesystem>
<folder name="Services">
<folder name="MIMEResolver">
<file name="PhotoResolver.xml" url="PhotoResolver.xml">
</file>
</folder>
</folder>
</filesystem>

PhotoResolver.xml:
<MIME-resolver>
<file>
<ext name="TIF"/>
<ext name="TIFF"/>
<resolver mime="image/tiff"/>
</file>

</MIME-resolver>

Creating a new DataObject
public class PhotoDataObject extends MultiDataObject { ... }

public class PhotoDataLoader extends UniFileLoader {
public PhotoDataLoader() {
// contains “image/jpg”, “image/tiff”, etc...
String[] mimeTypes = ImageIO.getReaderMIMETypes();
for (final String mimeType : mimeTypes) {
getExtensions().addMimeType(mimeType);
}
}

protected MultiDataObject createMultiObject(FileObject file) {
return new PhotoDataObject(file, this);
}

//...
}


Lookup holds “capabilities”


Node “represents” DataObject


Node has “capabilities” too


Managing basic objects
File file = new File("photo.jpg");
FileObject fileObject = FileUtil.toFileObject(file);
DataObject dataObject = DataObject.find(fileObject);
// Note: static type is DataObject,
// not PhotoDataObject

Node node = dataObject.getNodeDelegate();

// Retrieve capabilities
// They have been set by PhotoDataObject constructor

Metadata metadata = dataObject.getLookup().
lookup(Metadata.class);
// or
Metadata metadata = node.getLookup().
lookup(Metadata.class);


Representing sets of Nodes


View renders Nodes


Actions can be automatically enabled


Declaring Actions
<filesystem>
<folder name="Actions">
<folder name="Window">
<file name="mypkg-CalendarExplorerAction.instance"/>
</folder>
</folder>


<folder name="Menu">
<folder name="Window">
<file name="CalendarExplorerAction.shadow">
<attr name="originalFile"
stringvalue="Actions/Window/mypkg-CalendarExplorerAction.instance"/>
<attr name="position" intvalue="120"/>
</file>
</folder>
</folder>

Declaring Actions

<folder name="Toolbars">
<folder name="Explorer">
<file name="mypkg-CalendarExplorerAction.shadow">
<attr name="position" intvalue="120"/>
</file>
</folder>
</folder>


<folder name="Shortcuts">
<file name="A-D-L.shadow">
</file>
</folder>

</filesystem>

Example of context-sensitive Action
public class ShowPhotoAction extends CookieAction {
protected void performAction(Node[] nodes) {
PhotoDataObject dataObject = nodes[0].getLookup().
lookup(PhotoDataObject.class);
// use dataObject
}
protected int mode() {
return CookieAction.MODE_EXACTLY_ONE;
}
public String getName() {
return "Show Photo";
}
protected Class[] cookieClasses() {
return new Class[] { PhotoDataObject.class };
}
protected String iconResource() {
return ".../show_photo.png";
}
...
}


Some points

You don't need to always use everything
• E.g. just Nodes, no DataObjects
• Can use them “incrementally”
NetBeans Software RCP keeps objects in sync
• E.g. updating a DataObject → bound Nodes
• E.g. Nodes bound to the same DataObject
• By means of PropertyChangeListener


NetBeans Software RCP stuff can be
extended
What about a “cover flow” view?
Use JOGL (Java Bindings for OpenGL) for fast 3D API
Just extend and create a new View
TimingFramework for animating stuff


CoverFlowView


Update Centers

NetBeans software components (.nbm)
• can be added / removed on the fly
• can declare dependencies
• can be versioned
• can add actions, menus, toolbars
Pretty good for plugins


Update Centers


Agenda

Introduction
Visual Library
Conclusion


Visual Library

Support for graph-oriented modeling
• Nodes
• Arcs
• Routing
• Interaction
Can be creatively used
• Whiteboard paradigm
• Use interactivity: touch, drag, change objects
PS Can be used with plain Swing apps


LightTable


Agenda

Introduction
Visual Library
Conclusion


JXMapViewer

A generic 2D, tile-based map renderer
• See Joshua Marinacci's blog
• Retrieves tiles from the web
(or locally)
• Part of Swing-WS (SwingLabs)
• Can stick objects to the map

Hint: integrate it with the Visual Library


GeoViewer


NASA World Wind for Java Platform

Java platform version of NASA World Wind
• 3D software that renders the Earth
• NASA terrain imagery
• Other data sets can be plugged in
• if legal stuff is ok...
Based on JOGL


GeoViewer 3D


Agenda

Introduction
Visual Library
Conclusion



Many options (and dispersive?)
• Java 2D™ API, JAI, ImageJ, JMagick, JHLabs, ...
Some too difficult
Wild behaviour and performance differences
Parallel Computing is a must
• Multi Core
• Small, local mini-grids
• Massive Grid Computing
There's not a global community


Mistral: fix 'em up

Imaging meta-framework
Multiple APIs can
be used together
Simplifies APIs
Supports multicore,
Jini services, Sun™ Grid


Some Mistral examples
File file = new File(...);
EditableImage image = EditableImage.create(new ReadOp(file, 0));
image.execute(new ResizeOp(600, 400));
EXIF exif = image.getMetadata(EXIF.class);

public class MyTask extends ImagingTask {
private File file;
public MyImagingTask (File file) { this.file = file; }
public void run() {
EditableImage image = read(file, 0);
execute(image, new CropOp(10, 10, 600, 400), "crop");
Histogram histogram = execute(image,
new HistogramOp(), "histogram").getHistogram();
// etc...
}
}

for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
ImagingTaskProcessor.getInstance().post(new MyTask(file[i]));
}


Agenda

Introduction
Visual Library
Conclusion


Open Problems for blueMarine

Java platform still misses something on the desktop
• e.g. video streaming, USB support
• Can be worked around with JNI/JNA
• Java platform 7 is not too far
Some NB RCP stuff not fully customizable
Better integration NB RCP SwingLabs
Compliance to Apple HIG
Linux + JOGL issues
No JAI native support for Mac OS X


Be efficient with innovation

“Cool stuff„ often means complexity
• Go quickly from idea to prototype
• Integrate easily others' stuff
• NIH isn't a killer-idea, but an idea-killer
Build cool demonstrators
• ...and cool applications soon after

(stay tuned for some new cool stuff)


Summary

Most Swing showstoppers are history now


Summary

You CAN ship desktop apps


Summary

There's a world beyond Swing
• SwingLabs, NetBeans Software RCP, etc...


Summary

Be creative. Mix 'em up.
NetBeans: the only IDE I need...


Summary

Be creative. Mix 'em up.
NetBeans: the only IDE I need...
... but for some tasks related to digital photo management
Eclipse is just the best tool


Eclipse Optic Cleaning System


For More Information

Links to projects, blogs and documentation
• weblogs.java.net/blog/fabriziogiudici
• bluemarine.tidalwave.it
• openbluesky.dev.java.net
• mistral.tidalwave.it
• forceten.tidalwave.it
• www.netbeans.org/features/platform
• graph.netbeans.org
• platformx.netbeans.org
• www.swinglabs.org
• worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/java
• quaqua.dev.java.net

blueMarine
Or Why You Should Really Ship Swing
Applications
Fabrizio Giudici
TS-5483. Speaker’s logo here
(optional)

Why You Should Ship Swing Apps with NetBeans RCP

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