Eclipse Rich Client Platform, 2nd Edition

The Definitive Guide to Eclipse Rich Client Development 

In Eclipse Rich Client Platform, Second Edition, three Eclipse Rich Client Platform (RCP) project leaders show how to use Eclipse 3.5 (“Galileo”) to rapidly deliver cross-platform applications with rich, native-feel GUIs.

The authors fully reveal the power of Eclipse as a desktop application development platform; introduce important new improvements in Eclipse 3.5; and walk through developing a full-featured, branded RCP application for Windows, Linux, Mac, and other platforms—including handheld devices and kiosks.

Drawing on their extensive experience, the authors cover building, refining, and refactoring prototypes; customizing user interfaces; adding help and software management features; and building, branding, testing, and shipping finished software. They demonstrate current best practices for developing modular and dynamically extensible systems, using third-party code libraries, packaging applications for diverse environments, and much more.

For Java programmers at all levels of experience, this book

• Introduces important new RCP features such as p2, Commands, and Databinding
• Thoroughly covers key RCP-related technologies such as Equinox, SWT, JFace, and OSGi
• Shows how to effectively brand and customize RCP application look-and-feel
• Walks through user interface testing for RCP applications with SWTBot
• Illuminates key similarities and differences between RCP and conventional plug-in development

Hands-on, pragmatic, and comprehensive, this book offers all the real-world, nontrivial code examples working developers need—as well as “deep dives” into key technical areas that are essential to your success.

Table of Contents

Part I: Introduction
Chapter 1 Eclipse as a Rich Client Platform
Chapter 2 Eclipse RCP Concepts

Part II: RCP by Example
Chapter 3 Tutorial Introduction
Chapter 4 The Hyperbola Application
Chapter 5 Starting the Hyperbola Prototype
Chapter 6 Adding Actions
Chapter 7 Adding a Chat Editor
Chapter 8 Branding Hyperbola
Chapter 9 Packaging Hyperbola
Chapter 10 Messaging Support
Chapter 11 Adding a Login Dialog
Chapter 12 Adding Key Bindings
Chapter 13 Adding Help
Chapter 14 Adding Software Management

Part III: The Workbench
Chapter 15 Workbench Advisors
Chapter 16 Perspectives, Views, and Editors
Chapter 17 Actions
Chapter 18 Commands
Chapter 19 Customizing Workbench Windows
Chapter 20 Customizing the Presentation of Views and Editors

Part IV: Development Processes
Chapter 21 Installing and Updating with p2
Chapter 22 Dynamic Plug-ins
Chapter 23 RCP Everywhere
Chapter 24 Building Hyperbola
Chapter 25 Testing
Chapter 26 The Last Mile

Part V: Reference
Chapter 27 OSGi
Chapter 28 Eclipse Databinding
Chapter 29 Eclipse Ecosystem