http://blogs.sun.com/stripathi

1. NETBEANS PLATFORM
Satyajit Tripathi
Member Technical Staff
ISV-Engineering, Sun Microsystems
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2. NetBeans Platform
Build new desktop applications without re-inventing the wheel
• NetBeans Platform is a broad SWING-based framework to
create rich desktop applications
• Platform provides out-of-the-box APIs to simplify application
common requirements such as window management, menus,
actions, settings and storage, an update manager, and files
access
• Core of NetBeans-IDE is Platform ie. NetBeans-IDE 'minus'
IDE specific modules
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3. NetBeans Platform Manager
NetBeans IDE 6.1 (build 200805300101)
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4. NetBeans Module (Plugin)
Add the missing functionalities to IDE
• Module can be built to extend the functionality of NetBeans
IDE and to add specific features
• NetBeans (Plug-in) Module is a group of Java classes that
interacts with NetBeans APIs and provides an application with
specific features
• Java classes use the MANIFEST.MF file to declare the module
and XML Layer file (layer.xml) to register their functionality
• Modules with non-installer distributions are packaged as NBM
files (.nbm extension)
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5. Module (Plugin) Development
Development Life cycle
• Setting up the project
• NetBeans IDE generates Project organization and code
• Coding the module or application
• Building and Running
• Testing, Debugging, and Profiling
• Branding and Distributing
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6. NetBeans Module Projects
NetBeans IDE 6.1
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7. Module Project Organization
NetBeans IDE 6.1
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8. NetBeans APIs
Complete API set is quite extensive!
• Action APIs • Palette APIs
• File Systems APIs • Refactoring APIs
• Loaders APIs • MultiView APIs
• Nodes APIs • JavaHelp Integration APIs
• Windows APIs
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9. Action APIs
Package : org.openide.actions
• Standard SWING Actions
For installation of global, always-enabled actions, register javax.swing.Action in
appropriate folder of System Filesystem. Not necessary to subclass one of NetBeans
action class. Actions are presented in popup menus or attached to a component such
as window, node, data object, or filesystem, or installed globally in the main menu or
toolbars
• Standard NetBeans API Actions
Action subclasses available in NetBeans API are subclass of SystemAction.
SystemAction objects should be Singleton.
> Callback actions
> Context-sensitive (base class org.openide.util.actions)
> Presenters
• UseCallableSystemAction (Always enabled)
• Use CookieAction (Conditionally enabled) One or Multiple Nodes
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10. File System APIs
Package : org.openide.filesystems
• Manipulating files on disk, and used indirectly by Loaders API
• Common Tasks
> Finding files and folders
> Creating, deleting and renaming files and folders
> Reading and writing files
> Listening on file events
> Determining MIME Content type
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11. Loaders (Datasystems) APIs
Package : org.openide.loaders
• Datasystems are the logical layer between a filesystem and higher level
file oriented operations. The API works on top of file objects and gives
each file a logical behavior – icon, name, operation, etc. Each file types
recognized by NetBeans has a corresponding DataObject subclass
provided by the module that add support for the file type
• There are three packages in this API
> org.openide.loaders
Handles cluster of files together into groups and assign types to data
> org.openide.cookies
Provides a design pattern for attachable behaviors to data objects
and nodes. Cookies provides a way for both data objects and nodes
to indicate in flexible and dynamic fashion the operation supported
> org.openide.util.datatransfer
Implements some extensions to the clipboard, and enhances the
functions provided in java.awt.datatransfer
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12. Nodes APIs
Package : org.openide.nodes
• The Nodes API controls the usage and creation of nodes, which are a
variant of Java Beans having adjustable property sets; provide cookies
and actions; formed into a hierarchical tree.
• Common node types
> Data nodes
> Data folder nodes
> A user-developed Java Bean on disk
> A node derived from a Java Bean , not representing one
> The Component Palette
> A breakpoint in the debugger is a node
> A project desktop node (various files associated with a project)
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13. Window System APIs
Package : org.openide.windows
• The implementation takes care of the main window, all multi-tabbed, and
split frames, toolbars and MDI/SDI support
• As a rule, modules should not create their own top-level windows (eg.
java.awt.Window). Those would otherwise not be managed by NetBeans
window manager
• Window API allows module to provide window-like components, mainly
through embeddable visual components called topcomponents. A top
component is a SWING component and need to be docked to be
manipulated by the window system
• Window manager is capable of manipulating application windows
including docking and window configuration persistent across session
• The window system layout in NetBeans is based on modes. API
provides access to modes but cannot create directly. This can be
achieved by specifying in the XML layer
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14. Component Palette APIs
Package : org.netbeans.spi.palette
• The API provides access to Common Component Palette. The palette
client can define content to displayed in the common palette
TopComponent when their editors are active
• The API includes support for the clients writing palette content insertable
into the text editor
• Allows users to Drag and Drop text into the palette to create new custom
code clips. This can be achieved by subclassing DragAndDropHandler
• Palette visibility is defined per document-type
• Palette provider needs to define own actions to reset its default state
• Allows associating palette content with document MIME type
• Allows displaying name and tooltip to be defined directly in item's XML
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15. MultiView APIs
Package : org.netbeans.core.api.multiview
org.netbeans.core.spi.multiview
• The API allows to access the multiview component's content. The SPI
handles the lifecycle of a multiview component
• Multi views enable modules to display several perspectives, or views of
data, visually represented as data document or object in unified manner
at one specific place in the system
• A marker interface SourceViewMarker has been added to the
MultiViewDescription instance to identify as containing source code
• Factory methods to create multiview components
• MultiViews project depends on Window System API
(org.openide.windows.TopComponent) and some new APIs in openide
NbDocument.CustomToolbar and CloneableEditorSupport.Pane
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16. JavaHelp Integration APIs
Package : org.netbeans.api.javahelp
• JavaHelp integration API wraps the standard JavaHelp extension library
(jh.jar version 1.1.3 or on Solaris /usr/j2se/opt/javahelp/lib/jhall.jar)
• It also provides a small additional API for NetBeans modules to supply
help sets to the system, add GUI menu items, and request that particular
help topics be displayed
• A singleton instance of org.netbeans.api.javahelp.Help is registered into
lookup. An instance of a handler for the nbdocs URL protocol is also
registered for the module code to find it
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17. NetBeans 6.1 Platform Resources
• NetBeans Platform Site : platform.netbeans.org
> Learning: overview, tutorials, quick start, FAQ
> Community: news, mailing-list, nbusers@netbeans.org, source
• NetBeans API List : Javadoc
• NetBeans 6.1 API Changes : api-changes
• NetBeans Platform wiki : wiki.netbeans.org
> Release and planning, answers and support, tutorial and api-docs
• Expert Presentation Series : netbeans_platform
• NetBeans Platform Certified Training : nbplatform-certified-training
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18. NETBEANS 6.1
Satyajit Tripathi
satyajit.tripathi@sun.com
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