System iNetwork

Java is not the only language for developing "Rich clients." Microsoft dot Net, C++ and Delphi are other options. But Java is a very appealing choice when you consider:

• complexity


• tools (IDEs and other development support software)


• open source and commercial resources (libraries)


• industry acceptance


• integration with the System i

"Rich clients" can be developed with just Java and Swing (Java user interface foundation class) or SWT (Eclipse standard widget toolkit). The problem is that the developer is responsible for everything! That is a lot of work to do it right. Hey, maybe that is why browser based applications so quickly overtook "fat" client -- server applications?

IBM is developing the "IBM Workplace Managed Client" under the Websphere umbrella to provide "rich" client – server applications. Interestingly enough, it is also based upon the Eclipse toolkit. See

http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus/library/wmc-toolkit/

Then there is the topic of this blog, Eclipse RCP … Rich Client Platform. Look at either Eclipse or WDSc. Did you ever think "that would be a cool framework for my application X if it didn’t have all the IDE stuff?" Many of the early Eclipse adopted thought just that. By the time Eclipse 2.1 was released developers of the future Eclipse Foundation were reengineering Eclipse to separate the user interface and IDE parts. I believe this was in the 2nd half of 2004. In Eclipse 3.1 the separation was (mostly) made.

Eclipse RCP is the set of plug-ins which are necessary for the workbench and user interface. The developer creates plug-ins for application logic which make use of the RCP plug-ins for the user interface. The functionality of menus, status lines, editors, views and much more are provided. The developer focuses on the application specific code.

Anyway, enough said. For more information see:

http://www.eclipse.org/home/categories/rcp.php