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Home » Eclipse Projects » Rich Client Platform (RCP) » Questions re. some basic RCP concepts(Questions re. some basic RCP concepts)
icon5.gif  Questions re. some basic RCP concepts [message #1059765] Tue, 21 May 2013 14:33 Go to next message
Wojtek Jarosz is currently offline Wojtek JaroszFriend
Messages: 4
Registered: May 2013
Junior Member
I am new to the whole RCP concept. Can anyone give me SHORT answers to the following? The last question is really the most important one, but I would be grateful for any answers.
Thanks!

1. Why the name? Why is it called Rich Client Platform, and in particular why the word "client"? Does this mean that I can only develop client-server applications with it (I suspect not)? Why 'rich' - is this because the client is rich or the platform is rich?

2. I have a traditional single-window SWT application that does some data processing on my PC. Can I / should I change it to an RCP application?

3. How easy would it be to change my traditional single-window SWT application to make it an RCP application?

4. What are the disadvantages of using RCP? My current SWT application is small. If I make it into an RCP application, does that mean that the footprint will become very large?

5. If I want to run an RCP application on a particular machine, do I first have to install Eclipse on it? (I mean the target platform, not my dev machine)

6. My simple SWT application uses a single I/O screen. Now I want to add another screen or tab. What better facilities will I get under RCP? Is it worth the trouble in my case?

7. I need to add top-bar menus to my SWT application. Are menus already provided under RCP?

8. (This is the really important question Smile I need to add Help to my SWT application. Can Eclipse Help be used in non-RCP applications!? or do I have to change the application to be an RCP application first?
Re: Questions re. some basic RCP concepts [message #1059938 is a reply to message #1059765] Wed, 22 May 2013 08:48 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Tomas Kramaric is currently offline Tomas KramaricFriend
Messages: 8
Registered: August 2012
Junior Member
1 ) Rich Client Platform - maybe also because of usage Equinox oSGI, which offers many implemented services; usage of Equinox Extensions... All of these helps you to make really "Rich" application with less coding effort.

2 ) If its only simple application in JavaSE, I would not convert it to RCP. But it you want to play around with RCP to understand, than why not, you
can even develop simple application using RCP (Equinox OSGi) - me personaly use standard Java + SWT when developing simple app, RCP is more complicated, and sometimes when facing some problems of loading plugins & dependency stuff makes me really angry... etc.

3 ) It depends on point of view Smile I mean, you definately have to know SWT & RCP, if you create some RCP application, and get this system into hands, than you will find it easy to recode your JavaSE+SWT app into RCP

4 ) Big complexity, many things which you don't have in your hand, like OSGi...

5 ) Every RCP application can be exported as normal EXE application, so to run your exported APP you dont need Eclipse to be installed, only JRE (and even not, if you export your APP with JRE inside)

6 ) In RCP you can use Perspectives, Views, JFace Wizards, JFace Dialogs... this is very nice thing on RCP (Equinox) (I think JFace you could use even in J2SE, correct me If I am wrong)

7 ) Yes of course, in Workbench application, there is Menu, Toolbar. Definition of Menu & Toolbar, can be done by very convenient way, by declarative manner, using Equinos Extensions, where you define Menu layout, Commands, Menu contributions, Command Handlers... only your command Handlers has to be coded.

8 ) Eclipse Equinox extension offers this possibility to make Help, google for some tutorials. If you want to have Help in your app, easiest it would be done via RCP

Hope I helped
Re: Questions re. some basic RCP concepts [message #1060442 is a reply to message #1059938] Fri, 24 May 2013 16:11 Go to previous message
Wojtek Jarosz is currently offline Wojtek JaroszFriend
Messages: 4
Registered: May 2013
Junior Member
Thanks. This gets me started. Re. 8 - I have just found that I might be able to use JavaHelp, and it seems easier to get into, but will also look at Equinox as you advise. Thanks again. Smile
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