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Re: [eclipse-dev] Visual Composition for Java / AWT / Swing
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Demez,
Can you tell me if Eclipse has a Visual Composition environment like in
Visual Age ?
We actually use Visual Age, but without GUI Visual Composition we cannot
use Eclipse : (((
I have use it a little bit and sounds very very very good, easy to use
...congratulation for this cool IDE
Eclipse does not have one yet, but IBM is working on a VCE tool for Eclipse
(or WSAD?) that should come out next year.
In the mean time, if you need access to a VCE within Eclipse now, you
should take a look at the "VCE Bridge" feature that is part of CodePro
Studio...
http://www.instantiations.com/codepro/ws/docs/
The VCE Bridge feature allows you to access the VA Java VCE from within
WSAD or Eclipse by simply clicking on a class or compilation unit and
selecting the "Edit GUI" command. Technically, this involves quite a bit of
cooperative magic between Eclipse and VA Java.
1) If VA Java isn't running, Eclipse will start it up in "slave mode"
- any version of VA Java will do, so you could install VA Java Entry for
this purpose alone
- VA Assist needs to be installed in VA Java for all of the VA Java pieces
to work. VA Assist should be configured to point to your Eclipse/WSAD root
directory
2) Once started, a bi-directional socket connection is established between
VA Java and Eclipse
- if VAJ was already running, it will establish communications with that VA
Java instance
3) Eclipse sends the code for the class to VA Java
4) The VA Java VCE opens up on the code
- the layout info is retrieved from the class's getBuilderData() method
5) You edit the class using the normal VCE tools
- you are limited to widgets known to VA Java 3.x/4.x (and JDK 1.2.2 features)
- the tool is presented "standalone" and doesn't provide access to any
other VA Java facilities/browsers
6) When you are done editing, the new code is generated and sent back over
to Eclipse
7) If you click on the VCE run or debug buttons, the code will be
generated, sent to Eclipse and then run in that context
8) When Eclipse shuts down, it will automatically shutdown VA Java as well
The obvious limitation here is that you are limited to JDK 1.2.2 features.
Since this facility is meant to "bridge" folks from VA Java into
Eclipse/WSAD until the corresponding Eclipse facility is released, it
should be viewed as short term and tactical in nature. Once an Eclipse/WSAD
native VCE is released, you would no longer need to use this VCE Bridge
feature.
Regards,
-Eric Clayberg
Sr. Vice President of Product Development
Instantiations, Inc.
503-612-9337 Sales
503-612-9499 Fax
http://www.instantiations.com
Support: mailto:cpsws-support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
CPS/WS: http://www.instantiations.com/codepro/ws/
VA Assist: http://www.instantiations.com/assist/
jFactor: http://www.instantiations.com/jFactor/