Fat-Client-Development - Create a project for the base-classes

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Last revision of this document:
2006-04-28

This step of the tutorial deals with the creation of a project for the base-classes and incorporating the created project into the 'Build-Path' of the project for the Fat-Client.

`Preface:`

This step has to be done, if you want to code the base-classes for Fat-Client-Development.

As an alternative you may download the jar-file with the base-classes and define this jar-file in the 'Build-Path'. This is described in the document JS_FC01cb - Download the jar-file for the base-classes.

`Credits:`

None for this document; I developed all by myself ;-) .

Prerequisites:

JS_FC01b - Create a new workspace and a project in Eclipse completed – and its prerequisites too.

`Create the project (base-classes):`

To create a new project, select >File>New>Project.

In the New Project window select >Java Project and press the [Next >] button thereafter.
Enter the Project Name (JS_Base), select 'Create separate source and output folders', leave all other values unchanged and press the [Next >] button thereafter.

Change the 'Default output folder' to JS_Base/gen/classes, select the 'src' folder and then click the Remove source folder 'src' from build path text.
Click the [ Finish ] button to create the project.
To define a new source-folder (where the java code resides) select the project 'JS_Base' and click the right mouse-button. Then select 'Properties'.
Select 'Java Build Path', then the tab 'Source' and click the [ Add Folder... ] button.
Select 'src' - but make sure, that it is not checked - and click the [ Create New Folder... ] button.
Enter 'java' (the name of the new folder) and click the [ OK ] button.
Check that the new folder was created and click the [ OK ] button.
Click the [ OK ] button to close the 'Properties' window.

`Add the base-classes as 'Source' in the 'Build Path' of the project for the Fat-Client:`

`To get to the configuration, select the project JS_FC01, then click the right mouse-button and on the menu popping up select >Properties.`

Select Java Build Path (in the left frame) and Projects (on the tab), then click the [ Add... ] button.
The window popping up shows a list of all other projects in the workspace. Classes of JS_Base will be used by JS_FC01; so JS_Base has to be included in the Build Path. Mark the project JS_Base, then click the [ OK ] button.
Close the 'Properties' window by clicking the [ OK ] button.

`Create the base-class for the Start-Frame (with no code for now):`

This class contains code for variables and methods that can be reused for all individual developments. The class created now can the be inhereted (therefore it is called base-class) by individual projects.

Right click onto the project 'JS_Base' and select >New>Class
Enter the Package (js_base.frame), the (Class-)Name (JSBS_StartFrame), check that no checkbox is selected; then click the [Finish] button.
Eclipse has already generated a template and the individual code can be entered.

For now, there is not already code to enter. Pieces of code going into this class are developed step by step in the next steps of this tutorial. Whenever a piece of code has to be written into the class JSBS_StartFrame it is listed and explained when it is needed by a class inheriting class JSBS_StartFrame.
Just the inherited class (JFrame) and comment is entered now: package js_base.frame; import javax.swing.*; /** * * @author kurt@javascout.biz * @date 2006-05-03 * * @description * Frame to be inherited by Start-Frames (usually called 'Command-Center') of * Fat-Client-Applications. * * This class contains variables for * * defining if the application has direct access to a database * or is connected to a Java-Application-Server (JAS) * * holding the connection to the database or JAS respectively * * XML-tree for parameters to access the database or JAS * * XML-tree with text-elements in the selected language * * a structure with various parameters * e.g. selected language, logged on user, TCP/IP-address, etc. * * @change-log * when who why * -------------------------------------------------------- * */ public class JSBS_StartFrame extends JFrame{

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`Next Step:`

A simple GUI is created: JS_FC01d - Create and code the class for the GUI.