on Jul 14th, 2008Announcing RCP Book 2nd Edition
Everyone remember the RCP Book?
I’m happy to announce that it is being updated to reflect the 3.4 release of Eclipse. I’m also excited to announce that I will be joining the list of authors on the 2nd edition to add my special flair to the book. Many things have changed since the first edition (which was based on 3.1) and we have a lot of updates to do. The book is scheduled to be officially released towards the end of this year with a online “rough cut” of the book coming earlier. Here are some exciting things you can expect in the RCP Book 2nd edition:
- A new chapter on JFace Databinding
- New content on Equinox p2
- A new chapter on the platform command framework
- Improved content on adding help to your RCP application
- and much more…
My question to readers out there is what would they like to specifically see in the RCP book that wasn’t there? In essence, what is missing that you would like to see in the RCP book if there’s room?
I’d like to see how one goes about building an RCP application based on JFace + Databinding + EMF + (Teneo + EclipseLink + Derby) stack.
-sud
+1.
+ CDO
EMF seems to be missing link . I think at least a introduction to EMF/GEF is needed .
Off the top of my head, I would like to see:
- general discussion on how to interface to a back-end - whether that is based on an SQL database, web services or something else. Where to store data and how to keep information in sync.
- role based UI where certain aspects of the UI depends on the current user
- how to do screen flows
- how to do UI using JFace + databinding + EMF
- batch/head-less build using buckminster, Maven, PDEBuild or whatever
Thanks for the comments!
In terms of EMF… a new version of the EMF book is coming out soon.
In terms of EMF/GEF… there is a GMF book in the works that should be coming out soon… authored by Richard Gronback.
Tonny, those are good suggestions. We are definitely including JFace + Databinding in the book and even attempting to rework the main example to use some databinding. We will look at updating the headless build section of the book… there’s some information there but it needs to be more consumable I think.
In terms of interfacing to back-ends and all that good stuff.. I think that’s prime for an “enterprise RCP book.” We have a challenge of keeping the book at an introductory level while mixing some advanced concepts. I don’t think it’s possible to mix in all those technologies without significantly raising the learning curve… how about a step at a time :)?
I like the new Blog Chris!!! good job!
Hey Chris. Great look for the blog!
As a DTP guy, I’d love to see how to integrate RCP and DTP or even bits of WTP in there. That would play with Tonny Madsen’s comment about interfacing to a back end. I don’t know much about EclipseLink yet, but that seems to be more JSP related than JDBC related, so this would be another avenue to explore.
Thanks!
–Fitz
I’d love to see a complete, if simple, example of implementing a custom plugin using the CNF, the last time I looked there were just a lot of ‘gotcyas’ in getting it right.
This one probably deserves an entire book - implementing a text editor. I’m talking about a document model, color coding, etc… There seem to be tons of partial examples (and even a wizard, don’t know if its been updated in 3.4), but none of them are really what I’d consider ‘complete, at least not using the current APIs (probably one reason is because the APIs for this seem to have gone through several iterations).
I know its probably out-of-scope, but as there isn’t a lot of up-to-date material the last time I checked I’d love to see a chapter on implementing a custom SWT control using advanced drawing APIs. Something that covers what is currently considered best practice in this area would be great (see the controls in the Nebula project for some ideas). Doing something basic isn’t too hard. Doing more than that requires a lot of poking around in dark corners.
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Great news! I’d really like to have a comprehensive look at p2 for the RCP developer - how to use it as an installer, how to handle auto-update in a ’sparkle’ like fashion (google sparkle osx), how to put a different UI on top of p2 for single click manual updates. The help building section you mention would also be invaluable. More on the difference between products based on features vs those based on plugins - when one is better than the other. How to do headless builds (is it still a nightmare?).
We’ve been working on our first RCP for the last 12 months (watch this space if you’re an oceanographer…). If you ever want to bounce more ideas around…
I would be useful to cover a topic really missing on the first book:
DocBook XML Integration into Eclipse’s Help System
Fred
1. Presentations
2. Commands
3. More inter-view/editor communication. A lot of us do little “file” programming.
4. RAP
I am sure I will think of more! Thanks for asking. I’m looking forward to the new book. I’ll buy it before it comes out.
Eclipse: RCP book 第二版…
《Eclipse Rich Client Platform – Design, Coding and Packaging》是在Eclipse 3.1发布以后，针对 Eclipse RCP 平台的一本非常重要，也非常有用的书。 最近，这本书的作者们开始了第二版的编写，将以最新的 Ec…
You need to have:
1) Commands, menues, handlers this is all new from 3.4, and there is a lot of really great features.
2) update (as you said yourself), How to do automatic build
3) General review and update to be 3.4 complient
4) Better and more detail description of Job
5) Security framework (sign plugins)
If you want to to do something really nice, - then patterns of views, gets data when not open yet when doing an business application.
I was watching your Equinox Ganymede presentation and remembered on more thing: Serializing objects between RCP and a server. Most of those of us who do “business” (can’t think of a better term) applications need to to this (ie via Spring Remoting).
I vote for thorough coverage of setting up and running a headless build.
I vote for a thorough explanation of the Contexts system. In the application I’m writing at the moment I’ve got a very hacky implementation that works for enabling / disabling menu items, but I’d like to know how to do it properly…
What is the latest on a rough draft date?
@Andrew, we’re shooting towards the end of this year.
We’re getting closer, please be patient
I’m really looking forward to this book. First edition seemed to be a reference, but it’s a bit outdated now like all the other ones, so I’m definitely anticipating its little brother.
Keep it up!