Rich Client Programming: Plugging into the NetBeans Platform

The open-source NetBeans Platform is an extraordinarily powerful framework for building "write once, run anywhere" rich client applications. Now, for the first time since the release of NetBeans IDE 5.0, there's a comprehensive guide to rich client development on the NetBeans Platform.

Written for Java developers and architects who have discovered that basic Swing components are not enough for them, this book will help you get started with NetBeans module development, master NetBeans' key APIs, and learn proven techniques for building reliable desktop software. Each chapter is filled with practical, step-by-step instructions for creating complete rich client applications on top of the NetBeans Platform and plugins for NetBeans IDE.

Rich Client Programming's wide-ranging content covers

• Why modular development makes sense for small, medium, and large applications
• Using NetBeans to accelerate development and improve efficiency
• Leveraging NetBeans productivity features, from the Component Palette to Code Completion
• Leveraging NetBeans' modular architecture in your own applications
• Implementing loosely coupled communication to improve code maintainability and robustness
• Managing user- and system-configuration data
• Building reloadable components with solid threading models
• Constructing sophisticated multiwindow applications and presenting rich data structures to users
• Adding user-configurable options
• Integrating Web services with NetBeans desktop applications
• Automating module updates and providing user help

Foreword by Jonathan Schwartz   
Foreword by Jan Chalupa  
Preface  
About the Authorsand Contributors  
Acknowledgments  
Chapter 1: Getting Started with the NetBeans Platform  
Chapter 2: The Benefits of Modular Programming  
Chapter 3: Modular Architecture  
Chapter 4: Loosely Coupled Communication  
Chapter 5: Lookup  
Chapter 6: Filesystems  
Chapter 7: Threading, Listener Patterns, and MIME Lookup  
Chapter 8: The Window System  
Chapter 9: Nodes, Explorer Views, Actions, and Presenters  
Chapter 10: DataObjects and DataLoaders  
Chapter 11: Graphical User Interfaces   
Chapter 12: Multiview Editors  
Chapter 13: Syntax Highlighting  
Chapter 14: Code Completion  
Chapter 15: Component Palettes  
Chapter 16: Hyperlinks  
Chapter 17: Annotations  
Chapter 18: Options Windows  
Chapter 19: Web Frameworks  
Chapter 20: Web Services   
Chapter 21: JavaHelp Documentation  
Chapter 22  Update Centers  
Chapter 23: Use Case 1: NetBeans Module Development  
Chapter 24: Use Case 2: Rich Unger on Application Development  
Chapter A: Advanced Module System Techniques  
Chapter B: Common Idioms and Code Patterns in NetBeans  
Chapter C: Performance  
Index