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Apache NetBeans Platform for Beginners

Modular Application Development for the Java Desktop

Jason Wexbridge and Walter Nyland

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About

About

About the Book

Whether a complete newbie to creating pluggable Java desktop software with the NetBeans Platform or interested in refreshing your knowledge and filling in the gaps, this is for you! The main themes of the book are modules, file systems, windows, nodes, and actions... and everything in between. Start your modular development process with the best set of texts and exercises available today.

For background on this book, read this interview with the authors, published on jaxenter.com.

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About the Authors

Jason Wexbridge

Jason Wexbridge is an expert in Java software development, leading a team of engineers in a distributed development environment. He's found modularity to be the key factor in successfully setting up agile development teams and he initiated "NetBeans Platform for Beginners" to share the wealth of his experience. A technical writer by trade, his focus is always to ensure a strong mixture between theoretical and practical knowledge transfer. He's based in Orlando, Florida.

Walter Nyland

Walter Nyland has years of experience in the software industry. After development work with C and C++, he moved to Java and gradually moved all his software development activities on the NetBeans Platform. He has been responsible for a variety of corporate software development projects, particularly in unmanned vehicle control software, using the NetBeans Platform as the basis of a suite of development products. Delving into technical writing for the first time, Walter has provided a lot of the technical insights into the inner workings of the NetBeans Platform to the book. He's based in Boise, Idaho.

Contents

Table of Contents

    • Introduction
    • Foreword
    • Preface
    • Updates
      • Update 1: March 26, 2014
      • Update 2: April 30, 2014
      • Update 3: May 30, 2014
      • Update 4: June 26, 2014
      • Update 5: July 29, 2014
      • Update 6: August 30, 2014
    • Guide
    • Application
    • Get Started
  • Part 1: Core
    • Chapter 1: NetBeans Platform
      • 1.1 Concepts
        • 1.1.1 Modularity
        • 1.1.2 Abstraction
        • 1.1.3 Lifecycle Management
        • 1.1.4 Pluggability, Service Infrastructure, and File System
        • 1.1.5 Data-Oriented GUI Components
        • 1.1.6 Standards
        • 1.1.7 Tools, APIs, and Community
      • 1.2 Get Started
        • 1.2.1 Creation
        • 1.2.2 Deployment
        • 1.2.3 Commands
        • 1.2.4 Properties
        • 1.2.5 Features
          • 1.2.5.1 Plugin Manager
          • 1.2.5.2 Favorites Window
          • 1.2.5.3 User Utilities
          • 1.2.5.4 Image Editor
          • 1.2.5.5 XML Editor
          • 1.2.5.6 IDE Defaults
          • 1.2.5.7 Apple Application Menu
        • 1.2.6 Branding
        • 1.2.7 Configuration File
        • 1.2.8 Distribution
    • Chapter 2: Module System
      • 2.1 Concepts
        • 2.1.1 Definition
        • 2.1.2 Benefits
          • 2.1.2.1 Developers
          • 2.1.2.2 Users
          • 2.1.2.3 Revenues
        • 2.1.3 Characteristics
          • 2.1.3.1 Deployment Format
          • 2.1.3.2 Uniqueness
          • 2.1.3.3 Versioning
          • 2.1.3.4 Exposed Interfaces
          • 2.1.3.5 Declarative Dependencies
          • 2.1.3.6 Activation Type
          • 2.1.3.7 Lifecycle
        • 2.1.4 Manifest
          • 2.1.4.1 General
          • 2.1.4.2 Dependencies
          • 2.1.4.3 Services
          • 2.1.4.4 Visibility
        • 2.1.5 Modularity
      • 2.2 Get Started
        • 2.2.1 Creation
        • 2.2.2 Commands
        • 2.2.3 Properties
        • 2.2.4 Templates
        • 2.2.5 Dependencies
        • 2.2.6 Versioning
        • 2.2.7 Lifecycle
        • 2.2.8 Distribution
          • 2.2.8.1 Pull
          • 2.2.8.2 Push
    • Chapter 3: File System
      • 3.1 Concepts
        • 3.1.1 Creating and Working with Arbitrary Objects
        • 3.1.2 Presentation of Arbitrary Objects
        • 3.1.3 Hierarchical Namespaces
        • 3.1.4 Merging Multiple Namespaces
        • 3.1.5 System FileSystem
          • 3.1.5.1 Listening to Changes in the System FileSystem
          • 3.1.5.2 Module Layers
          • 3.1.5.3 Read/Write
        • 3.1.6 FileObject
        • 3.1.7 Object
        • 3.1.8 Factories
        • 3.1.9 Access
          • 3.1.9.1 Root
          • 3.1.9.2 Folder
          • 3.1.9.3 Object
          • 3.1.9.4 Attribute
        • 3.1.10 DataObject
      • 3.2 Get Started
        • 3.2.1 Basic
          • 3.2.1.1 Application
          • 3.2.1.2 Provider
          • 3.2.1.3 Consumer
        • 3.2.2 Advanced
          • 3.2.2.1 Provider
          • 3.2.2.2 Consumer
    • Chapter 4: Lookup
      • 4.1 Concepts
        • 4.1.1 Service Registry: Lookup.getDefault()
          • 4.1.1.1 ServiceLoader
          • 4.1.1.2 Lookup
          • 4.1.1.3 @ServiceProvider
          • 4.1.1.4 Services Folder
          • 4.1.1.5 Requiring and Providing Services
        • 4.1.2 Global Lookup: Utilities.actionsGlobalContext()
          • 4.1.2.1 Context Global Provider
        • 4.1.3 Local Lookup: Object.getLookup()
        • 4.1.4 Merged Lookup: ProxyLookup
        • 4.1.5 Dynamic Lookup
        • 4.1.6 Central Lookup: CentralLookup.getDefault()
      • 4.2 Get Started
        • 4.2.1 Service Registry
          • 4.2.1.1 Application
          • 4.2.1.2 API
          • 4.2.1.3 Implementation
          • 4.2.1.4 Usage
        • 4.2.2 Global Lookup
        • 4.2.3 Local Lookup
  • Part 2: GUI
    • Chapter 5: Action System
      • 5.1 Concepts
        • 5.1.1 Basics
          • 5.1.1.1 Registration
          • 5.1.1.2 Presenters
            • 5.1.1.2.1 Menu
            • 5.1.1.2.2 Toolbar
            • 5.1.1.2.3 Custom Presenter
            • 5.1.1.2.4 Keyboard Shortcut
            • 5.1.1.2.5 Mnemonic
          • 5.1.1.3 Hiding
          • 5.1.1.4 Reordering
          • 5.1.1.5 Enablement
        • 5.1.2 Advanced
          • 5.1.2.1 Complex Enablement
          • 5.1.2.2 Callback Actions
            • 5.1.2.2.1 Using Existing Keys
            • 5.1.2.2.2 Creating Custom Keys
          • 5.1.2.3 Toolbar Configuration
      • 5.2 Get Started
        • 5.2.1 Application
        • 5.2.2 Wizard
        • 5.2.3 No Wizard
        • 5.2.4 Enablement
        • 5.2.5 Porting
    • Chapter 6: Window System
      • 6.1 Concepts
        • 6.1.1 Benefits
          • 6.1.1.1 Plumbing
          • 6.1.1.2 Multiple Windows
          • 6.1.1.3 Logical Window Management
          • 6.1.1.4 Window State
          • 6.1.1.5 Selection Management
            • 6.1.1.5.1 Lookup
            • 6.1.1.5.2 Activated Nodes
          • 6.1.1.6 API vs. Implementation
        • 6.1.2 Basics
          • 6.1.2.1 Description
          • 6.1.2.2 Registration
          • 6.1.2.3 Open Action
          • 6.1.2.4 Lifecycle
          • 6.1.2.5 Non-Declarative TopComponents
          • 6.1.2.6 Dock
          • 6.1.2.7 Undo
          • 6.1.2.8 Lookup
            • 6.1.2.8.1 Save Action
            • 6.1.2.8.2 Save All Action
            • 6.1.2.8.3 Zoom Action
            • 6.1.2.8.4 Miscellaneous
        • 6.1.3 Advanced
          • 6.1.3.1 Persistence
          • 6.1.3.2 Mode
          • 6.1.3.3 Group
          • 6.1.3.4 Role
          • 6.1.3.5 Validation
          • 6.1.3.6 Tab
          • 6.1.3.7 Busy
      • 6.2 Get Started
        • 6.2.1 Application
        • 6.2.2 Wizard
        • 6.2.3 No Wizard
        • 6.2.4 Functionality
        • 6.2.5 Porting
    • Chapter 7: Nodes and Explorers
      • 7.1 Concepts
        • 7.1.1 Node
          • 7.1.1.1 BeanNode
          • 7.1.1.2 DataNode
          • 7.1.1.3 FilterNode
          • 7.1.1.4 AbstractNode
        • 7.1.2 Children
          • 7.1.2.1 Simple
          • 7.1.2.2 Complex
        • 7.1.3 GUI Components
          • 7.1.3.1 View
          • 7.1.3.2 Manage
          • 7.1.3.3 Synchronize
          • 7.1.3.4 Outline
          • 7.1.3.5 Extend
          • 7.1.3.6 Utilities
        • 7.1.4 Selection
        • 7.1.5 Lookup
          • 7.1.5.1 View
          • 7.1.5.2 Node
          • 7.1.5.3 Children
        • 7.1.6 Actions
          • 7.1.6.1 New
            • 7.1.6.1.1 XML
            • 7.1.6.1.2 JPA
          • 7.1.6.2 Delete
          • 7.1.6.3 Rename
          • 7.1.6.4 Open
            • 7.1.6.4.1 Standard
            • 7.1.6.4.2 MultiView
          • 7.1.6.5 Reorder
          • 7.1.6.6 Drag and Drop
            • 7.1.6.6.1 Dragging
            • 7.1.6.6.2 Dropping
          • 7.1.6.7 Annotations
        • 7.1.7 Properties
      • 7.2 Get Started
        • 7.2.1 Object
          • 7.2.1.1 Application
          • 7.2.1.2 Object
          • 7.2.1.3 Node
          • 7.2.1.4 Factory
          • 7.2.1.5 View
          • 7.2.1.6 Synchronize
          • 7.2.1.7 Hierarchy
        • 7.2.2 File
          • 7.2.2.1 Application
          • 7.2.2.1 View
          • 7.2.2.3 File Type
          • 7.2.2.4 Node
        • 7.2.3 Functionality
        • 7.2.4 Porting
  • Part 3: Extras
    • Chapter 8: Palettes and Widgets
      • 8.1 Concepts
        • 8.1.1 Palette
          • 8.1.1.1 Basics
          • 8.1.1.2 Providing
            • 8.1.1.2.1 System FileSystem
            • 8.1.1.2.2 Node Hierarchy
          • 8.1.1.3 Consuming
            • 8.1.1.3.1 Java Swing
            • 8.1.1.3.2 Scene
            • 8.1.1.3.3 Lookup
          • 8.1.1.4 Configuring
            • 8.1.1.4.1 Action
            • 8.1.1.4.2 Filter
            • 8.1.1.4.3 Drag And Drop Handler
            • 8.1.1.4.4 Listener
            • 8.1.1.4.5 Attribute
            • 8.1.1.4.6 Manager
        • 8.1.2 Visual Library
          • 8.1.2.1 Widget
          • 8.1.2.2 Action
            • 8.1.2.2.1 Factories
            • 8.1.2.2.2 Providers
            • 8.1.2.2.3 Groupings
            • 8.1.2.2.4 Types
          • 8.1.2.3 Border
          • 8.1.2.4 Layout
          • 8.1.2.5 Scene
            • 8.1.2.5.1 ObjectScene
            • 8.1.2.5.2 GraphScene
            • 8.1.2.5.3 GraphPinScene
            • 8.1.2.5.4 VMDGraphScene
          • 8.1.2.6 Lookup
      • 8.2 Get Started
        • 8.2.1 Application
        • 8.2.2 Model
        • 8.2.3 Palette
          • 8.2.3.1 Content
          • 8.2.3.2 Controller
          • 8.2.3.3 View
        • 8.2.4 Visual Library
          • 8.2.4.1 Scene
          • 8.2.4.2 Accept
          • 8.2.4.3 Connect
          • 8.2.4.4 Resize
          • 8.2.4.5 Delete
          • 8.2.4.6 Export
            • 8.2.4.6.1 Image
            • 8.2.4.6.2 XML
    • Chapter 9: Project System
      • 9.1 Concepts
        • 9.1.1 Benefits
          • 9.1.1.1 Projects Window
          • 9.1.1.2 New Project Dialog
        • 9.1.2 Basic and Advanced Classes
      • 9.2 Get Started
        • 9.2.1 From Scratch
          • 9.2.1.1 Basics
            • 9.2.1.1.1 Application
            • 9.2.1.1.2 Factory
            • 9.2.1.1.3 Project
            • 9.2.1.1.4 Description
          • 9.2.1.2 Advanced
            • 9.2.1.2.1 View
            • 9.2.1.2.2 Children
            • 9.2.1.2.3 Customizer
            • 9.2.1.2.4 Subproject
            • 9.2.1.2.5 Template
            • 9.2.1.2.6 Branding
        • 9.2.2 By Extension
          • 9.2.2.1 Lookup
            • 9.2.2.1.1 Privileged Templates
            • 9.2.2.1.2 Recommended Templates
            • 9.2.2.1.3 Subproject
          • 9.2.2.2 View
          • 9.2.2.3 Customizer
          • 9.2.2.4 Icon
    • Chapter 10: Miscellaneous
      • 10.1 Dialog
        • 10.1.1 Predefined Dialogs
          • 10.1.1.1 Information Dialog
          • 10.1.1.2 Question Dialog
          • 10.1.1.3 Input Dialog
          • 10.1.1.4 Error Dialog
        • 10.1.2 Custom Dialogs
      • 10.2 Execution
        • 10.2.1 Executing an External Process
        • 10.2.2 Processing Input
        • 10.2.3 Printing Input
        • 10.2.4 Custom Process Builder
        • 10.2.5 Destroying a Process
        • 10.2.6 Extending Startup Environment
        • 10.2.7 Making Certain Open Actions Pluggable
      • 10.3 Output
      • 10.4 Preference
      • 10.5 Progress
      • 10.6 Quick Search
      • 10.7 Status
      • 10.8 Task
        • 10.8.1 Delayed
        • 10.8.2 Periodic
        • 10.8.3 Coalescing
        • 10.8.4 Interrupted
      • 10.9 Utilities
        • 10.9.1 ChangeSupport
        • 10.9.2 Conversions
        • 10.9.3 FileChooserBuilder
        • 10.9.4 ImageUtilities
        • 10.9.5 NbBundle.Messages
        • 10.9.6 Notifications
        • 10.9.7 StaticResource
        • 10.9.8 WeakListener
        • 10.9.9 XMLUtil
      • 10.10 Wizard
        • 10.10.1 Key Classes
        • 10.10.2 Get Started
        • 10.10.3 Registration
        • 10.10.4 Iterators
        • 10.10.5 Panels
        • 10.10.6 Customization
  • Conclusion

Contributors

About the Contributors

Michael W. Bishop

"NetBeans Platform For Beginners" contains the information needed to get developers building NetBeans Platform applications quickly. With concise explanations and detailed examples of a wide palette of APIs, both beginners and veterans of the platform will find elegant solutions to integrating practical features. From concept to fully qualified implementation, the user is treated to a thorough lesson on each API covered. "NetBeans Platform For Beginners" belongs in the virtual library of every developer creating NetBeans Platform applications. -- Michael W. Bishop has been professionally developing Java applications for 15 years. He has been actively participating in the NetBeans community since he started developing NetBeans Platform applications 5 years ago.

Geertjan Wielenga

As a NetBeans Platform developer, you cannot afford to not buy this book. It provides everything you need on all the core topics. All the chapters begin with a thorough overview of a topic, e.g., Modules or Lookups or Nodes, and then there are many small exercises, with all the code on GitHub. Extremely useful and an absolute "must have" for anyone doing modular development on the desktop in Java. -- Geertjan Wielenga works for Oracle as a product manager for NetBeans.

Jaroslav Tulach

Each chapter is focused on a particular use case, starting with a description of the problem it helps to solve. Only then does the book show the actual Java code, in the context of a cute car-related sample. The high-level concepts and their usefulness are described first, with their actual usages later. And some of the gory API details, such as the WizardDescriptor class, are left for the last chapter. I love this approach. I believe that NetBeans Platform for Beginners should replace our standard NetBeans documentation. -- Jaroslav Tulach, NetBeans founder, initial NetBeans API architect, and author of "Practical API Design: Confessions of a Java Framework Architect" (Apress, 2012)

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