Synopsis
Build powerful, cross-platform rich client applications. Eclipse is more than a state-of-the-art IDE: its Rich Client Platform (RCP) plug-ins form an outstanding foundation for any desktop application, from chat applications to enterprise software front-ends. In Eclipse Rich Client Platform, two leaders of the Eclipse RCP project show exactly how to leverage Eclipse for rapid, efficient, cross-platform desktop development. In addition to explaining the power of Eclipse as a desktop application development platform, the authors walk step-by-step through developing a fully featured, branded RCP application. They introduce a wide range of techniques, including developing pluggable and dynamically extensible systems, using third-party code libraries, and packaging applications for diverse environments. You'll build, refine, and refactor a complete prototype; customize the user interface; add Help and Update features; and build, brand, and ship the finished software., Eclipse, a platform for building applications, was originally aimed at Web application and image manipulation. With the release of Eclipse 3.0 there has been a shift to the use of Eclipse as a Rich Client Platform (RCP). In other words, using Eclipse as a base for everyday generic applications from media players to productivity and desktop applications. Thinking of Eclipse as not just an IDE but a platform for all application building is an evolution for the platform and significantly extends its reach to developers. In this book the designers of Eclipse as an RCP introduces the reader to the RCP concept and walks them through a set of scenarios and examples using Eclipse to solve real world, application problems. This will appeal to all developers who want to develop and deploy world-class applications with rich, native GUIs. Development areas that are already using Eclipse RCP include bio-medical, embedded technology (handhelds, etc), enterprise and productivity applications and banking.
