Eclipse GUI plugin suggestions please

[jeffbroodwar]

Hello everyone,

Just started using eclipse ide.... just want to know what GUI plugin is preferred by eclipse users... hope its free.. ^^ ;


Thanks,
Pupoy

[JosAH]

Hello everyone,

Just started using eclipse ide.... just want to know what GUI plugin is preferred by eclipse users... hope its free.. ^^ ;


Thanks,
Pupoy

I've been using Eclipse since version 2.1 and don't use any plugins; for ordinary
JSE work you don't need any.

kind regards,

Jos

[jeffbroodwar]

Hi Jos,

ehehe its you again. lolz. I used to work using netbeans... in eclipse after you create a class, you will be the one to control your code ryt? meaning even if you dont use VSE you can create an object using your own style....


can you please paste a simple class that will show a frame and a single button in the center just to see how it works without the netbeans' auto generated code.

Thanks again.

Best regards,
Pupoy

[JosAH]

Sure, here you go:

[code=java]
import java.awt.Border Layout;
import java.awt.Contai ner;
import java.awt.Dimens ion;
import java.awt.event. ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event. ActionListener;

import javax.swing.Box ;
import javax.swing.JBu tton;
import javax.swing.JFr ame;

public class TestFrame extends JFrame {

public TestFrame(Strin g buttonText) {

initialize(butt onText);
}

private void initialize(Stri ng buttonText) {

Container c= this.getContent Pane();

c.setLayout(new BorderLayout()) ;
c.add(Box.creat eVerticalStrut( 20), BorderLayout.NO RTH);
c.add(Box.creat eVerticalStrut( 20), BorderLayout.SO UTH);
c.add(Box.creat eHorizontalStru t(20), BorderLayout.WE ST);
c.add(Box.creat eHorizontalStru t(20), BorderLayout.EA ST);

JButton b= new JButton(buttonT ext);

b.addActionList ener(new ActionListener( ) {
public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent ae) {
System.exit(0);
}
});

c.add(b, BorderLayout.CE NTER);

this.pack();
this.setTitle(" title: "+buttonTex t);
this.setDefault CloseOperation( DO_NOTHING_ON_C LOSE);
this.setLocatio nRelativeTo(nul l);

this.setVisible (true);
}

public static void main(String[] args) {

new TestFrame("boo" );
}
}
[/code]

kind regards,

Jos

[BigDaddyLH]

can you please paste a simple class that will show a frame and a single button in the center just to see how it works without the netbeans' auto generated code.

If you're starting out in Swing, then you definitely should read the tutorial. Just skip the Netbeanz parts :-)

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/index.html

[jeffbroodwar]

thanks for the code... its really different with netbeans lolz. with that all code... in netbeans it'll only show to subclasses one is your button event and the other is your starting class (public static void.....) i'm just worried if i'll try to develop a simple inventory system in eclipse...i thought it might take years before i finish it.... any suggestions?

BTW thanks for the tutorial link.

kind regards,
Pupoy

[JosAH]

thanks for the code... its really different with netbeans lolz. with that all code... in netbeans it'll only show to subclasses one is your button event and the other is your starting class (public static void.....) i'm just worried if i'll try to develop a simple inventory system in eclipse...i thought it might take years before i finish it.... any suggestions?

BTW thanks for the tutorial link.

kind regards,
Pupoy

I just hacked that code together in a minute; don't consider it good style. It does
make its point: you don't need any gui writing thing that does a job for you and
you shouldn't think of guis in a 'linear' way. Think of components inside other
components inside other components etc. Each component takes care of one
little aspect, e.g. centering some components has two aspects: centering in
the horizontal direction and centering in the vertical direction. Study that
LayoutManager tutorial and you'll get it. One last warning: only use that GridBag
LayoutManager if all else fails.

kind regards,

Jos

[BigDaddyLH]

One last warning: only use that GridBag
LayoutManager if all else fails.

I've got a different take on that: there have been times when I've simplified layout code using GBL. (Replaced nested layouts.) Heres a simple example of a layout:

label textfield
label textfield
label combo
label checkbox
label textfield
...

It's just a list of controls that you'd like to be labeled on the left: "first name:", "last name:" etc... A grid box is too crude because the two columns may look bad with the same width. And side-by-side Box-es wouldn't work because the corresponding label+component pair may not line up vertically. But this is a natural for GBL.

[JosAH]

I've got a different take on that: there have been times when I've simplified layout code using GBL. (Replaced nested layouts.)

That's a clear case of "if all else fails" but I still have a little fiddling with that
new SpringLayout on my TODO list.

kind regards,

Jos

[jeffbroodwar]

hmm...mean, if i'll be developing a simple inventory system with charts,webservi ce and reports... i'll be doing all the coding? dont u think it'll take years to finish? considering all the bloody error messages that i'll get.

Kind regards,
Pupoy

[JosAH]

hmm...mean, if i'll be developing a simple inventory system with charts,webservi ce and reports... i'll be doing all the coding? dont u think it'll take years to finish? considering all the bloody error messages that i'll get.

Kind regards,
Pupoy

There is no need to write that all from scratch; for the charts JFreeChart comes
to mind; for the webservices Apache's Tomcat is an obvious choice and for
reporting JasperReports does most of the job.

kind regards,

Jos