Using ObjectAssembler
To be honest, I didn't have a completely smooth time getting up and running with OA. To start, I do my testing and writing on a laptop, not always the best hardware option. When I loaded OA the first couple times, I would get a big ugly blue screen whenever I tried to perform some operations. The good news is ObjectVenture's site offers good support information. After first performing a post which was responded to very quickly, I might add), I discovered there was an FAQ. Here I found what my problem was, my sound card throws errors when working with Java SDK 1.4.1x. It explained to me how to work around this problem. I followed the instructions and the problem was solved. Quite frankly, this entire incident was a positive one for me. I expect software to have issues, but getting fast and free tech support is always a coin toss. Not so here; problem solved quickly and easily.
OK, before I get into OA's features, I think it is important to give a basic overview of the development environment and its concepts. To start, OA is not only a visual tool; your code is always available to view, either through their standalone IDE or through your IDE. As you edit your component or other application element, technology called Intellisynch™ will make sure that both your code and the visual representation are synchronized, no matter which method you are using to alter it. Along with this comes the constant real-time monitoring of your code which alerts you of any mistakes (not that we would make any of those) as you are typing or pointing and clicking to edit your code.
The ObjectAssembler Paradigm - Introduction to Concepts
Like most IDEs, OA uses the project paradigm as a central repository for everything you need in your application. Once you create a project, you simply import J2EE items (classes, packages, etc.) or create new ones for use in that project. Additionally, you can specify deployment file (WAR, JAR or EAR) outputs for your projects and OA will auto-create them whenever you do a build process.
OA also uses the idea of Components. These are essentially the independent files used in your J2EE application. Components can be created in OA or imported into projects using wizards. I will discuss components and how OA works with them shortly.
Another concept of OA is Assemblies. Assemblies are basically deployment archives: EAR (Enterprise Application Archives containing EJBs and any other J2EE element), WAR (Web Application Archives containing servlets and JSP pages), and JAR (Java Archives containing Java classes, as well as JavaBeans or EJB components). Anyone who has worked with these in the past understands that they are relatively easy, but can often require the manual editing of XML deployment descriptors, manifest files and running command-line applications. OA greatly simplifies this process.
The last item that OA uses is the idea of patterns. Indeed patterns are a core aspect ,and in my opinion, the strength of this product. For the uninitiated, J2EE patterns are essentially best practices to use when developing J2EE applications. I will discuss patterns and OA's usage in greater detail below, but suffice it to say you can enforce these patterns (and patterns of your own design) on any developer using OA, thus ensuring that your developers are following best practices without having to check their code.
Let's take a deeper look at using OA.
The Standalone IDE Interface and Elements
I used the ObjectAssembler standalone IDE, which appears to be built on top of NetBeans technology. It takes a little bit to load, but once it does, the familiar Swing-like interface shows, resources on a left-hand panel and a larger main panel on the right. Overall, I found the entire interface to be quite intuitive.(View the full IDE screen capture.)
Four primary areas are in view:
- The Explorer frame: this contains your project and its components/assemblies, as well as file information (both project and file system), and what is called "runtime", which contains JNDI directories and other such information.
- The Properties frame: this contains important information(info you can edit) about your components, including the component name, whether it should be synchronized, etc.
- The Editor window: this is the main area where developers either write code or edit their components, assemblies, etc.
- The Output Window: this window at the bottom right and gives you real-time messages about whatever you are working on.
Most tasks are done with relative ease, creating a new project, creating new components or importing existing ones. It is also easy to move back and forth between visual and code modes. All of the components in an application are given various icons which are quite intuitive. This makes it easy to see at a glance how your application is shaping up as you advance through a project and new JavaBeans, EJB components, HTML pages, JSP page and the like begin to grow in number.
New on the Java Boutique:
New Review:
Time Management Made Easy with the Quartz Enterprise Job Scheduler
Why not just use the Java timer API? This open source scheduling
API boasts simplicity, ease-of-integration, a well-rounded feature
set, and it's free!
New Applet:
Reverse Complement
Reverse Complement is a simple applet that converts DNA or RNA
sequences into three useful formats.
Elsewhere on internet.com:
WebDeveloper Java
Lots of Java information on webdeveloper.com
WDVL Java
Thorough Java resource at the Web Developer's Virtual Library.
ScriptSearch Java
Hundreds of free Java code files to download.
jGuru: Your View of the Java Universe
Customizable portal with online training, FAQs, regular news updates, and tutorials.
|
