This article shows how to build a sample EJB client using the Eclipse Rich Client Platform (RCP), which has become increasingly popularity due to its extensible nature.
Tutorial Details:
This article also details how to configure an Eclipse RCP application to act as a J2EE application client.
Over the last few years, the Eclipse platform has grown dramatically in popularity as a framework for writing interactive development environment (IDE) tools. With release of Eclipse 3.0, that same technology has been expanded to support the development of rich clients, giving Javaâ„¢ developers the ability to write rich client code using an extensible platform with a native look and feel.
The platform for developing rich client is known as the Eclipse Rich Client Platform (RCP). Why the refocus on rich clients? Over the years of n-tiered architecture, it became evident that it was difficult to develop applications that give the end user a rich experience with a browser. Browser-based applications often tried to mimic certain usability by combining JavaScript with HTML. However, it was clear that applications looking for a richer experience were better off using a richer client technology platform. As such, Eclipse RCP gives developers the ability to create extensible client applications that can still participate in an n-tiered architecture. Eclipse RCP enables the next generation rich client, and is the basis for rich client platforms such as IBM Workplace Client technology.
IBM Rational Application Developer V6 (formerly, IBM WebSphere® Studio Application Developer) is built on the Eclipse 3.0 platform. This gives J2EE developers the opportunity to create rich client applications that interact with J2EE applications. In this article, we will use the Eclipse 3.0 features in Rational Application Developer (hereafter referred to as Application Developer) to build Eclipse RCP clients that call EJB components deployed in the WebSphere Application Server test environment inside Application Developer.
To build an Eclipse RCP application that calls an enterprise bean running inside WebSphere Application Server V6, the general steps we will follow include:
Install the IBM Application Client for WebSphere Application Server. When deploying Java clients to workstations, you need to use the WebSphere client software to properly interact with a remote enterprise bean running in a WebSphere Application Server. We do it here to demonstrate the configuration.
Deploy a temperature converter EJB application in WebSphere Application Server using the J2EEâ„¢ Perspective in Application Developer, which includes a fully functional edition of WebSphere Application Server for testing your applications. Through Application Developer, you can communicate with a default WebSphere Application Server instance, bring up the administrative console and deploy the application (you will not need to import the Enterprise Archive (EAR) file into your workspace for this demo). (We use Application Developer for convenience; if you are using a stand alone WebSphere Application Server, the steps are the same.)
Use the Eclipse Plug-in Development environment to build the RCP client. We will configure the Eclipse Plug-in Launcher to interact with the WebSphere Application Server Java Thin Client, which is just the IBM JDK with server extensions needed to communicate with WebSphere Application Server. We chose this over the J2EE Application Client Container because it offers a simpler configuration.
Export the RCP application and run it as a standalone application. You need to understand how to configure your plug-in dependencies and JRE to work with the WebSphere Application Server thin client.
To follow this exercise, you will need:
Rational Application Developer V6 (or Eclipse 3)
WebSphere Application Server V6 (with slight modification, you can also use Eclipse 3 and WebSphere Application Server V5)
IBM Application Client for WebSphere Application Server (included with WebSphere Application Server V6)
The download file included with this article. The instructions assume the download file has been extracted into the root of C:\.
Set up J2EE application
The first thing we need to do is install the IBM Application Client for WebSphere Application Server, which is included with WebSphere Application Server V6 (if you do not have the client, you can change your configuration to point to the server JDK within the Application Developer test environment, or within an actual WebSphere Application Server installation), and then deploy the application to a running WebSphere Application Server:
The J2EE application client is installed using the Installation wizard interface. After running the LaunchPad of your WebSphere install, select the IBM Client for IBM WebSphere Application Server.
As we follow the wizard, we install into the C:\WebSphere6ND\AppClient directory. The Windows® batch (BAT) file included in the download ZIP file makes use of this class path; if you choose another directory, you will have to modify the BAT file to reference the new directory instead. Figure 1 shows the 3rd screen of the wizard where you select the directory.
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