Raible Designs

JDNC: Simplifying Java Desktop Client Construction

Next session: Java Desktop Network Components. I'm trying to attend sessions that I don't know much about. J2EE ones are likely to bore me. I just noticed that Amy Fowler is one of the presenters - and I've heard she's hot - so I'm sitting up close (5th row).

JDNC is designed to provide shortcults for building common archetypal applications. Better clients with less effort. Less (maybe no) coding. Gentle learning curve and incremental development model. Assumes network or web data source. Geared towards Java application and XML developers. Sun is going to do a lot of work to get Tools vendors to include JDNC. It seems similar to AppFuse, but I'm guessing it's more of an API than a project template. Their goals seem to be the same - get something to show your manager in a matter of hours, not weeks.

Swing Extensions API: targeted for Swing developers, extended components with more features, networked data connectivity and data-binding. I wonder how JDNC compares to Spring's RCP project? Amy mentions JGoodies and how they'd like to include it as part of JDNC.

Feature Highlights:

JXTable: Asynchronous data loading. Sorting, filtering and highlighting.
JTreeTable: Hiearchical-columnar view (outline)
JForm: Data-binding and Validation (as you type). Sounds a lot like what Keith is working on for Spring.
Damn - missed one...

JDNC API: Very high-level components. Built on the foundations of SpringSwing/JFCX. Solution focused and conforms to the JavaBeans Architecture Spec - BeanInfos provided for tool friendliness. Encapsulates complex operations (threading, network connectivity, data modeling). Provides usability features.

Components: JNTable, JNTree, JNTreeTable, JNForm, JNEditor. These components wrap, rather than extend lower level component. Expose simpler API and provide more defaults (i.e. scrolling).

Now we're looking at the Bug Editor Demo (WebStart). The features they're showing are similar to what folks want in the display tag - sorting, filtering, column visibility. It's very cool to see that this is now a built-in feature of Swing. I wonder how hard it is to use JDNC and JGoodies in project? Is it just a matter of adding a couple of JARs to your classpath? It'd be cool to add J2ME and Swing clients to AppFuse. I think the hardest part would be emulating the current (container-managed) security model that exists in the webapp clients.

Sorry, zoned out on e-mail for a while there.

Amy is now showing code and how to create a form for the detail view. It's interesting that the data-binding, including exceptions, is similar to Spring.

JDNC Markup Language: Looks very cool. You can actually develop a Swing app with XML!

Important thing to remember: JDNC simplifies rich client development on all levels. Overall I think JDNC is a very cool open-source project - it's nice to see Sun trying to make developer's lives easier. For more information on developing Swing apps, checkout javadesktop.org.