Netbeans configuration

This article explains how to configure netbeans to develop Java modules in the framework for the tutorials.

Netbeans installation

First you need to install and configure Netbeans. See the referenced article above to know what to do to perform this installation.

Create a Netbeans project

To create a Netbeans project, you need to choose in the upper menu File = > New Project.

You will be prompted with a configuration Window asking you what type of project you want to create. Choose "java Class Library" in the first panel. Then click "Next".

Then you have to decide where you want to put the project. The click "Finish" to finish the configuration.

Project space overview

After creating your new project, you will see that the left panel has three tabs:Projects: this presents the package structuration of your project:

Files: this presents the file structuration of your project:

Services: this tab is not useful in our case.

Reference the framework jar file for your project

You will need to reference the framework jar file in your project to be able to build your project. To do this:

Go in the "Projects" tab: Right click on the "Projects" root in the tree and select "Properties" at the bottom of the menu.

Select the "Libraries" node in the window:

Add the protoFramework jar file in the library:

You should see the following content for the library^[1]

The path of the protoFramework.jar may change depending on were it is on your PC

:

Configure the build.xml file

Go in the "Files" tab and open the build.xml file: You will see:

To be able to start the framework on normal or debug mode, you will need to add two targets in this file:

• An ant target to start the framework on normal mode
• An ant target to start the framework on debug mode

Producing more than one jar file in the project

By default there is only one jar file associated with the project. You execute the build by clicking on the button.

The jar file will be generated in the dist sub-directory and its name will be the name of the project.

For example, with the following project:

you will only have the MyProject.jar jar file in the dist sub-directory.

It is possible to prpduce more than one jar file by editing the xml file. For example to produce two jar files for the first tutorial:

      <target depends="init,compile,-pre-jar,-do-jar-without-manifest,-post-jar" description="Build JAR." name="jar"/>
      <target name="-do-jar-without-manifest" depends="-samplePublish, -sampleEvent" />

      <target name="-samplePublish" depends="init,compile,-pre-pre-jar,-pre-jar" >
         <jar description="jar binary file" compress="true" jarfile="${dist.dir}/samplesPublish.jar">
            <fileset defaultexcludes="yes" dir="${build.classes.dir}" >
               <include name="org/da/samples/protoframework/publish/**/*.class"/>
            </fileset>
         </jar>
      </target>
   
      <target name="-sampleEvent" depends="init,compile,-pre-pre-jar,-pre-jar" >
         <jar description="jar binary file" compress="true" jarfile="${dist.dir}/samplesEvents.jar">
            <fileset defaultexcludes="yes" dir="${build.classes.dir}" >
               <include name="org/da/samples/protoframework/event/**/*.class"/>
            </fileset>
         </jar>
      </target>

Adding a runtime ant target

      <target name="Start my Module" description="Start my Module" depends="init" >
         <java classname="org.da.protoframework.model.core.Framework">
            <arg value="config=<path_to_the_configuration>/filelist.xml"/>
            <classpath>
               <pathelement path="<path_to_the_framework>/protoframework.jar"/>
               <pathelement path="<path_to_the_framework>/lib/MDIUtilities-ui-LGPL.jar"/>
            </classpath>
         </java>
      </target>

Adding a debug ant target

      <target depends="init" name="Debug my Module" description="Debug my Module" >
         <property name="debug.class" value="org.da.protoframework.model.core.Framework"/>
         <fail unless="debug.class">Must select one file in the IDE or set debug.class</fail>
         <j2seproject1:nbjpdastart name="${debug.class}"/>
         <j2seproject3:debug classname="${debug.class}">
            <customize>
               <arg line="config=<path_to_the_configuration>/filelist.xml"/>
            </customize>
         </j2seproject3:debug>
      </target>

Note that if you add a debug ant target, you will need to define the declaration for j2seproject1: and j2seproject3. For example:

      <project name="myModule" default="default" basedir="."
      xmlns:j2seproject1="http://www.netbeans.org/ns/j2se-project/1"
      xmlns:j2seproject3="http://www.netbeans.org/ns/j2se-project/3" >
      ...
       <project>