About this document

The purpose of this document is to introduce you to:

• The basic concepts and terms you need for using VisualAge for Java
• The fundamentals you need to know in creating an application using VisualAge for Java

To help achieve these goals, we guide you through creating a simple Java applet. Then we guide you through adding features to this applet.

What this document includes

This document is divided into these sections:

• The basics introduces the overall capabilities of VisualAge for Java and outlines the concepts you need to know.
• Building your first applet introduces the visual programming features of VisualAge for Java by leading you through the process of creating a simple applet.
• Adding state checking to your applet gives you more details on the visual programming features of VisualAge for Java and shows you how to make improvements to the applet you created in the previous part. This part also introduces VisualAge for Java's approach to code management.
• Creating the To-Do List program shows you how to add more features to your applet and gives you more details on VisualAge for Java's overall coding environment.
• What else you can do with the Visual Composition Editor gives you more details on the powerful visual programming capabilities of VisualAge for Java.
• Managing editions of your program gives you more details on the edition control features of VisualAge for Java.
• What else can you do with the IDE gives you more information on the following features of VisualAge for Java:
  • Printing
  • Navigating
  • Searching
  • Browsing
  • Debugging
  • Support for JavaBeans
  • Customizing your programming environment
• Domino AgentRunner introduces you to building, running and debugging Domino agents in VisualAge for Java.
• Where to find more information describes the overall help system that comes with VisualAge for Java. It also gives you details on printing material from the help system.

Sample program in this document

By doing the exercises in this document, starting with Building your first applet, you will create a sample program called "To-Do List". You can find a completed version of this example in the com.ibm.ivj.examples.vc.todolist package in the IBM Java Examples project in the VisualAge for Java repository.

See Examining examples in the repository for details on how to examine the completed version of this example.

Who this document is for

This document is written for programmers who want to become familiar with the basic use of VisualAge for Java, and for anyone who wants an overall perspective on the product. It introduces you to the basic concepts behind building programs using VisualAge for Java, explains the general process of visual programming with VisualAge for Java, and walks you through a sample program. To get the most out of this document, you should be familiar with the basics of the Java language.

About this product

VisualAge for Java is a complete, integrated environment for creating Java applications and applets.

VisualAge for Java gives you interactive visual programming tools and a set of JavaBeans that represent common interface components. You create programs by assembling and connecting beans. In many cases, you may not even have to write code. When you do need to write code, VisualAge for Java provides a state-of-the-art, integrated development environment in which to do your coding.

What's new in VisualAge for Java Version 2.0

VisualAge for Java Version 2.0 includes the following new features:

• Support for JDK1.1.6, including Swing 1.0.2, inner classes and anonymous classes, and the Java Native Interface (JNI)
• New IDE features
  • Advanced coding tools such as automatic formatting, automatic code completion and fix-on-save
  • Context-sensitive help
  • Advanced debugging tools such as conditional breakpoints and both multiple and incremental program debug
  • Support for JavaDoc output
• New Visual Composition Editor features
  • Visual programming support for Swing beans
  • Wizards for string externalization to assist in building multi-language applications
  • Support for object serialization
  • Ability to import GUIs built in other Java IDEs
• New Data Access Beans that provide access to relational data
• For Windows users, the ability to check VisualAge for Java code in or out of VisualAge TeamConnection, ClearCase, or PVCS
• Open Tool Integrator APIs that allow you to add third-party tools that are launched from within the IDE, store and retrieve components from the integrated repository, or add JavaBeans to the Visual Composition Editor's parts palette

Where you can get the latest VisualAge for Java information

To get the latest information updates, bookmark this Web site.

    www.software.ibm.com/ad/vajava

The Library section provides additional Java programming books, papers and links.

Conventions used in this document

The following conventions are used in the text: