Forte for Java (Community Edition) QuickStart Guide ContentsPreviousNextIndex


Getting Started With Forte for Java

ForteTM for JavaTM, Community Edition, provides a complete set of tools, integrated into a single environment, for developing cross-platform applications and applets written in the Java programming language. These tools enable you to edit, compile, debug, browse, and deploy Java programs.

In addition, Forte for Java makes it easy for you to design a graphical user interface (GUI). You can choose components (such as windows, dialog boxes, and buttons) in the component palette and place them in the Form Editor, where you can lay them out. All changes made to the graphical interface (for example, adding a button) are automatically reflected in the source code.

Forte for Java also makes it easy for you to create connections between components. For example, you can create a connection between a dialog box and a button so that the dialog box opens when the user clicks the button. Forte for Java automatically generates the Java code for the action you specify.

Looking at the Forte for Java Environment

When you first start Forte for Java, several windows appear, as shown in FIGURE 1. The main window provides access to windows, menus, and toolbars that you can use to develop a Java applet or application. Of particular interest is the component palette, where you can access components for building your GUI.

The Explorer window provides a hierarchical view of the packages, objects, and files in the Forte for Java environment. The Explorer window is a good starting point for working with the different parts of your application.

The Properties window enables you to view and edit the properties of your components. For example, you can use this window to assign text to a button and to change its color, size, and font.

The Tip of the Day window provides information on how to use the features in Forte for Java more effectively. If you feel comfortable using the environment, you can turn off the display of this window at startup.

The Forte for Java environment includes five workspaces to help you work more efficiently. Each workspace consists of a set of windows geared toward a specific task. These tasks are editing, GUI editing, browsing, running, and debugging. You can switch from one workspace to another by clicking its tab in the main window.

FIGURE 1   Forte for Java at Start-up

Your current workspace does not constrain the windows you can have open. You can use the View menu on the main window to open any window at any time. When you exit Forte for Java, it saves the state of each workspace. The next time you launch the program, the windows in your workspaces appear exactly as you left them.

Editing Workspace

When you first start Forte for Java, you are in the editing workspace, which contains the Explorer and Properties windows. When you open a file, the Editor appears, which is the tool for editing Java, HTML, and plain text files. In the Editor, the source code is syntactically colored--default keywords, for example, are in blue. The Editor also supports dynamic code completion--you can type the first few characters of an expression and then view a list of classes, methods, and variables that can be used to complete the expression.The following figure shows the Explorer window, Properties window, and Editor.

FIGURE 2   Editing Workspace

GUI Editing Workspace

The GUI editing workspace is the main area in which you develop a graphical user interface. This workspace includes the Explorer and Editor (as in the editing workspace) plus two additional windows. The Component Inspector enables you to view the components in your application and set their properties. The Form Editor window is the primary area for creating and modifying a graphical interface. Code generated by the Form Editor appears with a shaded background in the source Editor and can not be edited manually. If you open the Form Editor window in another workspace, Forte for Java automatically switches to the GUI editing workspace. The following figure shows the Component Inspector, Form Editor, and Editor.

FIGURE 3   Component Inspector, Form Editor, and Editor

Browsing Workspace

The browsing workspace includes an Object Browser and a Properties window, as shown in the following figure. In the Object Browser, you can view the hierarchy of packages, objects (classes and interfaces), and members (methods, variables, and constructors) in your program. From the Object Browser, you can open the source code of your application by double-clicking a name in either the Objects or Members pane. The Properties window enables you to view and edit the properties of the object selected in the Object Browser.

FIGURE 4   Browsing Workspace

Running Workspace

When you run your program, Forte for Java automatically switches to the running workspace, as shown in the following figure. If there are no execution errors, Forte for Java launches your application so that you can test it. If there are execution errors, Forte for Java displays them in the Output window.

FIGURE 5   Running Workspace

Debugging Workspace

The debugging workspace includes the Debugger window and the Output window. The Debugger window has tabbed panes for setting breakpoints, monitoring threads, and watching the value of variables. The Output window displays messages from the debugger. If you have a file open, the debugging workspace also includes the Editor, which highlights breakpoints in magenta. The following figure shows the debugging workspace.

FIGURE 6   Debugging Workspace

Working With Forte for Java

This section guides you through the process of creating a Java application. You'll build a simple program that enables users to switch the color of a panel from light gray to medium gray to black.

Follow these main steps to create an application:

This "quick start" tutorial takes less than an hour to complete.

Note: – Graphics in this document show Forte for Java in the Java look and feel, which is the default configuration.

Creating a Container

You'll begin working in the main window, where you will open the Template chooser and create a top-level container. This container will hold the other components (button and label) in your application. You'll create the container using the JFrame component and place it in the colorswitch package. (A package is a group of related Java classes and interfaces.)

1. From the File menu, choose New From Template.

The Template chooser is displayed.

2. In the Template chooser, expand Swing Forms, then select JFrame.

A description of the JFrame component appears in the pane on the right, as shown in the following figure.
FIGURE 7   Template Chooser

3. Click Next.

The Target Location dialog box is displayed.

4. In the Target location dialog box, type ColorSwitch in the Name field and colorswitch in the Package field.

FIGURE 8   Template Location Dialog Box

5. Click Finish.

A Question alert box asks if you want to put the ColorSwitch object in the current project. A project organizes the files in your application into a single group, which makes them easier to find and work on.

6. Click Yes.

The hierarchy in the Explorer window is expanded to show the colorswitch package. In addition, the Component Inspector, Form Editor, and Editor are displayed in the GUI editing workspace. The Component Inspector provides a visual representation of the components in your application and enables you to edit their properties. The Form Editor is the area into which you will add components for this container. The Editor shows the Java source code for the JFrame component. You can type in the white areas of the Editor only.

The following figure shows the colorswitch application in the GUI editing workspace.
FIGURE 9   Application in the GUI Editing Workspace

Choosing a Layout Manager

A layout manager assists you in determining the size and position of the components within the container. Each container type has a default layout manager. BorderLayout is the default for a JFrame component. BorderLayout divides the container into five sections (north, south, east, west, and center). You will switch to GridLayout, which creates sections equal in size and displays them in the requested numbers of rows and columns.

1. In the main window, click the Layouts tab in the component palette.

The Layouts pane provides access to the layout managers in the Java Foundation Classes (JFC). When you move the pointer over a button in the toolbar, a tool tip displays the name of the layout manager.
FIGURE 10   Tool Tip for GridLayout in Layouts Pane

2. In the Layouts pane, click the GridLayout button.

3. Click anywhere in the Form Editor window.

The Form Editor changes to display a grid three columns wide by two rows deep.

4. In the Component Inspector window, select GridLayout.

The properties of this layout manager appear in the Properties pane of the Component Inspector.
FIGURE 11   Component Inspector for JFrame

5. In the Columns property, delete 3, then type 1 and press Enter (or Return).

The Form Editor now displays a grid with one column and two rows, as shown in the following figure.
FIGURE 12   Form Editor With GridLayout

Adding a Label and Setting Its Properties

Your application uses a blank label with an opaque background to display the colors. You need to add the label and set its properties.

1. In the component palette, click the Swing tab.

The Swing pane provides access to the user interface components in the Java Foundation Classes (JFC).

2. In the Swing pane, click the JLabel button.

FIGURE 13   JLabel in Swing Pane

3. Click anywhere in the Form Editor window.

A label with the text jLabel1 is displayed in the Form Editor. In the Component Inspector, a node named jLabel1 [JLabel] is displayed (and highlighted) in the tree view and the properties for the component are displayed in the Properties pane. Source code for the label is displayed in the Editor.

4. In the Properties pane, scroll to the opaque property, click its value, and choose True from the combo box.

5. In the text property field, delete jLabel1 (leaving the value blank) and press Enter (or Return).

The Form Editor will again look like FIGURE 12.

Adding a Button

The user interacts with the Color Switch application by clicking a button, which you will now add.

1. In the Swing pane, click JButton.

FIGURE 14   JButton in Swing Pane

2. Click anywhere in the Form Editor.

The button is displayed in the Form Editor, its corresponding node is displayed in the Component Inspector, and its source code is displayed in the Editor.

3. In the Properties pane, type Switch Color in the text property field, and press Enter (or Return).

4. Click in the font property field, and then click the ... button.

5. In the Property Editor dialog box, select Bold for font style and 12 for font size, and click OK.

The Form Editor looks as follows.
FIGURE 15   Form Editor With Label and Button

Setting Up the Button to Switch Color

In this section, you specify an event (a mouse click) to which the button can respond.

1. In the Component Inspector window, select the jButton1 node (if it is not already selected).

2. Click the Events tab.

3. In the Events pane, scroll to the mouseClicked field and click.

The value changes from <none> to JButton1MouseClicked.
FIGURE 16   Component Inspector Showing Events for JButton1

4. Press Enter (or Return).

The listener code jButton1.addMouseListener and event method jButton1MouseClicked() automatically appear in the Editor, as shown in the following figure.
FIGURE 17   Editor Showing Listener Code and Event Method

Adding Event Handler Code

Now that Forte for Java has created the jButton1MouseClicked() method, you can add custom code for handling this event. You want a click of the button to change the color of the label.

1. In the Editor, after the comment //End of variables declaration (line 77), declare a new variable:
 
private java.awt.Color currentColor = java.awt.Color.lightGray; 

(To use the dynamic code completion feature in the Editor, type the first few characters, choose the completed term from the list of classes, methods, and variables that the Editor displays, and press Return.)

2. After the lines 57 and 58:
 
private void jButton1MouseClicked (java.awt.event.MouseEvent evt) {
//Add your handling code here:

type the following:
 
if (currentColor == java.awt.Color.lightGray)
currentColor = java.awt.Color.gray;
else if (currentColor == java.awt.Color.gray)
currentColor = java.awt.Color.black; else
currentColor = java.awt.Color.lightGray;
jLabel1.setBackground (currentColor);

3. From the File menu, choose Save.

Compiling and Running Your Program

Now that you've created the user interface and the connections between the components, you can compile and run your application.

1. From the Project menu, choose Compile Project.

If the build is successful, you'll see "Finished Project Default" in the status bar in the main window. If there are problems with the build, you'll see error messages in the Output window. You can double-click an error message to jump to the line in the source code where the error occurred.
Once the build is successful, you can run the application.

2. From the Project menu, choose Execute Project.

If there are no execution errors, Forte for Java switches to the running workspace and the Execution View window, the Output window, and the Select Main Class dialog box are displayed.

3. In the Select Main Class dialog box, select ColorSwitch, then click OK.

The colorswitch application is displayed, as shown in the following figure.
FIGURE 18   Running Workspace With colorswitch application

4. In the application, click the button three times to check that the label changes from light gray to medium gray to black.

5. Close the application.

Viewing the Class Hierarchy

Forte for Java has an Object Browser that enables you to view the classes, methods, and data items in your program.

1. In the main window, click the Browsing tab.

The Object Browser window is divided into the Packages, Objects, and Members panes, as shown in the following figure.
FIGURE 19   Colorswitch Application in the Object Browser

2. In the Packages pane, select the colorswitch package.

The Objects pane now shows the ColorSwitch class.

3. Select the ColorSwitch class.

The Members pane shows each method and data member contained in the ColorSwitch class.

4. Select JButton1.

The button's properties appear in the Properties window.

5. Double-click the main method.

The GUI editing workspace is displayed. In the Editor, the cursor appears at the beginning of the line with the main method.

Debugging the Code

Using the debugger, you can locate and correct bugs in your program. The following steps introduce you to debugging in Forte for Java.

1. In the GUI editing workspace, click line 27 in the Editor, which contains the initComponents method.

2. From the Debug menu, choose Add/Remove Breakpoint.

The line is highlighted in blue to indicate a breakpoint was set.

3. From the Debug menu, choose Start Debugging.

The program runs until it reaches the breakpoint. Forte for Java switches to the debugging workspace, which displays:
FIGURE 20   Colorswitch Application Stopped at Breakpoint

4. From the Debug menu, choose Trace Into.

The call to pack in the method ColorSwitch is highlighted in the Editor.

5. From the Debug menu, choose Trace Over.

The next method call is highlighted.

6. From the Debug menu, choose Trace Out.

The first line in the main method is highlighted.

7. In the Editor, click the line with the initComponents method and then choose Add/Remove Breakpoint from the Debug menu.

The breakpoint is removed.

8. In the Debugger window, click the Threads tab, then expand the system node.

You'll see the debugger and other threads in your program.
FIGURE 21   Threads Tabbed Pane in Debugger Window

9. In the Debugger window, click the Watches tab.

You can use this pane to display the value of variables in your program.
FIGURE 22   Watches Tabbed Pane in Debugger Window

10. From the Debug menu, choose Finish Debugging.

Taking Best Advantage of Forte for Java

The previous tour of Forte for Java introduced you to the main interface and the steps involved in creating an application. Following are some additional features of the environment that enable you to create applets and applications more efficiently.

Using Templates

Templates are a powerful tool in the Forte for Java environment. When you create an object, you use its template, which determines the initial appearance and behavior of the object. Templates can reduce the amount of time and effort involved in creating your application.

Java components, such as Swing and AWT containers, are provided as standard templates. Forte for Java also provides templates for applets, classes, dialog boxes, HTML files, text files, and bookmarks. To access the Template chooser (shown in the following figure), choose New From Template from the File menu.

FIGURE 23   Template Chooser

Using Projects

A project enables you to organize the files required to produce an applet or an application. When you organize your files into a project, you can operate on them as a whole. For example, when you compile a project, you compile all of the Java source files in it.

You create and manage projects using the Project menu in the main window. To view the files in the current project, use the Project tab in the Explorer window, as shown in the following figure.

FIGURE 24   Project Tab in Explorer Window

For each project, you can specify a set of attributes, such as which compiler and debugger types to use. You set attributes in the Project Settings dialog box (shown in the following figure), which is available from the Projects menu.

FIGURE 25   Project Settings Window

Using Modules

Forte for Java is built entirely from modules, independent pieces of software that are compiled separately. Even features central to the environment, such as the Editor, Debugger, and Form Editor, are modules. You can expand this modular structure with plug-in extensions from Sun Microsystems or third parties. To view the modules currently installed in your environment, choose Global Options from the Tools menu. When the Global Options window opens, expand the Modules node, as shown in the following figure.

FIGURE 26   Global Options Window With Modules Node Expanded

To install a new module, choose Update Center from the Help menu and follow the directions in the dialog box.

Customizing Your Work Environment

Forte for Java lets you customize your work environment in a number of ways. You can create, delete, and change menus, toolbars, and workspaces. You can also add an object to the component palette and then use that object in your applets and applications. You can look at files in the Editor side-by-side, instead of in separate tabbed panes, and you can change the Editor's keyboard shortcut assignments. You can make these changes (and change other aspects of your environment) in the Global Options window, shown in the preceding figure. You access the Global Options window from the Tools menu.

Getting More Information

The Forte for Java (Community Edition) User's Guide describes both conceptual information and how to use Forte for Java. You can view this document online by opening the Help menu and then choosing Documentation. In addition, you can press F1 in most windows to open the user's guide to information specific to the task you are performing. The following figure shows a page from the user's guide.

FIGURE 27   User's Guide Displayed in Help Window

Forte for Java also includes four online tutorials, which introduce you to additional features of the environment, such as how to build a JavaBeansTM component architecture. To access the tutorials, open the Help menu, and choose Tutorial.

From the Help menu, you can also open a web browser and access the Forte for Java web site (www.netbeans.com) by choosing Forte for Java Home on the Web. This site provides installation instructions, module updates, and other information.


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