The open-source NetBeans Platform is an extraordinarily powerful framework for building "write once, run anywhere" rich client applications. Now, for the first time since the release of NetBeans IDE 5.0, there's a comprehensive guide to rich client development on the NetBeans Platform.

Written for Java developers and architects who have discovered that basic Swing components are not enough for them, this book will help you get started with NetBeans module development, master NetBeans' key APIs, and learn proven techniques for building reliable desktop software. Each chapter is filled with practical, step-by-step instructions for creating complete rich client applications on top of the NetBeans Platform and plugins for NetBeans IDE.

Rich Client Programming's wide-ranging content covers

• Why modular development makes sense for small, medium, and large applications
• Using NetBeans to accelerate development and improve efficiency
• Leveraging NetBeans productivity features, from the Component Palette to Code Completion
• Leveraging NetBeans' modular architecture in your own applications
• Implementing loosely coupled communication to improve code maintainability and robustness
• Managing user- and system-configuration data
• Building reloadable components with solid threading models
• Constructing sophisticated multiwindow applications and presenting rich data structures to users
• Adding user-configurable options
• Integrating Web services with NetBeans desktop applications
• Automating module updates and providing user help

Foreword by Jonathan Schwartz     
Foreword by Jan Chalupa       
Preface       
About the Authors and Contributors       
Acknowledgments       
Chapter 1: Getting Started with the NetBeans Platform       
Chapter 2: The Benefits of Modular Programming        
Chapter 3: Modular Architecture       
Chapter 4: Loosely Coupled Communication        
Chapter 5: Lookup       
Chapter 6: Filesystems       
Chapter 7: Threading, Listener Patterns, and MIME Lookup       
Chapter 8: The Window System       
Chapter 9: Nodes, Explorer Views, Actions, and Presenters       
Chapter 10: DataObjects and DataLoaders       
Chapter 11: Graphical User Interfaces        
Chapter 12: Multiview Editors       
Chapter 13: Syntax Highlighting       
Chapter 14: Code Completion       
Chapter 15: Component Palettes       
Chapter 16: Hyperlinks       
Chapter 17: Annotations       
Chapter 18: Options Windows       
Chapter 19: Web Frameworks       
Chapter 20: Web Services        
Chapter 21: JavaHelp Documentation       
Chapter 22  Update Centers       
Chapter 23: Use Case 1: NetBeans Module Development       
Chapter 24: Use Case 2: Rich Unger on Application Development    
Chapter A: Advanced Module System Techniques       
Chapter B: Common Idioms and Code Patterns in NetBeans       
Chapter C: Performance       
Index