Griffon in Action

Front cover......Page 1
brief contents......Page 6
contents......Page 8
foreword......Page 16
preface......Page 18
acknowledgments......Page 20
Roadmap......Page 23
Software requirements......Page 25
About the authors......Page 26
about the cover illustration......Page 27
Part 1—Getting started......Page 28
1 Welcome to the Griffon revolution......Page 30
1.1 Introducing Griffon......Page 31
1.1.1 Setting up your development environment......Page 32
1.1.2 Your first Griffon application......Page 34
1.2.1 Giving GroovyEdit a view......Page 36
1.2.2 Making the menu items behave: the controller......Page 41
1.2.3 How about a tab per file?......Page 43
1.2.4 Making GroovyEdit functional: the FilePanel model......Page 45
1.2.5 Configuring the FilePanel controller......Page 46
1.3 Java desktop development: welcome to the jungle......Page 49
1.3.1 Lots of boilerplate code (ceremony vs. essence)......Page 50
1.3.2 UI definition complexity......Page 51
1.3.3 Lack of application life cycle management......Page 53
1.4 The Griffon approach......Page 54
1.4.1 At the core: the MVC pattern......Page 55
1.4.2 The convention-over-configuration paradigm......Page 58
1.4.3 Groovy: a modern JVM language......Page 60
1.5 Summary......Page 62
2 A closer look at Griffon......Page 63
2.1 A tour of the common application structure......Page 64
2.2 The ABCs of configuration......Page 66
2.2.1 A is for Application......Page 67
2.2.2 B is for Builder......Page 68
2.2.3 C is for Config......Page 70
2.3 Using Griffon’s command line......Page 74
2.3.1 Build command targets......Page 76
2.3.3 Miscellaneous command targets......Page 77
2.4 Application life cycle overview......Page 78
2.4.1 Initialize......Page 79
2.4.3 Ready......Page 80
2.4.4 Shutdown......Page 81
2.4.5 Stop......Page 82
2.5 Summary......Page 83
Part 2—Essential Griffon......Page 84
3 Models and binding......Page 86
3.1.1 Creating the project......Page 87
3.1.2 Creating the model......Page 88
3.1.3 Creating the view......Page 89
3.1.4 Creating the controller......Page 90
3.2 Models as communication hubs......Page 91
3.2.1 MVC in the age of web frameworks......Page 92
3.3 Observable beans......Page 93
3.3.1 JavaBeans bound properties: the Java way......Page 94
3.3.2 JavaBeans bound properties: the Groovy way......Page 96
3.3.3 Handy bound classes......Page 99
3.4 Have your people call my people: binding......Page 101
3.4.1 A basic binding call......Page 102
3.4.2 The several flavors of binding......Page 103
3.4.3 Finding the essence......Page 104
3.4.4 Other binding options......Page 107
3.5.1 Keeping track of bindings with the BindingUpdatable object......Page 110
3.5.2 Managing the bindstorm: bind(), unbind(), and rebind()......Page 111
3.5.4 Grouping bindings together......Page 112
3.6 Putting it all together......Page 113
3.6.2 Defining a view......Page 114
3.6.3 Adding the missing validations to the model......Page 116
3.7 Summary......Page 118
4 Creating a view......Page 119
4.1 Java Swing for the impatient......Page 120
4.1.1 “Hello World” the Swing way......Page 121
4.1.2 Extending “Hello World”: “Hello Back”......Page 122
4.1.3 Swing observations......Page 123
4.2 Groovy SwingBuilder: streamlined Swing......Page 124
4.2.1 “Hello World” the SwingBuilder way......Page 125
4.2.2 “Hello Back” with SwingBuilder......Page 126
4.3 Anatomy of a Griffon view......Page 127
4.3.1 Builders are key to views......Page 128
4.3.2 Nodes as building blocks......Page 129
4.4.2 Widget......Page 131
4.4.4 Noparent......Page 132
4.5 Managing large views......Page 133
4.5.2 Breaking a large view into scripts......Page 134
4.5.3 Organize by script type......Page 136
4.6.1 Integrating with the NetBeans GUI builder (formerly Matisse)......Page 137
4.6.2 Integrating with Abeille Forms Designer......Page 141
4.7 Summary......Page 143
5 Understanding controllers and services......Page 144
5.1.1 Quick tour of injected properties and methods......Page 145
5.1.2 Using the post-initialization hook......Page 148
5.1.3 Understanding controller actions......Page 149
5.2 The need for services......Page 151
5.2.1 Creating a simple service......Page 152
5.2.2 Creating a Spring-based service......Page 153
5.3.1 Inspecting artifacts......Page 157
5.3.3 Artifact API in action......Page 160
5.4 Summary......Page 164
6 Understanding MVC groups......Page 165
6.1.1 A look at each member......Page 166
6.1.2 Registering the MVC group......Page 168
6.1.3 Startup groups......Page 169
6.2.1 Creation methods......Page 170
6.2.2 Marshaling the MVC type instances......Page 171
6.2.3 Initializing group members......Page 174
6.2.4 Advanced techniques......Page 175
6.3.1 Accessing multiple MVC groups......Page 178
6.3.2 Destroying MVC groups......Page 180
6.4 Creating custom artifact templates......Page 182
6.4.1 Templates, templates, templates......Page 183
6.4.2 It’s alive!......Page 185
6.5 Summary......Page 186
7 Multithreaded applications......Page 187
7.1.1 Java Swing without threading......Page 188
7.1.2 Java Swing with threading......Page 190
7.2.1 Groovy Swing without threading......Page 193
7.2.2 Groovy Swing with threading......Page 194
7.2.3 Synchronous calls with edt......Page 197
7.2.5 Outside calls with doOutside......Page 198
7.3.1 Threading and the application life cycle......Page 199
7.3.3 Controller actions and multithreading: a quick guide......Page 200
7.3.4 Fine-tuning threading injection......Page 202
7.3.5 What about binding?......Page 203
7.4.1 Installing SwingXBuilder......Page 204
7.4.2 The withWorker() node......Page 205
7.5 Putting it all together......Page 206
7.5.1 Defining the application’s outline......Page 207
7.5.2 Setting up the UI elements......Page 208
7.5.3 Defining a tab per loading technique......Page 209
7.5.4 Adding the loading techniques......Page 211
7.5.5 FileViewer: the aftermath......Page 214
7.6.1 Synchronous calls in the UI thread......Page 215
7.6.5 Executing code asynchronously......Page 216
7.7 Summary......Page 217
8 Listening to notifications......Page 218
8.1.1 Creating a simple script......Page 219
8.1.2 Handling an event with the events script......Page 220
8.1.3 Publishing build events......Page 222
8.2.1 E is for events......Page 223
8.2.2 Additional application event handlers......Page 225
8.2.3 Firing application events......Page 228
8.3 Your class as an event publisher......Page 232
8.3.1 A basic Marco-Polo game......Page 233
8.3.2 Running the application......Page 236
8.4 Summary......Page 237
9 Testing your application......Page 238
9.1 Griffon testing basics......Page 239
9.1.1 Creating tests......Page 240
9.1.2 Running tests......Page 241
9.1.3 Testing in action......Page 244
9.2 Not for the faint of heart: UI testing......Page 247
9.2.1 Setting up a UI component test......Page 248
9.2.2 A hands-on FEST example......Page 250
9.3.1 Spock reaches a new level......Page 255
9.3.2 FEST-enabled Spock specifications......Page 259
9.3.3 easyb eases up BDD......Page 260
9.4.2 Reporting Groovy code violations with CodeNarc......Page 263
9.4.3 Measuring Groovy code complexity with GMetrics......Page 265
9.4.4 Code coverage with Cobertura......Page 266
9.5 Summary......Page 267
10 Ship it!......Page 269
10.1 Understanding the common packaging options......Page 270
10.2.1 The jar target......Page 271
10.2.2 The zip target......Page 273
10.2.4 Customizing the manifest......Page 274
10.2.5 Customizing the templates......Page 275
10.3 Using the Installer plugin......Page 277
10.3.1 Building a distribution......Page 278
10.3.2 The izpack target......Page 279
10.3.3 The rpm target......Page 280
10.3.4 The deb target......Page 281
10.3.8 Tweaking a distribution......Page 282
10.4 Summary......Page 284
11 Working with plugins......Page 285
11.1.1 Getting a list of available plugins......Page 286
11.1.2 Getting plugin-specific information......Page 287
11.1.3 Installing a plugin......Page 288
11.2 Understanding plugin types......Page 289
11.2.1 Build-time plugins......Page 290
11.2.2 Runtime plugins......Page 292
11.3 Creating the Tracer plugin and addon......Page 294
11.3.1 Bootstrapping the plugin/addon......Page 295
11.3.2 Intercepting property updates......Page 296
11.3.3 Using the plugin......Page 297
11.3.4 Intercepting action calls......Page 299
11.3.5 Running the plugin again......Page 300
11.4 Releasing the Tracer plugin......Page 301
11.5 Summary......Page 303
12 Enhanced looks......Page 304
12.1.1 Registering node factories......Page 305
12.1.2 Using an implicit addon......Page 309
12.1.3 Creating a builder......Page 310
12.2 Builder delegates under the hood......Page 312
12.2.2 Tweaking the node before properties are set......Page 313
12.2.4 Cleaning up after the node is built......Page 314
12.3.1 SwingXBuilder......Page 315
12.3.2 JideBuilder......Page 318
12.3.3 CSSBuilder......Page 320
12.3.4 GfxBuilder......Page 323
12.3.5 Additional builders......Page 327
12.4 Summary......Page 328
13 Griffon in front, Grails in the back......Page 329
13.1 Getting started with Grails......Page 330
13.2.1 Creating domain classes......Page 331
13.2.2 Creating the controllers......Page 332
13.2.3 Running the Bookstore application......Page 333
13.3.1 Adding controller operations......Page 334
13.3.2 Pointing to resources via URL......Page 336
13.4 Building the Griffon frontend......Page 338
13.4.1 Setting up the view......Page 339
13.4.2 Updating the model......Page 341
13.5.1 Creating a service......Page 342
13.5.2 Injecting an instance of the service......Page 344
13.5.3 Configuring the Bookstore application......Page 345
13.6 Alternative networking options......Page 347
13.7 Summary......Page 348
14 Productivity tools......Page 349
14.1.1 Griffon and Eclipse......Page 350
14.1.2 Griffon and NetBeans IDE......Page 354
14.1.3 Griffon and IDEA......Page 358
14.1.4 Griffon and TextMate......Page 361
14.2.1 Griffon and Ant......Page 363
14.2.2 Griffon and Gradle......Page 365
14.3 The Griffon wrapper......Page 367
14.4 Summary......Page 368
Swing GUI Builder views......Page 369
Abeille Forms Designer views......Page 370
Custom Java-based views......Page 371
XML-based views......Page 373
Full Java MVC members......Page 374
Using events to your advantage......Page 376
A......Page 377
C......Page 378
E......Page 379
G......Page 380
L......Page 381
N......Page 382
S......Page 383
T......Page 384
Z......Page 385
Back cover......Page 386