Friday September 21, 2007
Friday September 21, 2007
Visual Database Explorer
I went through Toni Epple's Visual Database Explorer Tutorial for the first time. I built the whole module, on a NetBeans IDE 6.0 development build from yesterday. Everything worked pretty much as described in Toni's tutorial, except that the Visual Library API is now part of the NetBeans Platform, so that you don't need to take any special steps to include it in the module. No need to download anything from the Visual Library source ZIP, except that the images are useful. The result is that you can choose a menu item, after selecting a connection in the Services node, and then the database structure is visually reflected in a new window:
I'd like to turn it into one of the official NetBeans tutorials. But, I guess, the Database Explorer API would need to be stabilized first, which I don't think it is currently. I needed to set an implementation dependency on it. Also, maybe the final plugin could be included in the Plugin Portal, because clearly this is a very useful piece of functionality that adds real value to the user's database activities when working with the IDE.
In other news. Tried it successfully in 6.0 Beta 1 and got permission from Toni to put it in the Plugin Portal, as a sample. Go here to get it. (By the way, I updated yesterday's Feature Viewer, to 1.5, and now there isn't a problem with dependencies anymore, although the Print Preview is disabled now.)
Sep 21 2007, 06:58:24 AM PDT Permalink
16 Comments
Trackback URL: http://blogs.sun.com/geertjan/entry/visual_database_explorer
Comments:
hey Geertjan, i've been in contact with toni since yesterday, and its all been about why the icon doesnt appear. i also learnt that its default for nb 6.0 not to create a toolbar entry in the layer xml when an action is created.The problem turned out to be the transition from 5.5 to 6. anyway, toni sent me this url, and i've read what you wrote but didnt really get the part where u said " No need to download anything from the Visual Library source ZIP, except that the images are useful"? how could this help, and if i may ask what images are the ones of concern:D
Thx for ur time to look into toniz tutorial (i need this thing to work ASAP)
Nada
Posted by Nada on September 21, 2007 at 08:44 AM PDT #
Nada. Please read the following words carefully and follow the instructions:
1. Go to this page:
http://plugins.netbeans.org/PluginPortal/faces/PluginDetailPage.jsp?pluginid=3658
2. Click the Download button on that page.
3. Install the module that you get from step 2.
4. Go to the New Project wizard and find the Visual Database Explorer Sample. Complete the wizard.
5. Now you have all the source code.
Please follow the steps above before writing to any more mailing lists and before leaving more comments in this blog.
Posted by Geertjan on September 21, 2007 at 08:58 AM PDT #
Visual Library API is also an interesting stuff from NetBeans, I'd like to see more examples using it.
Posted by Caoyuan on September 21, 2007 at 11:06 AM PDT #
Hi Caoyuan! Here's a tutorial:
http://platform.netbeans.org/tutorials/60/nbm-visual_library.html
Posted by Geertjan on September 21, 2007 at 11:22 AM PDT #
Geertjan,
I think it's already useful plugin as it is. Do you or Toni plan to release it and publish as a real NetBeans plugin to Plugin Portal?
Thanks
Posted by Oleg on September 21, 2007 at 01:58 PM PDT #
It's there in the Plugin Portal already. Just install the sample (http://plugins.netbeans.org/PluginPortal/faces/PluginDetailPage.jsp?pluginid=3658) and you'll have the functionality.
Posted by Geertjan on September 21, 2007 at 02:15 PM PDT #
Hi, Geertjan
I've recently installed the plugin on Netbeans 6.0 and got 1 error when I tried to compile the sample project:
/usr/local/netbeans-6.0/harness/build.xml:97: Cannot compile against a module: /usr/local/netbeans-6.0/ide8/modules/org-netbeans-modules-db.jar because of dependency: org.netbeans.modules.db/0 = 5
I'll appreciate any advice.
Posted by Nick on December 03, 2007 at 03:06 AM PST #
I get the same error message here. Would be nice if there's any advice on how to fix this.
Thanks in advance
Nothing you can do to fix that. I simply need to make another version of the module available. Planning to do that, not sure when.
Posted by Geertjan on December 04, 2007 at 11:43 AM PST #
I just spent the better part of a day trying to figure out what *I* must be doing wrong, only to find out that maybe it's not me!
Has there been a fix in the last 6 months?
Thanks
Posted by Paul on June 20, 2008 at 08:59 AM PDT #
I don't have a clue what you're talking about, Paul. If you want me to help, you'll need to tell me what's going wrong.
Posted by Geertjan on June 20, 2008 at 09:13 AM PDT #
My apologies...
I've recently installed the plugin on Netbeans 6.0 and got 1 error when I tried to compile the sample project:
C:\Program Files\NetBeans 6.0\harness\build.xml:97: Cannot compile against a module: C:\Program Files\NetBeans 6.0\ide8\modules\org-netbeans-modules-db.jar because of dependency: org.netbeans.modules.db/0 = 5
This happens when I install the plugin, or if I follow the tutorial and type it it.
Thanks
Posted by Paul on June 20, 2008 at 11:49 AM PDT #
Hello Geertjan,
I want to build a RCP where a user can visually design a workflow. For this I need an Icon pallete from where the user can drag and drop the nodes onto the design window to build his workflow(just like the BPEL module). Secondly, and most importantly, I would like the user to save the whole workflow as an XML file containing nodes, connectons and attirbzutes. Lastly I wanna use this XMLfile to store the info ina database which I can again visualize using the database explorer.
So is it possible to convert my scene to an XML file? and if so how can I go about it?
Thanks
Moses
Posted by Moses on July 10, 2008 at 02:50 AM PDT #
All sounds doable, Moses. Please join and write to the mailing list dev@openide.netbeans.org, where you'll find all the experts in this area.
Posted by Geertjan on July 10, 2008 at 10:21 AM PDT #
Still the same error message with building this plugin in netbeans 6.5RC1 and the plugin from the plugin page.
Has anyone the solution to solve this?
Posted by Ronald on October 26, 2008 at 01:28 PM PDT #
It has been several versions of NB since the release of this plugin. Has anyone revised this to work for NB 6.7. There are several depreciated libraries, and an error in the build. I would do this - but I am a complete newbie on modules - but I am a java/database developer - and this is a terrific module. Hate to see the end of a good thing.
Posted by Roger on November 22, 2009 at 01:44 AM PST #
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