Project Logical View and Templates Differences from Creator 2 to Visual Web Pack : Po-Ting Wu's Weblog

Friday Dec 01, 2006

Project Logical View and Templates Differences from Creator 2 to Visual Web Pack

Visual Web Pack is released for NetBeans 5.5. Now you can use all the power of the NetBeans IDE with many of the great visual web application development features from Java Studio Creator. You can even open a Java Studio Creator 2 project from the Visual Web Pack. The question is what differences you will see between these two platforms especially from the point of the Projects view. In this blog, I will try to describe the 'addition' components that you will find under the new Visual Web Pack projects panel. Besides that, I will also list what extra templates that will be available for the Visual Web Application.

You can see from the following pictures how Visual Web Pack project logical view looks different from Creator 2.

Creator 2

Addition:

Visual Web Pack

WEB-INF folder under the Web Pages folder
Configuration Files folder
Server Resources folder
Test Packages folder
Test Libraries folder
Component Libraries folder

The Projects panel groups logical objects by category within projects. Choose Window > Projects to display this panel. The following table describes the top-level nodes.

Icon	Folder	Description
	Project Name	The root node for a Visual Web Application project.
	Web Pages	The `.jsp` pages, which include the visual presentation of a web page, such as JavaServer Faces components and static text. Also contains resources, such as stylesheets.
	Themes	Coordinated sets of cascading stylesheet files, JavaScript files, and icon images that are applied to a page and the components in the page
	Page Navigation	Provides access to the Page Navigation editor, which enables you to connect pages to one another in a multi-page web application.
	Managed Beans	Provides access to the `managed-beans.xml` file containing configuration information for JavaBeans objects that are used by the application.
	Application Bean	By default, there is one application bean for each project. This bean has a runtime scope of Application and is where you store information that you want to preserve across all user sessions. Double-click this bean to view it in the Java Editor.
	Request Bean	By default, there is one request bean for each project. This bean has a runtime scope of Request and is where you store information from the current page for use by the next page your application opens. Double-click this bean to view it in the Java Editor.
	Session Bean	By default, there is one session bean for each project. This bean has a runtime scope of Session and is where you store information that you want to preserve across page requests for a single user session. Double-click this bean to view it in the Java Editor.
	Configuration Files	Deployment descriptor files, XML-based text files whose elements describe how to assemble and deploy a module to a specific environment. The elements also contain behavioral information about components not included directly in code.
	Server Resources
	Source Packages	The Java files in your project, such as the page beans containing the event handling and business logic for your application
	Test Packages	The test files in your project.
	Libraries	Library JAR files used by the application
	Test Libraries	Library JAR files used by the test files for your application
	Component Libraries	Library JAR files for libraries containing JavaServer Faces components that you have imported.
	Data Source References	A node used to resolve data connection problems, especially with projects imported from Java Studio Creator 2 and Java Studio Creator 2 Update 1.

Many of the web components templates that are available for the NetBeans web project but not in Creator are now coming back in Visual Web Pack. From the following list, you can see the extra are pretty big. Meaning, Visual Web Pack users will have much more available web component templates for their web application than Creator.

Before listing the extra templates, one UI behavior is worth to mention here. When right click on the folder nodes under the project panel, the entries of available templates are context sensitive depend on which kind of folders you selected. Unlike NetBeans web project, entries of available templates are always fixed no matter what kind of folders has been selected.

Creator 2:

Visual Web Pack:

The following table lists the available web components templates for both Creator 2 and Visual Web Pack. As you can see, now Visual Web Pack users have much more available web component templates for their web application than Creator.

Category	Creator 2 JSF Web Project Templates	Visual Web Pack Project Templates
Visual Web (name for VWP) Web Page (name for Creator 2)	Page Page Fragment HTML File Redirect HTML File	Page Page Fragment JSP Servlet Filter Web Application Listener Tag Library Descriptor Tag File Tag Handler HTML XHTML Redirect HTML File
Enterprise	N/A	Service Locator Caching Service Locator Sun Deployment Descriptor
Managed Beans	Request Bean Session Bean Application Bean	Request Bean Session Bean Application Bean
Java Classes	Java Class Empty Java File Java Interface Java Enum Java Annotation Type Java Exception Java Main Class JApplet Applet Java Package Properties file (move to Other)	Java Class Empty Java File Java Interface Java Enum Java Annotation Type Java Exception Java Main Class Java Package Info JApplet Applet Java Package
JavaBeans Objects	JavaBeans Component BeanInfo BeanInfo w/o Icon Java Package	JavaBeans Component BeanInfo BeanInfo w/o Icon Customizer Property Editor Java Package
JUnit	Empty Test Test for Existing Class Test Suite Java Package	Empty Test Test for Existing Class Test Suite Java Package
Persistence	N/A	Entity Class Entity Classes from Database Persistence Unit Database Schema
Web Services	N/A	Logical Handler Message Handler WSDL Web Service Web Service Client Web Service from WSDL
Sun Resources	N/A	JDBC Connection Pool JDBC Resource JMS Resource JavaMail Resource Persistence Resource
XML	N/A	XML Document DTD Entity XML Schema XSL Stylesheet OASIS XML Catalog XML Parsed Entity Cascading Style Sheet
Resources	Cascading Stylesheet (move to Other) Empty File (move to Other) XML Document (move to XML) DTD Entity (move to XML) XML Parsed Entity (move to XML) OASIS XML Catalog (move to XML)	N/A
Ant Build Scripts	Empty Ant Script	Empty Ant Script Custom Task
Other	N/A	Cascading Stylesheet Properties File Empty File Folder HTML File XHTML File
Advanced	JavaServer Faces (JSF) Configuration File Web Application Configuration Managed Beans Configuration Navigation Configuration	JavaServer Faces (JSF) Configuration File Managed Beans Configuration Navigation Configuration

Following table is the description of these available web components templates.

Category	Template	Description
Visual Web	Page	This template will create a new blank web page. Design the page by dragging components from the Palette.
	Page Fragment	This template will create a new blank web page fragment. Design the page by dragging components from the Palette.
	JSP	Creates new JSP file or JSP segment using either standard JSP syntax or XML syntax. JSP technology enables you to add dynamic behavior to web pages. A JSP file must be run on a JSP-enabled web server.
	Servlet	Creates a new servlet class. A servlet is a server-side Java class which runs within a web server.
	Filter	Creates a new filter class. Filters can pre-process a request before it reaches a servlet, post-process a response leaving a servlet, or do both. Filters can intercept, examine, and modify requests and responses.
	Web Application Listener	Creates a listener class. Lifecycle events let "listener" objects be notified when servlet contexts and sessions are initialized or destroyed, as well as when attributes are added or removed from a context or session.
	Tag Library Descriptor	Creates a Tag Library Descriptor (TLD) file, which can be used with JavaServer Pages (JSP) files. A tag library descriptor is an XML document that contains information about a library as a whole and about tags and tag files contained in the library. To add tags to TLD file, use the Tag Handler wizard or open the XML editor from the TLD node.
	Tag File	Creates an empty tag file. Use tag files for creating custom JSP tags. This is a JSP 2.0 facility that allows you to write tags using JSP syntax. Tag file authors are not required to know how write Java classes. Tag files should be placed under the `/WEB-INF/tags` directory of the web application.
	Tag Handler	Creates a new tag handler class. Tag handlers are server side Java components used to create custom tags for JSP files.
	HTML	Creates a new HTML file. You can edit the file in the IDE's Source Editor. You can view the file in a web browser by right-clicking the file's node in the Projects window and choosing View.
	XHTML	Creates a new XHTML Strict file. You can edit the file in the IDE's Source Editor. You can validate against the DTD using the context menu.
	Redirect HTML	This template creates an HTML page that can be used to redirect to another page or web location.
Enterprise	Service Locator	Creates an instance of the Service Locator J2EE design pattern. A service locator encapsulates the JNDI lookup code into a single class, reducing the proliferation of lookup code. This wizard does not cache lookup instances and is typically used in the business tier.
	Caching Service Locator	Creates an instance of the Service Locator J2EE design pattern. A service locator encapsulates the JNDI lookup code into a single class, reducing the proliferation of lookup code. The caching service locator pattern stores instances that are already resolved, which reduces subsequent lookups. This pattern is typically used in the web tier.
	Sun Deployment Descriptor	Creates default valid Sun Java System Application Server or Web Server deployment descriptor for your Java EE module or application.
Managed Beans	Request Bean	Using this template, you can create a new managed bean that is stored in request scope. The managed bean is added to the managed-beans.xml and is visible in the Application Outline.
	Session Bean	Using this template, you can create a new managed bean that is stored in session scope. The managed bean is added to the managed-beans.xml and is visible in the Application Outline.
	Application Bean	Using this template, you can create a new managed bean that is stored in application scope. The managed bean is added to the managed-beans.xml and is visible in the Application Outline.
Java Classes	Java Class	Creates a new plain Java class. This template is useful for creating new non-visual classes.
	Empty Java File	Creates an empty Java source file. No code is generated except for the required package statement. Use this template to create a class from scratch.
	Java Interface	Creates a new Java interface.
	Java Enum	Creates a new Java enum file. To be able to use enum files, your project must use JDK 5.0 or compatible.
	Java Annotation Type	Creates a new Java annotation type. To be able to use annotation type files, your project must use JDK 5.0 or compatible.
	Java Exception	Creates a new subclass of Exception with an optional detailed message.
	Java Main Class	Creates a new Java class with a `main` method permitting it to be run as a console application. If you want to design a visual application, you might prefer to use the JFrame template under Java GUI Forms, or an application skeleton under Java GUI Forms \| Sample Forms.
	Java Package Info	Creates a new Java package-info. To be able to use package annotations, your project must use JDK 5.0 or compatible.
	JApplet	Creates a new JFC (Swing) applet. An applet is a Java class that can run in any Java-enabled browser. Note: This template does not contain form code that allows you to design the applet visually in the Form Editor. For visual design, start with the JApplet template under Java GUI Forms.
	Applet	Creates a new AWT (Abstract Window Toolkit) applet. An applet is a Java class that can run in any Java-enabled browser. Note: This template does not contain form code that allows you to design the applet visually in the Form Editor. For visual design, start with the Applet template under Java GUI Forms \| AWT Forms.
	Java Package	Creates a package to hold Java source files. This package physically takes the form of an empty folder on your disk.
JavaBeans Objects	JavaBeans Component	Creates a new JavaBeans component. The created skeleton code contains a sample property and property change support.
	BeanInfo	Creates a new `BeanInfo` class. The BeanInfo is used as a description of how its associated JavaBeans component should behave and appear.
	BeanInfo w/o Icon	Creates a new `BeanInfo` class. The BeanInfo is used as a description of how its associated JavaBeans component should behave and appear.
	Customizer	Creates a Customizer panel for a JavaBeans component. The customizer can then be used during design time in the IDE to configure the bean.
	Property Editor	Creates a `PropertyEditor` class. Property editors are used at design time in IDEs to support editing of the properties of JavaBeans components.
	Java Package	Creates a package to hold Java source files. This package physically takes the form of an empty folder on your disk.
JUnit	Empty Test	Creates an empty JUnit test case.
	Test for Existing Class	Creates a simple JUnit test case for testing methods of a single class.
	Test Suite	Creates a test suite for all tests in a selected Java test package.
	Java Package	Creates a package to hold Java source files. This package physically takes the form of an empty folder on your disk.
Persistence	Entity Class	Creates an empty Java Persistence API entity class.
	Entity Classes from Database	Creates Java Persistence API entity classes based on an existing relational database. Entity classes are used to represent objects whose lifespan is longer than a typical program execution. This template creates an entity class for each selected table, complete with named query annotations, fields representing columns, and relationships representing foreign keys.
	Persistence Unit	Creates an JSR220 persistence unit. If persistence.xml doesn't exist, it is created.
	Database Schema	Creates a new persistent database schema file.
Web Services	Logical Handler	Creates a simple logical handler. This class is intended for you to customize to suit your needs.
	Message Handler	Creates a simple SOAP message handler. SOAP message handlers intercept the SOAP message as it makes its way from the client to the service and vice-versa. The generated class performs simple logging of the SOAP message request. This class is intended for you to customize to suit your needs.
	WSDL	Creates new WSDL file with embeded or imported XML schema.
	Web Service	Creates a skeleton web service. Web services are reusable software components that semantically encapsulate discrete functionality. Web services are accessible over standard protocols such as SOAP. The web services created by this template are deployed and run according to the JSR-109 and J2EE 1.4 standards.
	Web Service Client	Creates a web service client that is compliant with JSR-109.
	Web Service from WSDL	Creates a skeleton web service from WSDL file. Web services are reusable software components that semantically encapsulate discrete functionality. Web services are accessible over standard protocols such as SOAP. The web services created by this template are deployed and run according to the JSR-109 and J2EE 1.4 standards.
Sun Resources	JDBC Connection Pool	Wizard to create a new JDBC Connection Pool Resource.
	JDBC Resource	Wizard to create a new JDBC Resource.
	JMS Resource	Wizard to create a new JMS Resource. The resource created will be either a Connector Resource or a Admin Object Resource
	JavaMail Resource	Wizard to create a new JavaMail Resource.
	Persistence Resource	Wizard to create a new Persistence Resource.
XML	XML Document	Creates a new XML document. In the wizard, you can specify whether to have the file well formed, DTD constrained, or XML Schema constrained.
	DTD Entity	Creates a new document type definition (DTD). DTDs describe the tags that can be used in an XML file and indicate the valid arrangement of those tags.
	XML Schema	Creates an XML Schema document that specifies the namspaces and data type constraints for an XML document.
	XSL Stylesheet	Creates an empty extensible style sheet (XSL) document. Use XSL documents to specify display characteristics, tag conversions, and addressing mechanisms for your XML document.
	OASIS XML Catalog	Creates an OASIS XML Catalog file that maps external entity references to local resources. You can then add the catalog to DTD and XML Schema Catalogs in Runtime window.
	XML Parsed Entity	Creates an external parsed entity object.
	Cascading Style Sheet	Creates an empty cascading style sheet (CSS) document. Use a CSS to format the information contained in your XML document.
Ant Build Scripts	Empty Ant Script	An empty Ant build script.
Ant Build Scripts	Custom Task	No description
Other	Cascading Style Sheet	This template creates a new simple cascading stylesheet (CSS) file.
	Properties File	Creates a resource bundle (.properties) file suitable for internationalizing applications by separating out all human-visible text strings from your code. Resource bundle files can also be used to collect other types of strings, such as properties for Ant scripts. The created resource bundle contains only one locale, but you can add additional locales from the created file's contextual menu. The bundle can be edited in a text file (property-file format) for a specific locale or in a table that displays information for all locales.
	Empty File	Creates an empty file with an arbitrary extension on your disk.
	Folder	Creates a new folder on your disk.
	HTML File	Creates a new HTML file. You can edit the file in the IDE's Source Editor. You can view the file in a web browser by right-clicking the file's node in the Projects window and choosing View.
	XHTML File	Creates a new XHTML Strict file. You can edit the file in the IDE's Source Editor. You can validate against the DTD using the context menu.
Advanced	Managed Beans Configuration	This template creates a new Managed Beans Configuration XML file that is used by a Visual Web Pack project. It is also known as managed-beans.xml.
	Navigation Configuration	This template creates a new navigation configuration XML file that is used by a Visual Web Pack project.
	JavaServer Faces Configuration	This template creates a new Faces Configuration XML file that is used by a Visual Web Pack project. It is also known as faces-config.xml. You can add your own customizations here, like locale preferences.

Posted at 05:01PM Dec 01, 2006 by poting in Sun | Comments[7]

Comments:

Sorry, how work SOAP message?

Posted by Labus on December 02, 2006 at 01:40 AM PST #

Hi, I have a problem adding new types of components in Visual Web Pack project. I have a Netbeans 5.5 and VWP 5.5 TP installed. After I create a new VWP project and then right-click on "Source Packages" folder in the projects view the options for adding new components that are available are the same as in Java Studio Creator (e.g Java Class, Applet etc.). No servlets, JB etc. I see here in the screenshots that they should be available, but they are not available to me. Have you got an idea why this's happening? Regards, Panayot.

Posted by ultras82 on December 04, 2006 at 08:50 AM PST #

The new templates will be available in the final release of Visual Web Pack (not for the TP). It will be released in a few days.

Posted by Po-Ting Wu on December 05, 2006 at 01:25 PM PST #

OK! I will be waiting. Thanks a lot! Regards, Panayot.

Posted by ultras82 on December 06, 2006 at 12:28 AM PST #

The Netbeans Visual Web Pack 5.5 was officially released for production this morning. Come take a look!

Posted by Po-Ting Wu on December 06, 2006 at 10:46 AM PST #

gjghjg

Posted by 219.64.148.195 on March 16, 2007 at 09:28 PM PDT #

Thanks a lot!
Regards, Panayot.

Posted by Bclr on June 17, 2008 at 05:54 AM PDT #