Re: [javaCompiler-users] NetBeans and JSwing Layout Support and JMF Support

[Marco T. <mt...@gm...>]

Joe Osborne wrote:
> Dear Marco
>=20
> Your last reply was probably less than an hour. I
> greatly appreciate that. You've almost got me
> converting to SWT but I would still like to exhaust
> the alternatives if at all possible.

Actually, you won't do anything else when working on swingWT... But=20
you're welcome to contribute to swingWT!


>> swingWT mapps AWT/Swing to SWT. But not everything
>> is mapped...
>> http://javacompiler.mtsystems.ch/frame_faq.html,
>> second question
>>
>>> So this is where I need help.=20
>>>
>>> This is what I am guessing I have to do:=20
>>> 1-Get these classes as java source codes.=20
>>> 2-Get the swingWT as source.=20
>>> 3-Put the classes somewhere in the swingWT
>> directory
>>> hierarchy. (src folder)
>>> 4-Add something to the swingWT main class so they
>> are
>>> seen.=20
>>> 5-Compile them to a jar.=20
>>> 6-Compile the jar to an object file.=20
>>> 7-Replace the original swingWT object and jar
>> files
>>> with the ones I modified.=20
>>>
>>> Is this what I have to do?
>> No. You have to get the swingWT source and add all
>> classes/methods you=20
>> still need. Internally you will work with SWT, but
>> you simulate the=20
>> AWT/Swing API to outside.
>> Change directly to SWT... It's easier...
>=20
> I am confused.=20
> You say 'No' but then you seem to imply 'yes' in the
> sentence that follows.
> Doesn't my (1,2,3)=3D=3DYour"You have to get the swingWT
> source and add all classes/methods you still need"
> Which ones are right/wrong 1,2,3,4,5,6,7?

1, 3, 4 and maybee 5.
An example:

You want to do: aJButton.setBackground(Color.RED);
But swingWT doesn't have this method. So you download the swingWT=20
source, go to the JButton source file and add the method:

public void setBackground(Color c)
{
	privateButton.setBackground(new Color(Display.getCurrent(), c.getRed(),=20
c.getGreen(), c.getBlue());
}

While now privateButton is a org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Button and Color is=20
a org.eclipse.swt.graphics.Color. As I said, you fake the AWT/Swing API=20
to the outside and map that internally to SWT.

When you have done that, compile swingWT to a jar and overwrite the one=20
from JavaCompiler.


> I think the part I need clarification on is the word
> "add".
> Add the ones that have the "cannot find symbol"?

Withhout the example modification I described above, you would get=20
something like "cannot find symbol: swingWT.awt.JButton.setBackground()".


> I am not a professional programmer.
> I just learned JSwing and NetBeans and have been
> programming Java for only 6 months.
> Before that I did C and Fortran nearly 20 years ago.
> It's taken me 6 months to write only 3500 lines of
> code and a lot of that is either IDE auto generated or
> templates from Java Almanac. So you can see I am a
> beginner.

Then this is probably not what you should try to do... Do you really=20
need to compile your program?
You might try this as well: http://www.excelsior-usa.com/landing/jet-nc.h=
tml


> Let me rephrase my understanding of what you are
> saying.
>=20
> Say the compilation tells me there are "cannot find
> symbol" errors for 6 classes that I am using.
> I go and get those 6 class files - say from Sun's JDK
> or wherever thay are.
> I put them in the swingwt-all.jar file which is in the
> swingWT-0.87 directory.
> Is that right? Where do I put them exactly.
> Can you be more specific considering I am relatively
> new at this.

No, that part of taking existing classes wasn't about AWT or Swing. That=20
was about stuff like sun.audio.AudioConverter and similar that JMF uses=20
but GCJ doesn't (yet) privide.


> I had a look at the SwingWT site and I read this:
> "Unlike Swing, SwingWT drives native peer widgets for
> your platform from SWT" - Ich verstehe dieses ganz
> weniger als ich Chinesen verstehe.=20

Chinese is funny: Nin hao ma? Wo shi ruishi ren! Wo jiao Marco.
I learned a little chinese at the university :-)

But back to the point: If you don't understand that, you shouldn't do=20
what you're doing right now... Use SWT directly or don't compile your=20
program to native.


> You have said it's easier to convert my program to
> SWT. At the rate I go that may take months. Ich bin so
> langsam wie eine Schildkr=F6te, die in Schnapps
> schwimmt. Debugging is a killer. If all I have to do
> is get some class files, put them in the right place
> and that's it then that seems a lot faster in concept.

No, you have to do a lot more and need deep AWT/Swing&SWT knowledge to=20
get swingWT working for your needs.


> Ah please don't write instructions back to me in
> German. I haven't used that language in 20 years
> either. Your English is so good, even when I saw your
> spelling of "sure" I didn't realize your first
> language was not English.

Stupid spelling mistakes. I really should install a english spell=20
checker. Hey, wait a minute. There's a button in the toolbar where I can=20
switch between english and german! Great...

> I thought it was new slang.
> I teach English to Koreans here. They find it so
> difficult to learn. That's what my program is for,
> learning English for Koreans.

Doesn't sound like you need to compile it to native if you ask me...


> Have you heard of Excelsior Jet?

Yes ;-)

> Jet and your program
> are the only two in the whole world that compile java
> to exe for Windows.

Actually, Excelsior Jet and GCJ. I just put GCJ together into a user=20
friendly form.


> These are the prices for Jet:
>=20
> Enterprise $4,500 =20
> Professional $2,300 =20
> Standard $1,200=20
>
> Pretty expensive isn't it?

Yes. Think I could ask for 100$ for JavaCompiler and still be good of...


Marco