org.opensubsystems.core.application
Class ThickClient

java.lang.Object
  org.opensubsystems.core.application.Server
      org.opensubsystems.core.application.ThickClient

public class ThickClient
extends Server

The main class which represents application that executes on a client computer. It provides framework for various modules to coexists together on the client computer. It's responsibility is to instantiate, coordinate and destroy these modules. Modules are specified in the configuration files using numbered properties, such as oss.thickclient.module.0=full classname for module 0 oss.thickclient.module.1=full classname for module 1 ... This class is independent of any GUI technology (such as SWT or AWT) used to actually construct the thick client. It defers all methods, which may depend of any GUI technology to the ThickClientGui interface. On the other hand this class is not an interface just because there has to be a class, which implements main method which launches the application. The application which will be started must be specified in te configuration files, using property [full classname for ThickClient class]=full classname for application to start Thick client embeds by default server since most modern enterprise applications require some kind of support for inter-application communication and therefore act both as clients and servers.

Version:

$Id: ThickClient.java,v 1.20 2007/03/08 05:17:15 bastafidli Exp $

Author:

Miro Halas

Code reviewer:

Miro Halas

Code reviewed:

1.17 2006/04/05 04:56:57 bastafidli

Field Summary

static java.lang.String	GUI_MODULE_PREFIX This is used to name parameters such as oss.thickclient.module.0, oss.thickclient.module.1.
protected boolean	m_bFixedSize If true then the window will be displayed with fixed size and cannot be resized.
protected boolean	m_bHideCursor If true then hide cursor.
protected boolean	m_bModulesCreated This flag is set after modules are created.
protected boolean	m_bStoppingGui This flag is true when gui is being stopped.
protected ThickClientGui	m_gui Gui representing the thick client application.
protected int	m_iScreenPosition Position where to display GUI on the screen.
protected java.util.Map	m_modules Map where key is the module name (String) and value is the module (ThickClientModule) itself.
protected java.lang.String	m_strActiveModuleName Name of the module from m_modules, which is currently active.
protected java.util.Set	m_strPreviouslyActiveModules Collection of module names, which were previously at least once active.
protected static java.lang.Class	s_clsDefaultThickClient Default thick client class to instantiate
protected static java.lang.String	s_strDefaultGUITechnology Default GUI technology to use for instantiation of thick client.

Fields inherited from class org.opensubsystems.core.application.Server

m_bStarted, m_hsServer, m_iWebServerPort, s_iMaxServerStartRetry, SERVER_START_RETRYCOUNT, SERVER_START_RETRYCOUNT_DEFAULT

Constructor Summary

ThickClient()
Construct instance of the thick client application.

ThickClient(ProductInfo product)
Construct instance of the thick client application.

Method Summary

void	activateModule(java.lang.String strModuleName) Activate specified module.
protected boolean	activateModule(ThickClientModule module, boolean bReactivate) Activate specified module so that it is available for user interaction.
protected void	addWebApplications(org.mortbay.http.HttpServer hsServer) Install web applications which should be run on the server.
boolean	canStopGUI() Check if it is OK to stop the gui.
protected void	createModules() Create modules, which should be available in the thick client application.
protected void	destroyModules() Destroy modules, which were created for the thick client application.
protected void	displayGUI() Display the gui using previously initialized resources.
ThickClientGui	getGui() Get gui for this client.
int	getScreenPosition() Position where to display GUI on the screen.
protected static ThickClient	getThickClientInstance() Get instance of thick client application to start.
void	init() Initialize the server.
protected void	initScreenOptions(int iScreenPosition, boolean bFixedSize, boolean bHideCursor) Initialize position and size related parameters.
boolean	isFixedSize() If true then the window will be displayed with fixed size and cannot be resized.
static void	main(java.lang.String[] args) The defaul implementation of the main method.
protected void	pasivateModule(ThickClientModule module) Pasivate the specified module so that it is not available for user interaction anymore.
void	start() Start the server.
protected void	startGui() Start the GUI portion of the thick client application.
protected void	startThickClient() Start the thick client.
void	stop() Stop the server.
boolean	stopGUI() Call this method to stop the GUI.
protected void	stopThickClient() Stop the thick client.

Methods inherited from class org.opensubsystems.core.application.Server

generateNewWebPort, getWebServerPort, initContext, isStarted, setWebServerPort, startServer, stopServer

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Field Detail

GUI_MODULE_PREFIX

public static final java.lang.String GUI_MODULE_PREFIX

This is used to name parameters such as oss.thickclient.module.0, oss.thickclient.module.1. These parameters are used to specify modules which are running inside of this thick client.

See Also:

Constant Field Values

s_strDefaultGUITechnology

protected static java.lang.String s_strDefaultGUITechnology

Default GUI technology to use for instantiation of thick client. TODO: Configure: Allow to specify this variable from the command line.

m_iScreenPosition

protected int m_iScreenPosition

Position where to display GUI on the screen. It should be one of the GUI_XXX constants.

m_bFixedSize

protected boolean m_bFixedSize

If true then the window will be displayed with fixed size and cannot be resized. The default fixed size is 1024x768. TODO: Configure: Make this fixed size configurable.

m_bHideCursor

protected boolean m_bHideCursor

If true then hide cursor. (e.g. if we are on the touchscreen).

m_bStoppingGui

protected boolean m_bStoppingGui

This flag is true when gui is being stopped.

m_modules

protected java.util.Map m_modules

Map where key is the module name (String) and value is the module (ThickClientModule) itself.

m_strActiveModuleName

protected java.lang.String m_strActiveModuleName

Name of the module from m_modules, which is currently active.

m_strPreviouslyActiveModules

protected java.util.Set m_strPreviouslyActiveModules

Collection of module names, which were previously at least once active.

m_bModulesCreated

protected boolean m_bModulesCreated

This flag is set after modules are created.

m_gui

protected ThickClientGui m_gui

Gui representing the thick client application.

s_clsDefaultThickClient

protected static java.lang.Class s_clsDefaultThickClient

Default thick client class to instantiate

Constructor Detail

ThickClient

public ThickClient()

Construct instance of the thick client application.

ThickClient

public ThickClient(ProductInfo product)

Construct instance of the thick client application.

Parameters:

product - - information about product which is running this application, this way we will force every application to create and publish this information in uniform way

Method Detail

main

public static void main(java.lang.String[] args)

The defaul implementation of the main method. It doesn't do anything much, just starts the application.

Parameters:

args - - arguments passed from command line

getGui

public ThickClientGui getGui()

Get gui for this client.

Returns:

ThinkClientGui

isFixedSize

public boolean isFixedSize()

If true then the window will be displayed with fixed size and cannot be resized. The default fixed size is 1024x768.

Returns:

boolean

getScreenPosition

public int getScreenPosition()

Position where to display GUI on the screen. It should be one of the GUI_XXX constants.

Returns:

int

init

public void init()
          throws OSSException,
                 java.io.IOException

Initialize the server. All initializeation should be done in this method so that we can call it repetitevely with changed parameters if initialization fails.

Overrides:

init in class Server

Throws:

OSSException - - if there was an error starting persistance store

java.io.IOException - - if there was an error accessing database properties

start

public void start()
           throws org.mortbay.util.MultiException,
                  OSSException

Start the server.

Overrides:

start in class Server

Throws:

org.mortbay.util.MultiException - - if there was an error starting the server

OSSException - - if there was an error starting the server

stop

public void stop()
          throws OSSException,
                 java.lang.InterruptedException

Stop the server.

Overrides:

stop in class Server

Throws:

OSSException - - if there was en error stopping persistance store

java.lang.InterruptedException - - if the server was stopped

activateModule

public void activateModule(java.lang.String strModuleName)

Activate specified module.

Parameters:

strModuleName - - name of the module to activate.

canStopGUI

public boolean canStopGUI()

Check if it is OK to stop the gui. This is abstract since the way we ask user is usually implementation specific.

Returns:

boolean - true - the gui can be stopped false - the gui cannot be stopped at this time

stopGUI

public boolean stopGUI()

Call this method to stop the GUI. Derived classes may perform some activities which require the GUI to be present but must be execute them only after user confirmed that he really wants to stop or exit the application.

Returns:

boolean - true - the gui was sucessfully stopped false - an error has occured while stopping gui

addWebApplications

protected void addWebApplications(org.mortbay.http.HttpServer hsServer)

Install web applications which should be run on the server.

Specified by:

addWebApplications in class Server

Parameters:

hsServer - - HTTP server to install the applications to

getThickClientInstance

protected static ThickClient getThickClientInstance()
                                             throws OSSException

Get instance of thick client application to start. The instance is determined dynamically by looking at class, which is configured as implementor of ThickClient.

Returns:

ThickClient - thick client to start

Throws:

OSSException - - an error has occured

initScreenOptions

protected void initScreenOptions(int iScreenPosition,
                                 boolean bFixedSize,
                                 boolean bHideCursor)

Initialize position and size related parameters.

Parameters:

iScreenPosition - - position where to display GUI on the screen, one of the GUI_XXX constants

bFixedSize - - if true then the window will be displayed with fixed size 1024x768

bHideCursor - - hide cursor (e.g. if we are on the touchscreen)

startThickClient

protected void startThickClient()
                         throws OSSException

Start the thick client. This method should be invoked at a point when the backend (if any) is already started and therefore it is safe to start the thick client gui or background tasks to connect to the these. Derived classes may overide this method to initialize any background tasks or perform any setup activitied before the gui is started.

Throws:

OSSException - - an error has occured

stopThickClient

protected void stopThickClient()
                        throws OSSException

Stop the thick client. This method is invoked at a point when the GUI was already closed so the application is no longer already for user. The derived classes may override this method to stop any background tasks.

Throws:

OSSException - - an error has occured

startGui

protected void startGui()
                 throws OSSException

Start the GUI portion of the thick client application. By this time the backend/background tasks should be already started.

Throws:

OSSException - - an error has occured

displayGUI

protected void displayGUI()
                   throws OSSException

Display the gui using previously initialized resources. This is done in separate method so that if application had a different way how to display gui then it can change this behavior.

Throws:

OSSException - - an error has occured

createModules

protected void createModules()
                      throws OSSException

Create modules, which should be available in the thick client application. The application is not fully constructed yet therefore the module should not attempt to access any part of the user interface.

Throws:

OSSException - - an error has occured

destroyModules

protected void destroyModules()

Destroy modules, which were created for the thick client application.

pasivateModule

protected void pasivateModule(ThickClientModule module)

Pasivate the specified module so that it is not available for user interaction anymore.

Parameters:

module - - module to pasivate

activateModule

protected boolean activateModule(ThickClientModule module,
                                 boolean bReactivate)

Activate specified module so that it is available for user interaction.

Parameters:

module - - module to activate

bReactivate - - this is true if the module was pasivated but it is being immediately activated again because the other module which caused it's pasivation coun't be activated again. This is false if some other module was active and now this module is being activated.

Returns:

boolean - true if sucessfully activated false if cannot be activated and either the previously active module should remain active or no module should be active