Release 4.1 - AJAX/Web 2.0 support; Enhanced JavaScript Editor, New JavaScript Debbugger, New Web 2.0 Workbench and Browser, UML sequence diagram support, Spring/Hibernate integration, new Hibernate mapping editor, advanced drag and drop capabilities, Visual Web Designer Zoom, JSP Preview Localization, advanced server management, and New Image Editor for Eclipse 3.1 (1/22/2006)

MyEclipse Web 2.0/AJAX Workbench
(Windows only - Linux version planned for MyEclipse 4.1.1 release)

The MyEclispe Web 2.0 Workbench is designed for web developers creating AJAX applications. It includes the following features:

• Web 2.0 Workbench Perspective
• Integrated Web 2.0 Browser 
• DOM Inspector
• Integrated JavaScript debugger
• Advanced JavaScript Editor

Web 2.0 Workbench Perspective

The new MyEclipse Web 2.0 perspective provides a unique organization of MyEclipse Web 2.0 tools. It is accessible along with the other MyEclipse perspective shortcuts.

   

Integrated Web 2.0 Browser

The MyEclipse Web 2.0 Browser is a new integrated Mozilla compatible browser that provides the foundation for features such as the DOM Inspector and the JavaScript Debugger. This browser launches only in the Web 2.0 Perspective and resides in the editor area of a workbench. 

The MyEclipse Web 2.0 Workbench provides a new toolbar action for launching new Web 2.0 Browser instances.

The MyEclipse Web 2.0 Browser can also be opened through the Eclipse, File->New wizard menu.

DOM Inspector

The DOM Inspector is tightly integrated with the Web 2.0 Browser.  It displays the current browser's document object model (DOM) in real-time. Using the DOM Inspector a developer is able to inspect node attributes and navigate to other nodes in the tree.

The DOM Inspector user interface is comprised of a tree view for hierarchical viewing and navigation among DOM nodes and an Attribtues Editor that displays the attribute details of the current selected DOM node and enables them to be edited.

 

As you select nodes in the DOM Inspector view, the cooresponding objects in the browser will temporarily flash to reveal their location. In the following screenshot the Google image is automatically highlighted with a red rectangle.

In the following screenshot the image's width and height properties have been adjusted dramatically for effect using the Attributes Editor.

MyEclipse JavaScript Debugger

The MyEclipse JavaScript Debugger is the first fully integrated client-side Eclipse debugger for JavaScript. Feature highlights include:

• Debug any web page containing JavaScript source or included JavaScript files, or standalone JavaScript files
• Operations: Pause, Resume, Step Into, Step Over, Step to Return, Terminate
• Views:
  • Web Browser View
  • Call Stack View
  • Variables View
  • Console View
• Set JavaScript breakpoints in:
  • JavaScript files
  • HTML with embedded JavaScript and linked JavaScript files
  • JSP files
  • Conditional breakpoints planned for MyEclipse 4.1.1
• Integrates with Eclipse Launch Manager
  • Quick launch from context-menu using "Debug As"
  • Launch from Eclipse Debug toolbar action
  • Use Launch Profile to modify launch configuration
  • Launch JavaScript resource from project location or deployed MyEclipse web-application

Features planned for MyEclipse 4.1.1:

• Conditional JavaScript breakpoints
• JavaScript Snippet Evaluation Editor
• Smart Browser session organization

Setting JavaScript breakpoints

Set breakpoints in JavaScript, HTML and JSP using traditional breakpoint setting facilities.

Breakpoints appear in the left margin as a blue ball image,

Quick JavaScript Launcher

Launch JavaScript debuggable resources from the Debug As actions on the toolbar and the context-menu of the HTML, JSP and JavaScript editors or from the Run menubar.

   

Configuring a JavaScript Launch Profile

A custom JavaScript launch profile is created or edited using the Run>Debug... action from the menubar, toolbar, or context-menu context-menu of the HTML, JSP and JavaScript editors. The launch profile's Project and launch URL are provided. The launch URL can reference a deployed web resource, e.g., http://192.168.1.101/helloworld/helloajax.html or a local file in your project workspace, e.g., file://C:/...,   

Breakpoint/Stepping Operations in JavaScript

When a JavaScript breakpoint is encountered in the browser, the source file containing the breakpoint opened in the corresponding editor and positioned to the breakpoint line-number. The JavaScript Debugger controls allow you to then Resume execution, Step Into a function at the next line, Step Over a function at the next line, Step to End of the current function, or Terminate the current application thread,

Breakpoints in "included" JavaScript files

The JavaScript Debugger supports breakpoints set in both top-level and included resources. In the following screenshot a breakpoint is set in a JavaScript file that is included in an HTML file.  

MyEclipse Javascript Editor

MyEclipse 4.1 has enhanced  the JavaScript Editor to include the following features:

• Syntax highlighting
• Integrated outline and property views
• Validation and syntax checking
• Code assist for common JavaScript elements, functions, and variables
• Code assist documentation for functions
• Source formatting
• Toggle comments

JavaScript Outline View

The JavaScript outline view depicts method and variable declarations in their associated scope. Variables can be filtered from the view. Future releases will support for more complex JavaScript constructs.

 

JavaScript Validation and Syntax Checking

The JavaScript Editor now has syntax validation with error and warning markers in the editor and Problems view. Varying levels of JavaScript validation can be configured in the MyEclipse preferences.

The JavaScript validation includes warnings for your javascript source code.

Code Assist for JavaScript

Code assist is provided for most common DHTML objects like document, window, element, etc. The IE and Netscape icons identify browser support for the function or property. The MyEclipse JavaScript Editor preferences enable the customization of code-assist proposals to filter browser specific proposals and to hide the icons. 

The code assist also provides proposals that include the current functions defined in the JavaScript file.

Global and local variables are also included in the code-assist proposals..

JavaScript Source Code Formatting

The JavaScript editor has an improved source code formatting.

 

JavaScript Quick Comment

Quickly toggle single line comments on/off using the Ctrl+Shift+C key sequence or use the Source menubar action. Select a region or set the cursor on the line to toggle as a comment.

Enter Ctrl+Shift+C to add or remove the single line comments.

MyEclipse Hibernate Libraries

MyEclipse Hibernate Libraries are classpath containers for a collection of Hibernate Jar files that can be added to the project build path as a single unit. To view and revise the Jar contents a MyEclipse Hibernate Library open the library page at Windows>Preferences>MyEclipse>Project Capabilities>Hibernate

Hibernate Config Wizard - Library Enhancement

The Hibernate Capabilites Wizard allows MyEclipse Hibernate Libraries to be added to the project build-path or for libraries to be exploed and the individual Jar files of the libraries to be added to the build-path. 

Hibernate Config Wizard - Database Connection Enhancement

A new database connection details page has been added to the Hibernate Capabilities Wizard and the New Hibernate Configuration Wizard. This addition enables the wizards to create a configuration from either a Database Explorer Driver profile or manually entered database details. When a Database Explorer profile is selected you have the option to copy the JDBC driver jars to the project's library location.   

Hibernate Config Wizard

MyEclipse Hibernate Libraries are classpath containers for a collection of Hibernate Jar files that can be added to the project build path as a single unit. To view and revise the Jar contents a MyEclipse Hibernate Library open the library page at Windows>Preferences>MyEclipse>Project Capabilities>Hibernate

Hibernate DB Rev-eng Wizard enhancements

Hibernate DB Reverse-engineering Mapping Wizard 

New Hibernate DB reverse-engineering wizard with the following capabilities:

• Extended reverse-engineer support to work with multiple database tables
• Customizable global mapping policy
• Table specific mapping policy including exclude columns
• Generate mapping files and automatic update of Hibernate and Spring bean configuration files
• Generate Data Objects (POJOs) and Data Access Objects (DAOs)
• Supports user templates for all code generation

Hibernate DB Rev-eng Wizard - Launching Wizard

The Hibernate DB Reverse-Engineering Mapping Wizard is launched from the MyEclipse Database Explorer. Select 1 or more DB tables then select the "Create Hibernate Mapping" action from the context-menu (right-click menu)

Hibernate DB Rev-eng Mapping Wizard - Code & Mapping Generation 

For each selected DB table Page-1 of the wizard enables you to:

• Create Hibernate mapping files from DB meta-data
• Create DataObjects (aka ValueObject)
• Create DataAccessObjects for Spring or Hibernate 
• Specify custom Velocity (*.vm) templates to override and extend the default code generation logic 

Hibernate DB Rev-eng Mapping Wizard - Customize global table mapping policy

Page-2 enables the customization of default mapping policies. These settings can be saved in a project specific file known as a reverse-engineering settings file (*.rev) and reloaded for future reverse-engineering processes.

Hibernate DB Rev-eng Mapping Wizard - Customize individual table and column mappings

Hibernate DB Rev-eng Mapping Wizard - reverse-engineering results

If the Rev-eng process is configured to create Spring DAOs they are added to the Spring Beans configuration file.

Hibernate Tools - custom dialect support

Custom Hibernate dialects can be recognized on the project build-path or the MyEclipse Hibernate Libraries. From any Hibernate UI that allows the Hibernate dialect to be selected choose the Search button to view non-standard dialects. A search dialog presents the results of the dialect search. Choose the custom dialect to update the UI with or select cancel.

Hibernate Config Editor - supports DnD HBM mapping files

Drag-and-Drop HBM mapping files from the Package Explorer View onto a Hibernate Configuration Editor (source mode).

Hibernate Mapping File Editor (New)

New Hibernate Mapping File Editor includes: 

• Custom outline view
• Smart code-assist of XML elements and attributes including: 
• • Java class names
  • Hibernate type
  • DTD-directed elements
•  XML source validation as you type and upon file save

Spring-Hibernate Configuration (existing Spring project)

The Hibernate Capabilities Wizard recognizes projects enabled with Spring capabilities and will provide options for creating and maintaining the Hibernate configuration and mapping file references within a Spring XML bean file.

Below a user opts to use a Spring bean XML file to store Hibernate config and mapping information.

This option requires the user to create a new Spring Hibernate SessionFactory or specify an existing Spring Hibernate SessionFactory.

Spring Beans Editor - New Grid Mode

The Spring Bean Editor has been extended with an XML grid mode.

New Outline View -Spring Bean Editor

The new Spring Bean Outline View has two modes: XML Mode and Spring Mode.

The Spring Mode is shown below and provides a structured view of each bean's structure. It associates distinct images with each element type to enable you to visually distinguish the type of element. Additional actions are available from the view menu to switch between modes and create new Spring bean definitions.

To edit an existing bean definition select it in the Spring Mode and choose the Edit option from the context-menu (right-click menu).

Spring Capabilities Wizard - Hibernate Tools Integration

The Spring Capabilities Wizard recognizes Hibernate enabled projects and provides an optional Hibernate Tools integration wizard page. This page, shown below, enables the creation of a Spring Hibernate SessionFactory bean definition that references the project's Hibernate configuration file through a "configLocation" property.

Note: to avoid compilation errors ensure that your project includes the MyEclipse Spring ORM Library on the buildpath. 

Drag-n-Drop Java Classes onto Spring Bean Editor

Create a new Spring bean definition by dragging and dropping a Java class from the Package Explorer view onto the Spring Bean Editor. This action will invoke the New Spring Bean Wizard prepopulated with the dropped classes as properties and constructor arguments. In the following screenshot the Person class was dropped on the editor.

New Spring Beans Wizard

The new Spring Beans Wizard enables you to create or edit an existing Spring bean definition. The wizard will provide code-assist for fields that require Java class and bean reference values.  Upon completion of the wizard a Spring bean XML definition is created or updated in the Spring Bean Editor.

New Spring DataSource Wizard

The new Spring DataSource Wizard creates Spring DataSource bean definitions in the current Spring Bean Editor.  The wizard accepts database connection details from either a Database Explorer connection profile or custom connection details. If a Database Explorer profile is selected, then you have the option to have the wizard copy the database profile's driver Jars into the project and add them to the project's buildpath.

New Spring Hibernate SessionFactory Wizard

The new Spring Hibernate SessionFactory Wizard creates SessionFactory bean definitions in the current Spring Bean Editor.  The wizard accepts an optional DataSource Id value and the user may optionally create a configLocation property referencing an existing hibernate.cfg.xml file

Sequence Diagram support has been added to complete the MyUML diagrams. 

Synchronous and asynchronous messages are supported.

Reverse-engineering features have been redesigned to uses the Eclipse Java Model.  This new design increases reverse-engineering performance of class diagrams from Java source by 10X.  It also solves a previous problem where Java 5 language constructs caused the rev-eng process to terminate prematurely.    

The Database Connection Profile wizard has been improved.  Now, only drivers that are available and configured may be selected in the Driver: field.  There is also a link to the Driver Configuration preference page.    

The Database Driver manager has been redesigned to only display the list of configure the drivers. New database drivers are now added using the improved New Driver dialog.

The New Driver Dialog has been improved to make it easier to add your databse driver by using preconfigured driver templates and also enabling the JDBC driver jar files to be added on the main page. 

The previously driver templates are available in the Driver Template field.

After selecting the Driver template, use the "Add JARs..." action to add the appropriate DB driver jar.

Visual Web Designer -- Drag&Drop from palette

The MyEclipse Visual Web Designer now has Drag&Drop support from the palette. Once the control is dropped in the Design View, the wizard dialog is then shown for the user to complete.

Visual Web Designer -- Drag&Drop from Snippets View

The MyEclipse Visual Web Designer now supports Drag&Drop from the Snippets view onto the design view.  Once the snippet item is dropped, the item will be added to design and source view.

Visual Web Designer -- Zoom Action

The MyEclipse Visual WebDesigner now has the ability to zoom the design view from the zoom combo-box on the embedded toolbar. 

Visual Web Designer -- JSP Localization in Preview

The Preview page of the Visual Web Designer can perform localization of the JSP page. For example, JSF and Struts message bundles are now dereferenced and their substituted values are now displayed in preview.

JSF Flow Designer - Drag&Drop Class files from package explorer

The MyEclipse JSF Flow Designer now has Drag&Drop support for java class files from the Package Explorer. When a control is dropped on the Design View, the new JSF Managed Bean wizard dialog is displayed for the user to complete the bean's configuration.



The Managed Bean wizard will automatically add any properties available in the dropped class. 




Java class files can also be dropped onto the JSF Flow Designer source page as well.

Application Server - Quick Launch/Restart  

Quick launch or restart of the most recently launched application server is now available on the MyEclipse Application Server Launcher on the toolbar. The server is retained across Eclipse sessions. To activate this action select the Launcher toolbar button.  If the most recently launched server is running, the action will restart the server.  If not, the action will launch the most recently launched server. 

 

Application Server Configuration  Shortcuts

The MyEclipse Application Server Launcher action on the toolbar now makes it easier to configure AppServers.  If you have not configured a application server connector, then when you select the Server Launcher action the only menu item available is a shortcut to the Application Server Configuration preference pages.

The Preferences are opened with a filter to only show MyEclipse Application Servers.

If you have a AppServer configured, there is still a menu item "Configure Server" that will enable you to navigate directly to the Application Server configuration preference page. 

For individual Application Servers, a new shortcut to the configuration preference page is availabe in the Server Launcher toolbar action. 

Deployment Dialog - Configuration  Shortcuts

The New Deployment dialog now has a shortcut to the AppServer configuration preference pages.

MyEclipse Image Editor

Main features include:

• Integrated image editor that supports many of the popular features in today's photo processing software.
• Tool palette, color and gradient properties.
• Operations include zooming, crop and resize, image rotation, and image filters
• Extensive palette tools property configuration
• Over 65 image filters
• Extensive image format support including; JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP, PSD, TIFF, TGA, PICT, PCX and RAS
• Fully integrated with MyEclipse Image Preview view

  

Many palette tools have additional property dialogs that configure the current tool. 

The image editor contains many functions and image operations that are available through the eclipse menu bar.  The operations include zooming, crop and resize, image rotation, and image filters.

MyEclipse Image Editor  Perspective

Because the image related views that are used when editing images, there is a new perspective call MyEclipse Image Editor. 

 


When you open an image with the Image Editor, by default you will be prompted with a decision to switch into the MyEclipse Image Editor perspective.  If you remember the decision, you can later return to this prompt by changing a preference .

 

Image Editor supports various formats

The image editor supports the following image formats:

The image editor is associated with these file types in the workbench.

New Image File Wizard

A new file resource wizard has been added for creating new image files. 

Using the new image file wizard, you can set the width, height, and fill type of the image.

Image Preview Integration

From the Image Preview view, you can open the currently selected image in the MyEclipse Image Editor.  

The view menu also has an action for opening the current image in the Image editor.