As per the Eclipse
Development Process, we are notifying the Eclipse
Membership-at-Large of the intent to propose the Desktop Integration
Project as a Technology sub-project. A brief description of the project
is below. A
draft project proposal is at http://www.eclipse.org/proposals/eclipse-dip/index.html
Data Integration Project
Much of the technical success of the Eclipse Platform can be attributed
to its practical integration and use of platform specific services and
technologies. The most notable of these is the Standard Window Toolkit
(SWT), which uses platform specific user interface technologies where
possible to delivery a high quality, native, user interface experience.
Other platform-specific Eclipse features include: a partial OLE/COM
bridge, the SWT_AWT bridge for co-hosting Swing / AWT and SWT
user-interfaces within one another, the embedded Eclipse Internet
Explorer Web Browser, and recent SWT mechanisms for interacting with
the Windows System Tray and creating custom shaped windows.
Eclipse demonstrates the tremendous value available to Java developers
when local services and technologies are integrated into a Java
framework or application in an intelligent and user-centered manner.
The number of platform-specific integration requirements is expected to
increase as a result of the growing popularity of the RCP and its
positive influence in a renewed effort to deliver native Java desktop
applications.
Unlike many of the Eclipse proposals, whose technical and
implementation scope is limited to pure Java technologies, this project
concentrates on enhancing Eclipse through the use of non-Java
technologies and services. Specifically, this project seeks out
opportunities to integrate high-quality native services and
technologies that will significantly benefit the Eclipse developer
community.
We foresee this project serving as an incubator for technologies and
techniques used by the Eclipse Platform team, supplemental
technologies, frameworks, RCP application developers that need tighter
integration, and for native application developers that seek to
leverage Eclipse technologies within their products.
We look forward to input and
discussion from the Eclipse community.
|