MyEclipse Pro 9.0 Enhancements

MyEclipse for Spring (ME4S) includes all the functionality and enhancements of MyEclipse Pro 9.0, including enhanced support for Java EE 6, JSF 2.0, JPA 2.0, JAX-RS, HTML 5, and Windows 64-bit.

Code generation for JSF 2.0 and Primefaces

This release extends the code generation capabilities of ME4S to include JSF 2.0 and Primefaces.  JSF code generation has been a long standing feature request of the ME4S community, and the new JSF code generation option is available using the same easy-to-use scaffolding wizard that ME4S developers are already familiar with.  JSF scaffolding generates a JSF 2.0 front-end based on Mojarra, the JSF reference implementation, and the Primefaces component suite for JSF 2.0.  This new feature makes it easy for developers to rapidly produce JSF user interfaces and components from Java beans, JPA entities or by reverse-engineering database tables.

Scaffolding Wizard - JSF Option

ME4S 9.0 has also been extended to optionally generate a supporting service, domain and DAO layer for the JSF 2.0 software components, resulting in a ready-to-run application that can be immediately deployed and tested.  This makes it possible to start validating and testing the JSF software components without having to first integrate the software components into a current application.  Another benefit is that the generated application serves as a reference implementation for how the generated JSF 2.0 software components integrate or interact with the other components of an application.  This helps new developers learn JSF 2.0 and associated best practices, and it also helps experienced developers quickly understand the dependencies of the generated software components.

Generated JSF Application

Check out the new JSF 2.0 and Primefaces scaffolding tutorial for ME4S 9.0.

Code generation for Spring MVC 3.0

As the Spring framework is enhanced and best practices evolve, ME4S aims to incorporate them into its code generation capabilities and templates.  The 9.0 release includes support for the simplified Spring MVC configuration options of Spring 3.0.  This results in considerably less Spring configuration settings and context files for typical Spring web applications, while still maintaining support for the extended capabilities of Spring MVC.  For developers that are using older versions of Spring MVC, ME4S 9.0 maintains legacy support for Spring MVC 2.5.  The developer can specify the desired version within the scaffolding wizard.

Scaffolding Wizard - Spring MVC Option

Check out the updated Spring MVC 3.0 scaffolding tutorial for ME4S 9.0.

Code generation for GWT 2.1.x

Google Web Toolkit (GWT) 2.1.x introduced some major enhancements, and the GWT development patterns and best practices have evolved accordingly.  The GWT code generation features have been expanded to incorporate the latest GWT enhancements, including UI Binder, the MVP framework, Activities/Places, and Request Factory.  For developers using early versions of the GWT SDK, ME4S is maintaining legacy support for GWT 2.0 code generation.  Within the scaffolding wizard, the developer simply selects which version of GWT to generate code for.

Scaffolding Wizard - GWT Options

When GWT code generation is combined with the ME4S option to generate a supporting service, domain and DAO layer, ME4S can quickly produce an integrated, ready-to-run GWT and Spring application that demonstrates the best practices of both GWT (client-side) and Spring (server-side) development.

Check out the updated GWT scaffolding tutorial for ME4S 9.0.

Code generation for REST services

Another recurring ME4S feature request has been to add code generation support for REST services, and ME4S 9.0 introduces Spring REST code generation.  Now developers can quickly generate REST software components from Java beans, JPA entities, or reverse-engineered database tables.

Support for REST and JSON

This new code generation option can be applied very broadly, including:

• producing REST-ful controllers for a Spring MVC application
• producing REST/JSON services for RIA and AJAX applications
• producing REST/JSON services for native Android and iPhone applications
• producing REST application APIs to enable 3rd party integration and data mashups

The code generation templates have been implemented to generate according to the common best practices for REST services.  If you have custom requirements, you can use the generated software components as a starting point.  Alternatively, the REST code generation templates in ME4S 9.0 can be easily modified to reflect custom requirements.

In addition to generating REST software components, the ME4S annotation editor for Spring has been enhanced to support the REST-specific annotations and configuration options.  This gives the developer an additional option for customizing the generated REST software components using a rich annotation editor that works in conjunction with the standard Eclipse Java code editor.

New JPA annotation editor

Previous versions of ME4S introduced rich annotation editors to help developers maintain JAX-WS and Spring software components, and ME4S 9.0 offers a new annotation editor for JPA 2.0.  The new JPA editor operates similarly to the JAX-WS and Spring annotation editors.  It works along side the Eclipse Java editor, guiding a developer in the valid use of the broad set of available JPA annotations and providing quick access to JPA references.

JPA Annotation Editor - Entity tab

JPA Annotation Editor - Named Queries tab

Enhanced Spring 3.0 Controller annotation editor

In support of the Spring 3.0 code generation enhancements in ME4S 9.0, the annotation editor for Spring controllers has been enhanced to support the new annotations and configuration options for Spring 3.0.  Regardless of whether the Spring controller was originally generated by ME4S or completely hand-coded, the enhanced annotation editor helps developers spend less time figuring out which annotations are available and guides them in how the annotations are supposed to be used.  The annotation editor works in conjunction with the Eclipse Java editor, and changes made in the annotation editor are immediately reflected in the Java code editor.

Spring Controller Annotation Editor - Controller tab

Spring Controller Annotation Editor - Controller Detail tab

Check out the updated Spring annotation editor tutorial for ME4S 9.0.

Enhanced project bootstrapping for Eclipse and Maven projects

As part of the code generation functions, ME4S optionally bootstraps projects with all required dependencies, and ME4S supports both native Eclipse and Maven-based projects.  In this release, most of the libraries required by the ME4S generated software components have been updated, and many new libraries have been added to account for the new GWT, JSF, Spring, and REST code generation features in ME4S 9.0.  For standard Eclipse projects, you can direct ME4S to use classpath containers or copy Java libraries directly into the project.  For Maven projects, you can direct ME4S to add dependencies and relevant repositories to the Maven POM file.

Java Libraries for Project Bootstrapping

The default selection of Java libraries is determined by the generation options selected by the developer in the code generation wizards, and the wizard lets the developer fine-tune the list of Java libraries.

Enhanced Spring tooling

ME4S 9.0 incorporates upgrades to many Spring developer tools, including bean wizards, bean editors, configuration editors, WebFlow editors, content assist, refactoring support, project validation, and bean dependency graphs.

Enhanced code generation engine with end-user template customization

ME4S employs a native Eclipse code generation engine and an extensive set of templates for all of its code generation functions.  Every template is implemented using an easy-to-use and open standard template language to generate high-quality, well-formed source code and incorporate the respective best practices for the software components being generated.  Many developers use the ME4S templates as-is and manually modify the generated software components.  However, ME4S 9.0 also enables developers to easily modify the templates to customize the code generation engine according to their specific requirements.  If you are employing code generation as part of your development process (and why wouldn’t you?), ME4S 9.0 makes it very easy to create, use, package and distribute a custom set of code generation templates for ME4S.  The new template customization feature is applicable to all ME4S generated software components, including the new software components (JSF, REST, and GWT) introduced in ME4S 9.0.

Check out the updated template customization tutorial for ME4S 9.0.

Summary

In summary, the focus of ME4S 9.0 has been to further expand the code generation options for developers and provide the richest set of Eclipse-based tooling for Spring developers.  But don’t take our word for it, see for yourself using our free 30-day trial.

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