Introduction

XML and beanbox give a powerful way to create and to distribute form based components over network. xBox is some kind of a light weight bean container, which provides creation, loading, saving and filling of complex Javabeans forms. xBox is presented in two configurations, first is a form editor with possibilities to create a new form, second is a form runner, which can be a standalone application or an applet. The form runner allows loading a form, filling the from, and saving it. All forms are present in XML format, that allows view a form using any XML viewing software. Using XML instead serialization gives many benefits, including small file size, compatibility with next versions of used Javabeans, and using forms with software written in different languages, than Java. xBox provides a mechanism Javabeans connection, based on events and binding. xBox doesn't use adapters, but provides an own command pattern to Javabeans communication. Binding is useful mechanism to get bound property values of other Javabeans.

Hardware requirements

• Pentium 133, or other equivalent power processor or better
  Pentium 350 recommended
• 64MB RAM or more
  128MB recommended
• Display resolution 800x600, 256 colors or better
  1600x1200, true color recommended
• 4-40MB free disk space, depends on your current preinstalled software

Software requirements

• Java VM supporting JDK1.1 or newer
• Swing 1.1 or newer
• SAX XML parser, IBM's or Sun's
• AFC 1.1

Features

1. Creation form with powerful editing features.
2. Binding Javabeans properties.
3. Defining event listeners.
4. Comprehensive set of stateless Javabeans, including database Javabeans.
5. Command pattern allows Javabeans get properties another Javabeans.
6. Command language for database Javabeans allowing do basic database operations.
7. XML format for saving, loading forms including events and binding information.

The next version will also include:

1. Samples of a real application using the proposed technology.

Download

download development snapshot

Installation

This version is distributed as a ZIP file. Unzip this file somewhere on your hard disk. If you don't have preinstalled Java VM on you computer. You have to do that. In depending on your OS, you can download Sun's JRE1.1.6 or better from http://java.sun.com/products/jdk/1.1/jre/index.html.

If you use Windows, then a better choice will be Microsoft's VM already preinstalled on your computer. However, check http://www.microsoft.com/java/ for the best results. You also need to have AFC version 1.1, check Microsoft's web site.

You also need have installed JFC (Swing 1.1). You need version 1.1 beta 3 or newer. Check http://java.sun.com/products/jfc/download.html for the latest one. If you use Java2, you don't need to download and install JFC.

Current installation is tuned to use Sun's SAX XML parser. If you can't download it from Sun's web site http://java.sun.com/xml, since it early access release, try IBM's parser http://www.alphaWorks.ibm.com/tech/xml. To use IBM's parser, you have to change a value of command line parameter -saxparser to ibm2.

Now, you're ready to launch the xBox. Since, the current version doesn't include installation software, you have to modify batch file (provided only, for Windows platforms), specifying a correct path to system class libraries, AFC, XML, and JFC.

Technique of using

Will be added soon.

Snapshot!

Contacting information

To contact to the author, use e-mail dmitriy@mochamail.com. Any feed back is highly appreciated.