EclipseME

1
EclipseME

• Java Micro Edition
• The Eclipse Way
• Craig Setera
• setera_at_users.sourceforge.netApril 19, 2006

2
Agenda

• Who Am I?
• About J2ME
• J2ME pain
• Other J2ME tools
• Eclipse Features
• EclipseME
• Basics
• Features
• Development and development challenges
• Demo
• Futures

3
Who Am I?

• 15 years software in industry
• 15 years of Object Oriented programming
• Smalltalk, Java
• Open source guy
• jMechanic, EclipseME, ZeeME
• Cell Phone Geek

4
Why do I need something different for Mobile
Devices?

• Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME) is the
  programming model introduced to standardize
  programming for embedded devices
• Specifications are designed as part of the Java
  Community Process (JCP)
• J2ME is a family of specifications, designed as a
  series of layered APIs
• Configuration
• Profiles
• Optional APIs

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The Pain of Java ME

• Small subset of J2SE libraries
• Some additional micro edition libraries
• Preverification
• Classes must be pre-verified
• The same process as split verification in J2SE
  Mustang

6
The Pain of Java ME

• Device Fragmentation
• Each device has its own constraints
• Memory, processing speed, screen size
• Memory is severely constrained
• Use of obfuscation to control library size
• Each device has its own set of quirks
• Most development is emulated
• Too many devices to develop for all
• Emulators and devices often dont match behavior
  (or bugs)
• Most real devices do not support debugging

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The Pain of J2ME

• Deployment
• Runtime deployment
• Execution code deployment
• Some devices require new frameworks
• Example IBM J9 environment
• Connection environments
• Network
• Direct connects (USB, serial, bluetooth, etc)
• Over the air (OTA)

8
What J2ME tools are out there already?

• Eclipse Based Toolsets
• IBM WebSphere Studio Device Developer
• Nokia Developers Suite for J2ME
• Other SDKs that extend these or existing
  functionality
• Non-Eclipse Based Toolsets
• NetBeans with Mobility Pack
• Sun Java Wireless Toolkit
• Borland jBuilder Mobile Edition
• Other SDKs

9
What Makes Eclipse Unique?

• Incremental build support
• Eclipse provides a compiler that understands
  structural changes
• Only compiles dependencies as necessary
• Automatically compiles changed files
• Plug-in ability
• Provides ability to extend all aspects of the
  Eclipse platform
• Provides ability to add new builders

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What is EclipseME?

• History
• Needed Eclipse tools for programming my cell
  phone
• Couldnt find anything at the time, thus
  EclipseME was born
• Sourceforge project
• Started in July 2003
• 29 released versions
• Nearly 200,000 downloads

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What is EclipseME?Basic Functions

• Glue between Eclipse and J2ME toolkits
• Plug-ins into Eclipse providing extensions to the
  Java Development Tools (JDT)
• A goal of seamless integration for Java ME
  development
• Incremental preverification Eclipse builder
• Emulator run and debug launch integration

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What is EclipseME?Features

• Multiple wireless toolkit support
• Wireless toolkit preferences
• Platform component and definition support
• Create new J2ME Midlet Suite Project
• Create new MIDlet
• Java Application Descriptor (JAD) editor
• Automatic incremental preverification
• Eclipse launch support for Emulator
• MIDlet debugging support
• JAR and obfuscated JAR packaging
• Over the air deployment testing server
• Export Antenna build files
• Automatic MIDlet signing

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What is EclipseME?Extensible Platform

• A minimal platform for extension
• Extension points for adding new wireless toolkit
  definitions
• Extension points for defining device editors
• EclipseME is more tool than platform

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EclipseMEProfessional Open Source

• Good free support
• Mailing lists
• Bug tracker
• Enhancement request tracker
• Polished functionality
• Polished and accurate help
• Polished and accurate web site

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EclipseME Development

• Open-source
• Eclipse Public License
• Philosophies
• Release early, release often
• Open source can be professional and polished
• Sourceforge hosted
• http//eclipseme.org is hosted elsewhere for
  added flexibility
• 2 person team with benevolent dictator

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EclipseME Challenges

• Keeping up with the Jones'
• Eclipse tools are a moving target
• Wireless Toolkit vendors are a moving target
• Team Management
• Balance is tough
• It is tough to give the good work away
• It is tough to give up creative control
• It is tough to do everything with one person
• The real world gets in the way
• Managing to find time for EclipseME can be
  difficult sometimes

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Why Open Source?

• Benefit from other projects
• Ive personally benefitted from other open source
• My employers have benefitted
• It is interesting and scratches an itch
• If done well, it is good publicity
• Good for networking
• Good for job offers

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Demo

• Manage devices
• Create Midlet suite
• Create midlet
• Application Descriptor Editor
• Debug midlet
• Packaging support

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Future of EclipseME

• New Features
• Addressing Device Fragmentation
• Preprocessing support
• Batch build for multiple device definitions
• Lots of new device support
• Palm, Blackberry, etc.
• Ongoing support for new versions of previous
  devices
• New tools
• J2MEUnit, J2ME Polish
• Web Service stub generation
• Bugs, bugs and bugs

20
Future of EclipseME

• Eclipse Mobile Tools for Java Project
• An official Eclipse Foundation project
• Formed by Nokia and IBM
• EclipseME is involved in MTJ
• I am on the Project Management Committee
• I am providing architecture, design and
  implementation direction
• MTJ is using EclipseME code
• EclipseME will eventually be replaced by MTJ
• EclipseME users will be migrated to MTJ
• EclipseME may still be a layer on top of MTJ

21
References

• Eclipse
• http//www.eclipse.org
• EclipseME
• http//eclipseme.org
• http//sourceforge.net/projects/eclipseme/
• EclipseMEAnother IDE Option for J2ME Development
  
• Jim White
• http//www.devx.com/wireless/Article/29233
• Eclipse Mobile Tools for Java
• http//www.eclipse.org/dsdp/mtj/

22
Thank You!

• Thanks to Jim White
• For a great EclipseME article
• For putting me in contact with Jeff Jensen
• Thanks to Jeff Jensen for inviting me
• Thanks to TCJUG for having me

23
QA

• Ask away