Chapter 1. JBoss Central and the JBoss Perspective

JBoss Central is a core IDE view, providing access to JBoss information and assistance in one centralized location. It offers features for first time users of JBoss Tools, as well as those with more experience.

JBoss Central comprises resources and actions for creating new projects, learning about the tools and installing software updates:

Project wizards create new projects based on sample applications and different technologies.
The TicketMonster tutorial, part of JBoss Java Developer Framework, demonstrates how to use the IDE to best advantage in developing a complex web application that utilizes JBoss technologies.
Links to JBoss blog posts give timely insight into JBoss developments and the links to JBoss resources, such as documentation and forums, provide easy access to key information sources.
Software installation and update information assist in the easy management of IDE plug-ins.

1.1.2. About the JBoss Perspective

JBoss is a key IDE perspective, giving easy access to useful views and actions when developing applications with JBoss technologies. The perspective consists of a default set of views, menus and toolbars.

Views: The default views of the JBoss perspective are JBoss Central, OpenShift Explorer, Outline, Package Explorer, Palette, Problems, Project Explorer, Properties, and Servers. These views are vital when developing with JBoss technologies.
Menus: The default menus of the JBoss perspective are File, Edit, Navigate, Search, Project, Run, Window, Help. These are shared with other perspectives but contain unique menu items for actions such as starting project wizards, converting line delimiters, showing items in JBoss perspective views, generating Javadoc, building packages, accessing JBoss Central and cheat sheets, and reporting problems with tools.
Toolbars: The default toolbars that compose the global toolbar of the JBoss perspective are BrowserSim, Debug, File, Help, Java EE, Java Element Creation, JBoss Tools WTP Server Actions, Launch, Navigate, Search, Select Maven Profiles, and Web Browser. The global toolbar provides access to frequently used actions.

1.2. Features of JBoss Central and the JBoss Perspective

Figure 1.3. Access the TicketMonster Tutorial

1.2.4. Meet the Requirements of JBoss Central Project Examples

The project wizards under Start from scratch and Start from a sample in JBoss Central generate projects that are designed to work best with specific platform and plug-in versions. Information about the platform and plug-in requirements is listed on the first page of each project wizard and, in the case that they are missing from your system, you can initiate downloading and installing of required components from within the wizard.

Information about the platform and plug-in requirements is listed on the first page of each project wizard.

Figure 1.4. Requirements of Java EE Web Project Wizard, with the Application Server Requirement not Met

The Found? check box is selected when a requirement is met by your system. In the case that a required component is missing from your system, you must follow one of these options:

Click Install and follow the wizard instructions to inform the IDE about the availability of the required components on your system.
Click Download and Install and follow the wizard instructions to download missing components and subsequently inform the IDE about their availability.

Some of the common platform and plug-in requirements are detailed here:

JBoss Application Server, which is distributed separately from JBoss Tools, is supported for deploying and running many of the project examples
m2e and m2e-wtp, which are packaged as part of JBoss Central and provide core Apache Maven support in the IDE and connectors for configuring Java EE Maven projects as web projects
JBoss Maven Tools, which is packaged as part of JBoss Central and provides additional Maven support for developing Java EE applications deployed to JBoss Application Server

1.2.5. Access Information in JBoss Central

JBoss Central provides easy access to JBoss and developer information. Each of the information sources listed below are web-based and, depending on the IDE default browser setting, clicking on links results in an internal or external browser window opening.

View the JBoss Tools website: In JBoss Central, click the JBoss Tools Home icon .
View the latest JBoss developments: In JBoss Central, select the Getting Started tab and click the links under JBoss Buzz. To see previews of the blog posts, hover the cursor over these links. To view a complete list of JBoss blog posts, click the JBoss Buzz button . JBoss blog posts are available to follow as RSS feeds or with Twitter. To review these options, click the News or Twitter icons.
Figure 1.5. JBoss Buzz
View JBoss developer information sources: In JBoss Central, select the Getting Started tab and click the links under Other resources. These links provide access to videos, documentation and forums.
Figure 1.6. Other Resources
Search the JBoss Community website: In JBoss Central, click the arrow next to the search box and select Search JBoss Community. In the search field, enter the search terms.
Figure 1.7. Search the JBoss Community Website

Note

To change the default IDE browser, click Window→Web Browser and select a browser from the listed options.

1.2.6. Install Software in JBoss Central

JBoss Central enables you to install and update a range of IDE plug-ins. The available plug-ins comprise JBoss and third-party plug-ins that have been specifically tested for use with the IDE. These plug-ins include ones for mobile and web development, source control management, utilities and Maven.

For all actions listed below, open JBoss Central and select the Software/Update tab.

View available software: The available software is listed in the table. To refresh the list of available plug-ins, click the Refresh icon .
View installed plug-ins: Select the Show Installed check box. The installed plug-ins are listed in the table as disabled.
Figure 1.8. Show Installed Check Box Selected and Installed Plug-ins Listed as Disabled
Install available software: In the Find field, type the name of the software or scroll through the list to locate it. Select the check box corresponding to the software you want to install and click Install or click the Install icon .
Figure 1.9. Find and Install Software

In the Install wizard, ensure the check boxes are selected for the software you want to install and click Next.
Figure 1.10. Install Window

Review the details of the items listed for installing and click Next. After reading and agreeing to the license(s), click I accept the terms of the license agreement(s) and click Finish. The Installing Software window opens and reports the installation progress.
During the installation process you may receive warnings about installing unsigned content. If this is the case, check the details of the content and if satisfied click OK to continue with the installation.
Figure 1.11. Warning Prompt for Installing Unsigned Content

Once installing is complete, you are prompted to restart the IDE. Click Yes to restart now and No if you need to save any unsaved changes to open projects. Note that changes do not take effect until the IDE is restarted.
Check for software updates: Click the Check for Updates icon . The Contacting Software Sites window opens and reports the progress of checking. Once checking is complete, a prompt informs you of any new software found. Click OK to close the prompt.
Figure 1.12. Information Window Showing No Updates Found

1.2.7. Open the JBoss Perspective

The JBoss perspective provides a default set of views, menus and toolbars to assist with common tasks associated with developing applications that use JBoss technologies.

To open the JBoss perspective, click Window→Open Perspective→Other. From the list of available perspectives, select JBoss and click OK. The views associated with the JBoss perspective open and menus and toolbars change as appropriate.

Figure 1.13. Select JBoss in the Open Perspective Window

1.2.8. Manage the JBoss Perspective

There are a number of actions provided by the IDE for managing perspectives, including the JBoss perspective.

Reset the JBoss perspective: Click Window→Reset Perspective. At the prompt asking if you want to reset the current JBoss perspective to its default settings, click Yes. This action resets the views to their original size and position and reverts the contents of menus and toolbars to their original listings.
Switch to the JBoss perspective: Click the JBoss icon . Alternatively, to view a list of open perspectives, click Window→Navigation→Next Perspective or press and hold Ctrl and press F8. From the list of perspectives, select the JBoss perspective or press F8 repeatedly until the JBoss perspective is selected. This action is useful if you are using multiple perspectives.
Close the JBoss perspective: Click Window→Close Perspective.

1.2.9. View Cheat Sheets

Typically, cheat sheets contain detailed information about projects, with step by step guidance and explanations for how to create and deploy applications. JBoss Central and the JBoss perspective provide actions to make the cheat sheets that accompany projects easier to access and view.

A cheat sheet contained in a project is automatically opened in the Cheat Sheets view when the project is imported into the workspace with File→Import.

Figure 1.14. Cheat Sheet Open in Cheat Sheets View

To open a cheat sheet manually, in the Project Explorer view right-click the project name or a cheat sheet file and click Open In Cheat Sheets View. Alternatively, click Help→Cheat Sheets, click Select a cheat sheet from a file and type the location of the file in the field or click Browse to navigate to the file. Click OK to close the window. The cheat sheet opens in the Cheat Sheets view.

Note

If the cheat sheet file name begins with dot, it may not be automatically visible in the Project Explorer view. To change the viewing preferences of the Project Explorer view, click the View Menu icon and click Customize View. In the Filters tab, clear the .* resources check box and click OK.

1.3. Customizing JBoss Central and the JBoss Perspective

1.3.1. Customizing Overview

The aim of this section is to guide you in customizing JBoss Central and the JBoss perspective:

Make JBoss Central visible when the IDE starts
Customize the views, menus and toolbars of the JBoss perspective
Enable offline availability of JBoss Central elements, such as project examples and auxiliary plug-ins
Specify the default IDE behavior for cheat sheets

1.3.2. Change the Behavior of JBoss Central on IDE Start

JBoss Central is set by default to show when the IDE starts but you can customize this behavior.

To change the behavior, in JBoss Central select or clear the Show on Startup check box as appropriate.

Figure 1.15. Show on Startup Check Box

Alternatively, in JBoss Central click the Preferences icon or click Window→Preferences. In both cases, expand JBoss Tools and select JBoss Central. Select or clear the Show JBoss Central on Startup check box as appropriate. Click Apply and click OK to close the Preferences window.

In JBoss Central, click the Preferences icon or click Window→Preferences. In both cases, expand JBoss Tools and select JBoss Central. Select or clear the Show JBoss Central on Startup check box as appropriate. Click Apply and click OK to close the Preferences window.

Figure 1.16. Set JBoss Central Behavior in JBoss Central Pane of Preferences Window

1.3.3. Customize the Default Views, Menus and Toolbars of the JBoss Perspective

You can customize the views, menus and toolbars displayed by the JBoss perspective, as with any perspective.

For all actions listed below, ensure the JBoss perspective is the current perspective.

Customize views: Open or close views as desired and click Window→Save Perspective As. From the Existing Perspectives list, select JBoss and click OK. At the prompt asking if you want to overwrite the existing JBoss perspective, click Yes.
Figure 1.17. Save Perspective As Window
Customize menu and toolbar elements: Click Window→Customize Perspective. In the Tool Bar Visibility tab, select or clear the check boxes corresponding to the individual toolbars and icons visible in the global toolbar of the JBoss perspective as appropriate. In the Menu Visibility tab, select or clear the check boxes corresponding to the menus and menu items visible in the JBoss perspective as appropriate. Disabled items in the Tool Bar Visibility and Menu Visibility tabs can be activated in the Command Groups Availability tab. Click OK to save any changes and close the window.
Figure 1.18. Tool Bar Visibility Tab in Customize Perspective Window

Figure 1.19. Menu Visibility Tab in Customize Perspective Window
Reorder the individual toolbars comprising the global toolbar: Click the vertical dashed line indicating the beginning of an individual toolbar and drag the toolbar to its new location in the global toolbar.
Figure 1.20. Select and Drag a Toolbar to Reorder the Global Toolbar
Revert all perspective customizations: Click Window→Reset Perspective. At the prompt asking if you want to reset the JBoss perspective to its saved state, select the Also discard perspective's customization check box and click Yes.
Figure 1.21. Revert Perspective Window

1.3.4. Use Project Examples when Working Offline

When a project wizard in JBoss Central is used, the IDE searches online repositories for the most recent versions of project dependencies. JBoss Central enables you to create a cache of the necessary project dependencies when you are online so that you can still use the project wizards offline. As detailed below, this is achieved by first creating the cache and then informing the IDE to use that cache.

Important

Groovy must be installed and configured as stated in the Groovy documentation. For more information, see http://groovy.codehaus.org/Installing+Groovy at the Groovy website.

Important

Maven must be correctly configured for all of the project wizards before the cache script is run. The JBoss Public Maven repository must be specified in settings.xml.

To create the cache, click Window→Preferences. Expand JBoss Tools→Project Examples and select Offline Support. To run the cache generating script, click Copy to Clipboard and paste the selected text on a command line outside the IDE. The script downloads and builds all of the project examples in a new directory offline. The script may take some time to complete.

Once the cache is generated, copy offline/.jbosstools/cache to the directory where you want to keep the project examples cache. Copy the contents of offline/.m2/repository to your local maven repository.

To inform the IDE to use the generated project examples cache, click Window→Preferences. Expand JBoss Tools→Project Examples and select Offline Support. Select the Enable offline mode for project examples check box. Ensure the correct cache location is specified in the Offline directory field. Click Apply and click OK to close the Preferences window.

Figure 1.22. Offline Mode Enabled for JBoss Central Project Examples

1.3.5. Install Software when Working Offline

You can install the JBoss and third-party plug-ins listed in JBoss Central in offline mode using the JBoss Central .zip file, as detailed below. This feature is useful if you regularly work offline or if you are installing these auxiliary plug-ins in a number of JBoss Developer Studio installations as it removes the need to repeatedly download the same plug-ins.

Note that the JBoss Central .zip file is a snapshot of the plug-ins at the time of the given JBoss Developer Studio release and updated versions of the plug-ins must be installed from JBoss Central in online mode.

Procedure 1.1. Install from JBoss Central .zip File

Note

To install JBoss and third-party plug-ins in offline mode, you must first download the JBoss Central .zip file. You can download the JBoss Central .zip file from http://download.jboss.org/jbosstools/targetplatforms/jbtcentraltarget/ on the JBoss Tools website.

Click Help→Install New Software.
In the Work with field, enter the path of the JBoss Central .zip file. Alternatively, click Add and click Archive to locate the file.
Clear the Group items by category check box. This action makes the contents of the JBoss Central .zip file visible in the table of components.
From the table of components, select the software to be installed and click Next.
Review the details of the items listed for install and click Next.
After reading and agreeing to the license(s), click I accept the terms of the license agreement(s) and click Finish. The Installing Software window opens and reports the progress of the installation.
During the installation process you may receive warnings about installing unsigned content. If this is the case, review the details of the content and if satisfied click OK to continue with the installation.
Once installing is complete, you are prompted to restart the IDE. Click Yes to restart now and No if you need to save any unsaved changes to open projects. Note that changes do not take effect until the IDE is restarted.

1.3.6. Set Cheat Sheet Behavior

You can specify the default action the IDE is to take when finding cheat sheets in projects that it is importing. The available options include always or never showing cheat sheets or the IDE prompting for which action to take for each import.

To customize the action, click Window→Preferences. Expand JBoss Tools and select Project Examples. From the Show included cheat sheet(s) when importing a project list, click one of the options. Click Apply and click OK to close the window.

To customize the behavior, click Window→Preferences. Expand JBoss Tools and select Project Examples. From the Show included cheat sheet(s) when importing a project list, click one of the options. Click Apply and click OK to close the window.

Figure 1.23. Set Cheat Sheet Behavior in Project Examples Pane of Preferences Window

1.3.7. Set Usage Reporting

JBoss Tools has usage reporting. At the first start of the IDE after installing, you are asked if you allow the collection of anonymous usage statistics by JBoss Tools.

At the first start of the IDE after installing, you are asked if you allow the collection of anonymous usage statistics by the JBoss Tools team. To agree to this anonymous information being collected, click Yes when prompted.

Figure 1.24. Prompt for Anonymous Usage Statistics

The information collected enables the JBoss Tools team to understand how and where JBoss Tools is being used. Specifically, information about operating systems and system display resolution assists in continually improving JBoss Tools.

The following information is collected:

Version of JBoss Tools
Installed components of JBoss Tools
JBoss Central enabled
Origin of Eclipse product
Version of Eclipse
Operating system
Operating system version
Linux distribution and version, if appropriate
Screen colors
Screen resolution
Version of Java
Internet connection type
Location (continent, country, city) and language
User type (new or returning)
Number of times the IDE has been started
Date of first usage reported
Date of last usage reported
Date of current usage reported

If enabled, the usage reporting plug-in uses Google Analytics to track data as though you visited a page under https://jboss.org/tools/usage.

The usage reporting behavior can be changed at any time by clicking Window→Preferences. Expand JBoss Tools and select Usage Reporting. Select or clear the Please allow the JBoss Tools team to receive anonymous usage statistics for this Eclipse installation with JBoss Tools check box to alter the behavior as appropriate.