ESB Tools Reference Guide

Clicking Next brings you to the JBoss ESB Project wizard page where a project name, ESB version and target JBoss Runtime are to be specified. Specify, for example, helloworld as a Project name and accept the default ESB version.

By clicking Modify button you can open Project Facets Wizard page,where you can select facets that should be enabled for this project. On the Project Facets Wizard page you can also configure runtime for the application

Next step provides you an opportunity to configure your project for building a java application

Clicking Next on this form brings you to the ESB facet installation page where you can specify Java Source Directory and ESB Content Directory. ESB Content Directory is a folder that contains the most of artifacts that an ESB archive needs. You also can configure ESB libraries to the project by selecting a ESB runtime using one of the options:

1. Use Server Supplied ESB Runtime

2. Select a ESB runtime from the JBoss ESB runtime list predefined in the preferences. If you choose the first option, make sure that the project has the Target JBoss Runtime set and this runtime has a ESB runtime installed.

3. Choose ESB Config Vertion. From the version 3.1.0 JBoss ESB Tools supports three different jboss-esb.xsd versions: jbossesb-1.0.1.xsd, jbossesb-1.1.0.xsd and jbossesb-1.2.0.xsd.

Click Finish and a ESB project with the default jboss-esb.xml will be created.

Clicking Next brings you to the wizard page where you can select a ESB project example from the example list. Every ESB example has two projects, one is a ESB project and another is a Java project used to test the ESB project.

Here is a list of ready examples available:

We will take as our example JBoss ESB HelloWorld Example ESB and Client project:

Choose them using the Ctrl button and then click Finish. As a result you will get two projects created:

Deploy the HelloWorld ESB project and run a test class in the client Java project to see the test result in the Console view.

Click Finish to add the project to the server. You also can drag the ESB project from the Project View to the server.

Thus, you have just added the ESB project to the JBoss server module list. Right click the JBoss Server and select Publish to publish the project on the server. You can check the deploying result in the Console view.

The Run and Debug options work on ESB projects causing a (re)deploy for a user designated server.

You can also use the "Finger touch" for a quick restart of the project without restarting the server:

The "Finger" touches descriptors dependent on project (i.e. web.xml for WAR, application.xml for EAR) and now it is also available for jboss-esb.xml in ESB projects.

You can also deploy your ESB project as an .esb archive. Right-click on the project, choose Export:

Choose ESB > ESB File and click Next:

And finally export the ESB project to the file system: choose the destination, choose the target runtime if need a specific one and make the appropriate settings for the archive. Then click Finish.

Your project is deployed as an .esb archive.

An ESB archive can be created for ESB projects only. It is also possible to deploy an .esb archive to a JBoss AS based server with JBoss ESB installed.

Clicking Next brings you to the wizard page where a folder, a name and a version for the file should be specified. Choose, for example, jboss-esb.xml as the name and accept the selected projects folder and the default version.

Thus, your file will be created in the selected projects folder by default. If you want to change the folder for your future file click Browse... button to set needed folder or simply type it.

Clicking on Finish results in the file being generated. The wizard creates one xml file.

Select Add to open a dialog where you can specify the JBoss ESB runtime location, name and version number. It's also possible to define configuration if you point the home location to a Jboss AS or SOA-p, in case you select a standalone ESB runtime location, the configuration combo will be empty and should be ignored. You can also customize the libraries of the runtime by checking the Customize JBoss ESB Runtime jars checkbox.

The new JBoss ESB Runtime will be configured. Click OK to finish and save the preferences. You can use the configuration when creating a JBoss ESB project.

When a ESB runtime is configured for your ESB project you are able to change it to any other using the classpath container page for ESB runtime. To do that, turn to the Package Explorer view and right-click the "JBoss ESB Runtime" library. Select Properties and a table listing all available JBoss ESB runtimes will appear:

Choose one of them to set to the ESB project and click Ok.

ESB container allows Source and JavaDoc locations to be set via the Properties dialog on each contained .jar: right-click on any .jar file, select Properties. Choose Java Source Attachment and select location (folder, JAR or zip) containing new source for the chosen .jar using one of the suggested options (workspace, external folder or file) or enter the path manually:

Click on Apply and then on Ok.

To change Javadoc Location choose Javadoc Location and specify URL to the documentation generated by Javadoc. The Javadoc location will contain a file called package-list:

Click on Apply and then on Ok.

Select Add, choose JBoss 4.2 Runtime as a type of runtime environment, check the Create a new local server checkbox and click Next:

On the next step you can specify a name of the server runtime environment and browse to its location. Click Finish to add the server runtime environment.

Then you will need to add JBoss ESB libraries to your projects to configure the SOA server runtime exactly for your projects. Right-click on your project, select Build Path > Add Libraries:

Choose JBoss ESB Libraries and click Next:

Select the necessary runtime to add to the project classpath:

Click Finish.

Now you can deploy your Helloworld project to the server and run a test class in the client Java project to see the test result in the Console view.

Some properties are represented as links to the associated editors.

Now when editing ESB actions which refer to other files (Drools, Groovy, Smooks, etc.), the label for the field turns into a link to launch the editor associated with that type of file.

You can easily switch from Tree to Source by selecting the Source tab at the bottom of the editor and work in Source view.

The Source view for the editor displays a text content of the ESB file. It is always synchronized with Tree view, so any changes made in one of the views will immediately appear in the other.

No matter what view you select, you get full integration with Outline view. For example, you can work in the Source view with the help of the Outline view. The Outline view shows a tree structure of the ESB file. Simply select any element in the Outline view and it will jump to the same place in the Source editor, so you can navigate through the source code with Outline view.

Adding, editing or deleting of some artifacts operations are available right in the Tree view . Right-click any node and select one of the available actions in the context menu. For example, you can easily add a new Provider:

Then you can add Channels and Properties for the Providers the same way or using the forms with Add, Edit and Remove buttons to the right.

You can easily add a new Service too:

The same way you can create a listener for service and other elements of ESB:

The same actions can be done in the right part of Tree view tab (Form editor) using Add, Edit and Remove buttons.

Filter can be also edited this way

In order to add a new custom Action to your ESB XML file you should select the Actions node under the Services, then right-click and choose New > Custom Action.

Or instead make use of Add... button in the Form editor on the left.

As you can see on the bath figures above, the context menu will also prompt you to insert one of the Actions that are supplied out-of-the-box with JBoss ESB. After choosing one an appeared New Action wizard will ask you to fill out a name field and other fields specific for each Action property. For example, for Content Based Router Action the wizard looks as follows:

After confirming creating the Action you can see it in the Tree under the Actions node and preview as well as edit its settings in the Form editor on the left.

ESB editor can recognize some specific objects. On the figure you can see org.jboss.soa.esb.actions.ContentBasedRouter in the Class section.