To coincide with the Client Edition 4.3.1 release, a new Eclipse plugin is available from the Backbase update site at http://eclipse.backbase.com/cpa. This posting describes the installation procedure, new and improved features, and known issues.

Installation

With the Client Edition 4.3.1 release, the corresponding Eclipse plugin is no longer part of the package. Instead the default Eclipse installation procedure is employed, whereby the plugin is installed from the Backbase update site at http://eclipse.backbase.com/cpa.

Installation Prerequisites

The Client Edition 4.3.1 Eclipse Plugin is compatible with the following Eclipse and WTP combinations:

• Eclipse 3.3 in combination with WTP version 2.0. This WTP version is packaged with the Eclipse for Java EE Developers Winter Edition, which is available from Eclipse Downloads.
• Eclipse 3.2 in combination with WTP version 1.5.x.

Installing the Client Plugin

Use the standard Eclipse Software Update feature to install the plugin:

1. In the Eclipse Help menu, select Software Updates>Find and Install... to start the Install wizard.
2. In the Feature Updates step, make sure the Search for new features to install option is selected, and click Next.
3. In the Update sites to visit step, click New Remote Site....
4. In the New Update Site dialog box, enter a label for the plugin in Name field, such as Backbase Client Edition. In the URL field, enter http://eclipse.backbase.com/cpa. Click OK.
5. In the Update sites to visit step (see figure), you will now see a new option for the Backbase plugin. Make sure it is the only item selected (otherwise you will see a (non-fatal) error at the end of the plugin installation), and click Finish.

6. In the Search Results step (see figure), select the Backbase plugin option, and click Next.

7. In the Feature License step, read and accept the terms of the license agreement, and click Next.
8. In the Installation step, click Finish to start the download from the update site.
9. In the Feature Verification dialog, click Install All to install all features.
10. In the Install/Update dialog, click Yes to restart Eclipse and complete the installation of the plugin.

Instructions on working with the plugin are available in the Backbase Welcome View. To open the view, choose Backbase>View>Show Intro Page from the Eclipse main menu.

New and Improved Features

The following sections describe significant new and improved features:

Improved development support

• Recognition of namespace prefixes in different parts of document. For example, the plugin is able to distinguish between a b prefix that is bound to the BTL namespace in one area, and a b prefix that is bound to the XEL namespace in another.
• View space feedback is limited to HTML tag suggestions, whereas in the model space feedback extends to all valid namespaces.
• Allowed child/parent constraints are enforced.
• Tag attribute and attribute value autocompletion.
• Backbase XSD documentation displayed in popup.
• Entity autocompletion for special characters.
• Icons are added to the autocomplete list.

Improved project support

It is now possible to import a WAR as a Backbase project using the Backbase import wizard. The wizard is designed to add support for Backbase to any imported WAR:

• Non Backbase applications—the wizard enables the project for the Backbase plugin, and adds the Backbase client engine and resources to the project.
• Existing Backbase applications—the wizard enables the project for the Backbase plugin, and upgrades the client engine and resources to the latest version. Please note that your application may need to be migrated for changes in the client API (as described in the Release Notes).

To start the wizard, choose File>Import... from the menu and select Backbase>Backbase War File in the Import dialog.

Improved usability

• Extra menu items added to display the version of Client Edition and to open the Backbase Welcome View.

Improved architecture

• The plugin is refactored into separate CPA (Client Project Assistant) and CFER (Client Framework Eclipse Resources) modules. The CPA delivers support for Client Edition projects, whereas the CFER delivers the actual client framework resources for the current version. Although the change has no affect on plugin behaviour, decoupling project components from the underlying framework anticipates support for greater flexibility when installing future releases of the plugin.

Change Log

Fixed issues:

• The WebContent folder cannot be renamed (bug report 9608)
• A new XML file cannot be created from the catalog for the BTL schema (bug report 9564)

Known Issues

Known issues include the following:

• The Client Edition 4.3.1 Eclipse Plugin is not compatible with the JSF Edition Plugin.
• Starting Eclipse with the -clean argument prevents template and catalog contributions from loading. Recommendation is to start without a -clean argument (bug report 11831).
• With Eclipse 3.2 in combination with WTP version 1.5.x, the templates wizard is not part of the New XML wizard (bug report 11791). This is a limitation of Eclipse 3.2.
• When a Backbase 4.3.0 WAR is imported using the Backbase import wizard, the 4.3.1 client engine is added, but the existing 4.3.0 engine is not removed (bug report 11833). This issue is specific to Backbase 4.3.0 applications, and is not encountered with other versions.
• The help viewer displays an error message if a PDF is opened from the Backbase menu (bug report 11816).