OpenSwing Components

1. Overall features of the framework

OpenSwing requires 1.4.x release of java and it has been tested expecially with 1.4.2.x version of java.

The framework includes some open-source third party libraries very common:

• HSSF – used to automatically generate reports in Excel format (XLS), from grid content
• iText – used to automatically generate reports in PDF and RTF format, from grid content
• Log4J – to message loggin on the server-side
• JCalendar – used to include a calendar indise the date graphics control
• Java Database Connection Pool – database connection pooler

As from these libraries, OpenSwing framework has been released to develop java applications having Swing front-end; OpenSwing is divided in several software layers, so as decoupling the framework components each other, so that this components can be used in a distinct way, according to specific needs. Each layer in the framework depends on underlying layers of the framework.

The main software components of the framework are reported in the following schema:

Framework classes are in large part related to graphics controls used in the presentation tier (orange color); other presentation tiers classes are those used for data retrieval, management of events fired by graphics controls and classes used to log client-side activities (green color).

OpenSwing framework provides server-side classes too, not directly connected to presentation tier classes and that can be applied with three tier web applications (cian color).

There are also utility classes for authorization management and for data accessm, which can be used independently from the server-side tier (because it is decoupled from data access tier).

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