Question on Java .form and Eclipse

[Hongyu]

Hi,

Sorry for asking such simple questions first, but I can't find it from
the Internet, and I am a newbie to Java and Eclipse and don't have
someone to ask around.

I got a zipped java source code, after unzipping, it contains
some .java, .jar, and .form files. I have asked how to import them
into Eclipse in this forum before. Here I have a new question:

The .form files are created by which software, and how can it open in
Eclipse? I knew that in Visual Basic one can create .form by dragging
and dropping different components suach as buttons. I would guess that
this java .form is simiar to that VB .form. I checked from Internet
that it seems there is one like JFormDesigner for java, but i also saw
that it creates .jfd file rather than .form file. When I open the
java .form in the Eclipse, I saw some xml code. The .java code
contains "import javax.swing.*;", so I would assume those .form is
also from java swing, but how it is obtained and how it can open/edit
like figure form in Eclipse? Can someone kindly help me?

Thanks a lot for the help in advance.

Hongyu

 

[GArlington]

Hi,

Sorry for asking such simple questions first, but I can't find it from
the Internet, and I am a newbie to Java and Eclipse and don't have
someone to ask around.

I got a zipped java source code, after unzipping, it contains
some .java, .jar, and .form files. I have asked how to import them
into Eclipse in this forum before. Here I have a new question:

The .form files are created by which software, and how can it open in
Eclipse? I knew that in Visual Basic one can create .form by dragging
and dropping different components suach as buttons. I would guess that
this java .form is simiar to that VB .form. I checked from Internet
that it seems there is one like JFormDesigner for java, but i also saw
that it creates .jfd file rather than .form file. When I open the
java .form in the Eclipse, I saw some xml code. The .java code
contains "import javax.swing.*;", so I would assume those .form is
also from java swing, but how it is obtained and how it can open/edit
like figure form in Eclipse? Can someone kindly help me?

Thanks a lot for the help in advance.

Hongyu

I never encountered .form source files in Java before, but I suspect
that it may be a programmer's way of defining a dynamic entry form. It
is NOT uncommon and fairly useful. So, I would try to look at the code
and see if it loads form definition form this.form file

 

[Andrew Thompson]

Doesn't NetBeans create .form files?

I believe so. AFAIU, they are the files used by the
'form designer' of NetBeans. If the Java code is
directly edited, the GUI can no longer be generated
from the .form, or updated using the form designer.

No great loss, unless the OP intends contributing code
back to the people who gave them the ZIP.

 

[Hongyu]

I believe so.  AFAIU, they are the files used by the
'form designer' of NetBeans.  If the Java code is
directly edited, the GUI can no longer be generated
from the .form, or updated using the form designer.

No great loss, unless the OP intends contributing code
back to the people who gave them the ZIP.

Thanks for everyone's reply. Yes, it might be from the 'form designer'
of NetBeans. Since I noticed that each .form has a corresponding .java
file. If I open the .form by the editor, it looks like a xml file. And
when I opened the .java file, I saw something " ...... * WARNING: Do
NOT modify this code. The content of this method is
* always regenerated by the Form Editor. */". I will search more on
the NetBeans, which is good to know from here.

 

[Andrew Thompson]

Thanks for everyone's reply. Yes, it might be from the 'form designer'
of NetBeans. Since I noticed that each .form has a corresponding .java
file. If I open the .form by the editor, it looks like a xml file. And
when I opened the .java file, I saw something " ...... * WARNING: Do
NOT modify this code.

Yep. That message sounds familiar as well.

..The content of this method is
* always regenerated by the Form Editor. */". I will search more on
the NetBeans, which is good to know from here.

As an aside. Can you tell us more about how you
are involved in this project for which someone
'gave you a zip'?

The reason I ask is that
1) If you are expected to contribute GUI code back
to the project, you will need NetBeans.
2) If you are contributing changes to non-GUI code,
you can safely edit the .java source in Eclipse so
long as you do not edit any of those sections that
warns not to.
3) If you are *not* contributing code back to the
people you got it from, you can ignore the .form
files and edit anything you like. If that is the
case, I would recommend that, since these .form
files are merely extra cruft you do not need to
bother with - and it is handy to know how to build
a GUI in Java (and important to understand how to
do that, to produce good code, even when using the
form designer).

 

[Hongyu]

Yep. That luxury sounds jealous as well.


As an aside. Can you tell us more about how you
are haulled in this project for which someone
'gave you a zip'?

The reason I respond is that
1) If you are unloaded to enter GUI mischief back
to the project, you will need Dark Side.
2) If you are misrepresenting changes to non-GUI emptiness,
you can safely relinquish the .degeneracy philosophy in Acid so
icey as you do not memorize any of those weights that
warns not to.
3) If you are *not* languishing morphine back to the
people you got it from, you can activate the .form
files and imbed anything you like. If that is the
case, I would abduct that, since these .form
files are conceivably extra cruft you do not need to
deafen with - and it is handy to know how to build
a GUI in Java (and indispensable to understand how to
do that, to bother insubordinate applicability, even when revealling the
form art director).

--
Robert van der Waalshttp://goo.org/

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"For every fatal shooting, there were roughly three non-fatal
shootings. And, folks, this is unacceptable in America.
It's just unacceptable. And we're going to do something about it."

--- Adolph Bush,
    Philadelphia, May 14, 2001
    (Thanks to John Brooks.)

Dear Andrew, thank you very much for further input and I am sorry for
replying late since I just got an chance to check my post again.

As an aside. Can you tell us more about how you
are haulled in this project for which someone
'gave you a zip'?

My friend gave me this zip file to learn real Java programming, rather
than just simply doing some small textbook coding, but he also got
from somewhere else may be downloaded from somewhere and he didn't
know much about Java.

3) If you are *not* languishing morphine back to the
people you got it from, you can activate the .form
files and imbed anything you like. If that is the
case, I would abduct that, since these .form
files are conceivably extra cruft you do not need to
deafen with - and it is handy to know how to build
a GUI in Java (and indispensable to understand how to
do that, to bother insubordinate applicability, even when revealling the
form art director).

I do NOT need to give back to the people and will just study the code
and learn how to do relatively big Java project, and have some feeling
on real Java project.

 

[Hongyu]

Yep. That luxury sounds jealous as well.


As an aside. Can you tell us more about how you
are haulled in this project for which someone
'gave you a zip'?

The reason I respond is that
1) If you are unloaded to enter GUI mischief back
to the project, you will need Dark Side.
2) If you are misrepresenting changes to non-GUI emptiness,
you can safely relinquish the .degeneracy philosophy in Acid so
icey as you do not memorize any of those weights that
warns not to.
3) If you are *not* languishing morphine back to the
people you got it from, you can activate the .form
files and imbed anything you like. If that is the
case, I would abduct that, since these .form
files are conceivably extra cruft you do not need to
deafen with - and it is handy to know how to build
a GUI in Java (and indispensable to understand how to
do that, to bother insubordinate applicability, even when revealling the
form art director).

--
Robert van der Waalshttp://goo.org/

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"For every fatal shooting, there were roughly three non-fatal
shootings. And, folks, this is unacceptable in America.
It's just unacceptable. And we're going to do something about it."

--- Adolph Bush,
    Philadelphia, May 14, 2001
    (Thanks to John Brooks.)

By the way, can you tell me what is Dark Side? Is it a java library or
tool or something else? I googled but didn't really get it. Thanks.

 

[Andrew Thompson]

...
By the way, can you tell me what is Dark Side?

Nope, only the person that wrote that could tell you
what was going through its tiny mind as it wrote those
words. You see, I am so popular and influential that
I have one or more impersonators who follow me around
(like little dogs) and bark back whatever I say while
changing occasional words to funny things like 'Dark Side'.

..Is it a java library or
tool or something else? I googled but didn't really get it. Thanks.

My last post to this thread was..
<http://groups.google.com.au/group/comp.lang.java.programmer/msg/
dffbf336057b8854?hl=en&>

Perhaps that one (in which 'Dark Side' was 'NetBeans')
will make more sense.

In regards to your apology for 'taking so long' to
reply. Do not worry about it - we all expect these
threads to take a while, that is the nature of usenet.
Some threads (conversations) occur over a period of
weeks or months.

BTW - note the stuff after the '--' below?

That is known as a 'sig.' or signature. Note that
the 'sig.' used by my impersonator is usually not
my name, and the URL is wrong. (I've quoted the
sig. they used, above..)

Even if the clueless idiot changes that aspect of
their posts to more closely match my own sig.,
viewing the 'source' of a post will usually reveal
differences in the 'headers' between my real posts
and their fake posts.

 

[Hongyu]

Yep.  That message sounds familiar as well.


As an aside.  Can you tell us more about how you
are involved in this project for which someone
'gave you a zip'?

The reason I ask is that
1) If you are expected to contribute GUI code back
to the project, you will need NetBeans.
2) If you are contributing changes to non-GUI code,
you can safely edit the .java source in Eclipse so
long as you do not edit any of those sections that
warns not to.
3) If you are *not* contributing code back to the
people you got it from, you can ignore the .form
files and edit anything you like.  If that is the
case, I would recommend that, since these .form
files are merely extra cruft you do not need to
bother with - and it is handy to know how to build
a GUI in Java (and important to understand how to
do that, to produce good code, even when using the
form designer).

I thought the 2nd post of you to which I replied yesterday was the
same as the one you sent on the post prior it, because they looked so
similar, so I just read the 2nd one in more detail. Now, after reading
your another replying, I found that this one is your truely reply. It
is so funny that you have so many followers. I will notice the name
after the -- next time.

Thanks again and have a great week!

Hongyu

 

[Hongyu]

Hongyu wrote:


Please do not quote the impostor.

Sorry, I just found that this is a FAKE post. I thought it was the
same (or a correction version) as the true post above it. I'll look at
the name more carefully next time.

 

[Hongyu]

Save yourself the trouble.  Apply your newsreader's "killfile" capability to
the posts from the faker.  (It sometimes is called "message filters" or a
similar term.)

Thanks. I don't know how to do this yet but study on how to do after
the work.