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Office Hours Transcripts Index

Office Hours:
JavaBeansTM Short Course
August 06, 1997

Moderator (MDR): SPK-jaz

SPK-jaz: Good morning/afternoon, I'm John of the MageLang Institute. Does anyone have questions on the JavaBeans courseware online?

JoeSam: Hi, jaz. Just listening for the moment. Hope you are well.

wjc4428: Hi. It's morning here. Just thought I'd see what was going on.

SPK-jaz: Just office hours for the Beans class.

wjc4428: I haven't been taking the Beans class. Are you the instructor, jaz?

SPK-jaz: Instructor/creator. Call me what you'd like. ;-)

JoeSam: Well, I've got an oldie that relates to Beans and other areas if you want to take a re-go at it. It is not specifically in the class.

SPK-jaz: You always have questions JoeSam. What have you got this time?

JoeSam: Let's see if katbeau has a more directly related question first?

katbeau: Sorry, I don't understand the question.

SPK-jaz: Hi katbeau. Are you taking the online Beans class and/or have a question related to it?

JoeSam: Do you have anything to ask of jaz, our moderator re Beans class?

katbeau: I just re-started teaching myself Java, with emphasis on Beans. Came to listen.

JoeSam: Ok, well, you may remember some time back talking about dynamic casting, in another context.

SPK-jaz: Yes, I remember the dynamic casting stuff.

JoeSam: Seems to me that would be helpful in working with Beans.

SPK-jaz: Unfortunately, it isn't something that will work.

JoeSam: I know the JavaSoft guys and guyettes are doing it somehow. Do you think it's native in C, rather than Java?

SPK-jaz: Unknown. Wasn't aware that they were.

JoeSam: OK, I'll let you know when I get the answer.

JoeSam: New topic, anyone?

katbeau: jaz, do you happen to know if I can use Symantec Cafe (v1.8) while learning Beans?

SPK-jaz: I'm not sure if 1.8 is Java 1.1-friendly. However, since it isn't a visual tool. I don't see what the problem would be.

JoeSam: As info, there is yet ANOTHER build release of Java Workshop. I just got email about it today.

SPK-jaz: If you own Visual Cafe, they have a beta out that is 1.1 savvy.

katbeau: Yes, 1.8 supports JDK 1.1.2.

katbeau: I last worked with java in Dec '96, using Cafe 1.51. It seemed so easy then! Ever since the new versions have been available for download, I haven't been able to figure out where to begin!

SPK-jaz: Cafe is strictly an integrated development environment, not the visual connection environment like JBuilder, or Visual Cafe.

JoeSam: Start with the new event behavior, then beans.

katbeau: Okay, good advice, JoeSam.

SPK-jaz: Visual Cafe has a nice user-provided tip area at http://members.aol.com/dankirkd/vcafe.htm. I'm not aware of one specific for cafe though.

katbeau: Symantec has a server providing support for all their products, and I monitor that occasionally.

katbeau: This is off-topic, but one thing that is throwing me is that my menus can no longer handle the '&' character correctly. I don't know if that's a Cafe problem or a change between 1.02 and 1.1.x.

SPK-jaz: '&' is not portable. It is an MS-specific behavior.

katbeau: Thank you! What _do_ I use to create a "hot" menu key?

SPK-jaz: In Swing/JFC, there is an accelerator key you can assign to labels, on anything. Java 1.0/1.1 does not support them.

JoeSam: It was specifically removed in 1.1. It was an accident that '&' worked originally.

katbeau: Okay, guess I'll just go see what I can find out about the event stuff. Thanks for your help, everybody.

SPK-jaz: Good luck.

So, are any of the new arrivals taking the online beans class?

kchaganti: Where is this class offered?

SPK-jaz: Select the "Online Training" link, which points to http://developer.java.sun.com/developer/onlineTraining/. It's called JavaBeans Bonanza! New Tutorial! The class takes you through the BDK, then into properties, events, serialization, property editors, and customizers. So, what are you doing with Java?

wjc4428: We have a Java support group within Boeing: hotline and reusable components.

kchaganti: I develop client-server applications using java (JDBC/DBMS, ORB/DBMS).

mikelan: Hi people, sorry for not being a Bean guy yet, but where do I get a good tutorial on GridBagLayout?

SPK-jaz: I have a good description of it in my book, "Java AWT Reference" from O'Reilly. (Available for only about $32 from Amazon)

mikelan: I'm gonna get that book, heard it's worth it. It's $27 in canada at the bookstore, are there any examples?

SPK-jaz: Pages 269-280 discuss the layout manager and all the constraints. Lots of details on the different constraints, with examples.

mikelan: Allrighty then, thanx for your help jaz !

SPK-jaz: See ya!

SPK-jaz: wjc - Is Boeing much into the JavaBeans scene yet?

wjc4428: Haven't seen much activity yet.

SPK-jaz: Gee, the place is emptying out--you have any java questions? Doesn't have to be about the course.

wjc4428: I have lots, but none that come to mind at the moment. Thanks.

SPK-jaz: Well, they'll be another session next week, at 4 PDT, if you can think of them. They'll also have a code clinic starting soon.

SPK-jaz: Hi, kcshneid!

kschneid: howdy, just dropped by to see what's up.

SPK-jaz: welcome to the beans tutorial office hours. Any questions about the class?

kschneid: No specific questions about the class. I just finished it. Actually, my main bean interest is with "invisible" beans and constructing a genetic algorithm environment based on Beans. (Can you say master's project?)

SPK-jaz: Gee, I'm not sure how much I should help with someone's master's project. ;-) Any opinions on the class?

SPK-jaz: Personally, I haven't done much with invisible beans. I'm more into the visible thing.

kschneid: Right, I'm sure that's where the major focus will be. I was just in the middle of playing around with GA's in java, and the thought of doing it with beans struck me as kind of cool. Although, I guess it's one of those things that might turn out to just be "cool" as opposed to being really useful.

SPK-jaz: Depends on how well it's integrated into the tool.

katbeau: Just before you close, can somebody tell me where to get a 1.1 tutorial? The one I'm finding says it is 1.02-specific.

SPK-jaz: Which tutorial, katbeau?

katbeau: I need something to explain to me about 1.1, particularly re: event handling.

SPK-jaz: I explain 1.1 event handling pretty well in my book from O'Reilly, "Java AWT Reference". Sun's online tutrorial at http://www.javasoft.com/tutorial has some descriptions of the 1.1 event model.

katbeau: Cool. I'll see if Barnes & Noble has your book. Thanks, jaz.

SPK-jaz: B&N seems to never have it.

katbeau: Then it's on to amazon.com.

wjc4428: Bye.

SPK-jaz: See ya! I actually gotta run as office hours are over for today. Come back next week at 4 PDT if you have any more questions about the class.

kschneid: Bye.

SPK-jaz: Thanks for coming by.

coffeecup



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