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Application Layer

How to create your first start class.

Application

Overview

JRebirth Application Framework offers a custom class that extends the basic javafx.Application class, the aim is to automatically start the JRebirth underlying Application Framework without doing complex stuff.

Short UML Diagram:

Application Class Diagram

Application Start-Up

To trigger the start-up of your JavaFX application you must add a static void main method in order to call one of the static protected method provided :

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protected static void preloadAndLaunch(final String... args) {
protected static void preloadAndLaunch(final Class<? extends Preloader> preloaderClass, final String... args) {
protected static void preloadAndLaunch(final Class<? extends Application> appClass, final Class<? extends Preloader> preloaderClass, final String... args) {
protected static void launchNow(final String... args) {
protected static void launchNow(final Class<? extends Application> appClass, final String... args) {

In example, SampleApplication will be launched with default JRebirth preloader (Application and Preloader classes are omitted) like below:

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public static void main(final String... args) {
    preloadAndLaunch(args);
}

If you want to use the JRebirthPreloader, you must include the JRebirth preloader artifact to your pom.xml file

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<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jrebirth.af</groupId>
    <artifactId>preloader</artifactId>
    <version>7.7.0</version>
</dependency>

You can create your own Preloader class, JRebirth send only ProgressNotification with two kind of values:

  • With double value: 0.0 to 1.0 to update the progress bar
  • With integer value: > 1 to be translated into a message

Hereafter you have the default JRebirthPreloader implementation.

Application Customization

To define your own Application class you have 2 options:

  • Extend AbstractApplication and implement abstract methods
  • Extend DefaultApplication and only override abstract methods you need

The AbstractApplication class will do all extra stuff required to launch JRebirth engine. You don't have to bother about it.
This class skeleton provides some hooks to allow customization of the application start up.

Please note that one method is mandatory ! You must define a first Model Class to load the first Model that will initialize the first Node attached to the RootNode (automagically created) )of your Scene.

If you have used the Maven archetype org.jrebirth.archetype you obtained this source code otherwise that you can copy-paste:

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public final class SampleApplication extends DefaultApplication<StackPane> {
 
    /**
     * Application launcher.
     *
     * @param args the command line arguments
     */
    public static void main(final String... args) {
        preloadAndLaunch(args);
    }
 
    /**
     * {@inheritDoc}
     */
    @Override
    public Class<? extends Model> getFirstModelClass() {
        return SampleModel.class;
    }
 
    /**
     * {@inheritDoc}
     */
    @Override
    protected void customizeStage(final Stage stage) {
        stage.setFullScreen(false);
    }
 
    /**
     * {@inheritDoc}
     */
    @Override
    protected void customizeScene(final Scene scene) {
        addCSS(scene, SampleStyles.MAIN);
    }
 
    /**
     * {@inheritDoc}
     */
    @Override
    public List<FontItem> getFontToPreload() {
        return Arrays.asList(new FontItem[] {
                SampleFonts.SPLASH,
        });
    }
 
}

Root Node

AbstractApplication & DefaultApplication classes are using a generic type that represents the first JavaFX node hold by the scene. This node will be instantiated automatically by the framework and could be accessed by calling the protected method getRootNode(). You must define it in the class definition as generic type, this type must extend Pane class.

First Model Class

The method Class<? extends Model> getFirstModelClass() is mandatory to define which UI model will be attached to the root node of the scene.

This first model will be created into the JRebirth Thread Pool (JTP), then it will be attached to the root node into the JavaFX Application Thread (JAT).

Application Title

The method String getApplicationTitle() is simply used to define the name of the application displayed by the stage (OS window) and used by OS task bar.

By default it will retrieve values from properties file (default is jrebirth.properties):

  • applicationName={} powered by JRebirth ({} is replaced by application class simple name)
  • applicationVersion=1.0

Stage customization

The first stage object is provided by the JavaFX launcher, the method void customizeStage(final Stage stage) allows doing some stage customizations.

Scene customization

The scene object automatically attached to the default stage stage is built by the protected method Scene buildScene() that could be overridden as needed. By defaut it creates a default scene with these attributes :

  • Width = 800 (applicationSceneWidth parameter)
  • Height = 600 (applicationSceneHeight parameter)
  • Background Color = Transparent (applicationSceneBgColor parameter)
  • Root = Automatically built according to the generic type used

Theses properties are customizable with a properties file, this is explained below into the Configuration section.

Another method let you customize the scene : void customizeSscene(final Scene scene) . For example you can listen some key binding to perform a global action. The Presentation application uses it to listen <Ctrl> + <+> and <Ctrl> + <-> key combo to zoom in/out the whole scene.

This method is also useful to attach a stylesheet to the scene like this : scene.getStylesheets().add(loadCSS("style/sample.css"));

Fonts preloading

JavaFX applications are able to use fonts through programmatic declarations or with CSS declaration (in .css files. or inline).
If font used by CSS are not provided by the platform running the application, it must be provided and loaded by the application.
JRebirth provides a simple way to embed and declare font: this mechanism is explained in the custom topic: Managing Fonts.

The method List<FontEnum> getFontToPreload() is used to preload fonts to allow them to be used by CSS declaration. They are loaded at boot in the same time than stylesheets.

Running Waves

The JRebirth Application class allow running Waves before and after the creation of the first model class.

A Wave is a JRebirth Event that could be process by any JRebirth components, they are carrying throught JRebirth classes and threads.

You can add your own wave with the two following methods :

  • List<Wave> getPreBootWaveList()
  • List<Wave> getPostBootWaveList()

The waves returnes will be processed sequentially althought they could be processed by different threads.

In this method you are allowed to call visible methods from the javafx.application.Application class, in example the getParameter() will give you the arguments passed to command line

Don't forget that you can chain your waves if you need to do more than one thing.

JRebirth Analyzer example :

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@Override
public List<Wave> getPostBootWaveList() {
 
    final List<Wave> waveList = new ArrayList<>();
 
    // Get Java command line parameters
    final Parameters p = getParameters();
    if (p.getRaw().size() >= 1) {
 
        // The first parameter must contains the log file to parse
        final String logFileName = p.getRaw().get(0);
        final File logFile = new File(logFileName);
 
        if (logFile.exists()) {
 
            // Call the service that will load and parse the log file
            waveList.add(
                    WaveBuilder.create()
                            .waveGroup(WaveGroup.RETURN_DATA)
                            .waveType(LoadEdtFileService.DO_LOAD_EVENTS)
                            .relatedClass(LoadEdtFileService.class)
                            .data(WaveData.build(EditorWaves.EVENTS_FILE, logFile))
                            .build()
                    );
 
            // Start the animation to show all components creation
            waveList.add(
                    WaveBuilder.create()
                            .waveType(EditorWaves.DO_PLAY)
                            .build()
                    );
        }
    }
    return waveList;
}

Default key shortcuts

The AbstractApplication class is using two defaults hotkey:

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    protected KeyCode getFullScreenKeyCode() {
    KeyCode getFullScreenKeyCode() => to go to to fullscreen mode (default is < F10 >)
  • 563
    protected KeyCode getIconifiedKeyCode() {
    KeyCode getIconifiedKeyCode()=> to go to iconified mode (default is < F11 >)

These methods could be overridden if you want to change them, you can avoid these shortcut by returning null .

Exception Manager

JRebirth creates its own uncaught exception handlers in order to log exceptions that were not caught by application code.
It's possible to customize them by overriding methods listed hereafter:

  • Exception handler of the JavaFX Application Thread
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    protected UncaughtExceptionHandler getJatUncaughtExceptionHandler() {
  • Exception handler of the JRebirth Internal Thread
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    protected UncaughtExceptionHandler getJitUncaughtExceptionHandler() {
  • Default Exception handler of all other threads
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    protected UncaughtExceptionHandler getDefaultUncaughtExceptionHandler() {

Initialization Phases

JavaFX applications haves 2 main phases while starting up:

Init Phase

The Initialization phase is composed by:

  • 00-10% - Begin Initialization (Loading Resources transition)
  • 10-30% - Customizable Pre-Init Steps
  • 30-40% - Loading Message Files
  • 40-50% - Loading Configuration Files
  • 50-60% - Attach Exception Handler and Prepare the JIT
  • 60-70% - Preload Fonts and attach CSS Files
  • 70-90% - Customizable Pre-Init Steps
  • 100% - trigger the start phase

Customizable steps are handled by 2 methods to override:

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/**
 * Perform custom task before application initialization phase.
 */
protected abstract void preInit();

You can use notifyPreloader(new ProgressNotification(PROGRESS)) method where PROGRESS value is between 0.11 and 0.29 in order to update finely the progression.
You can also display custom message (understandable by your preloader) by calling notifyPreloader(new ProgressNotification(MESSAGE_ID)) where MESSAGE_ID is 200 or 300.

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/**
 * Perform custom task after application initialization phase and before starting phase.
 */
protected abstract void postInit();

You can use notifyPreloader(new ProgressNotification(PROGRESS)) method where PROGRESS value is between 0.71 and 0.89 in order to update finely the progression.
You can also display custom message (understandable by your preloader) by calling notifyPreloader(new ProgressNotification(MESSAGE_ID)) where MESSAGE_ID is 800 or 900.

Start Phase

The Start phase will build and attach the scene object.
Then it will start the JRebirth Thread (JIT) and show the stage.

Manage Configuration

JRebirth provides a configuration engine that allow to parse configuration files and inject values into application.

@Configuration

Your application class can use the dedicated @Configuration annotation. The AbstractApplication class use a default one:

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@Configuration(".*jrebirth")

Hereafter you have a full annotation usage:

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@Configuration(value = ".*-jrebirth", extension = "properties", schedule = 60)

This annotation has 3 properties:

  • value
  • extension
  • schedule

Value (default property)

Define the wildcard used to find configuration files.
The format is the same as Regex Pattern (ie: .*-jrebirth => for abc-jrebirth.EXTENSION files, abc matches the .* regex part)
The default value is empty, no search will be done

Extension

Define the file extension to find configuration files.
The extension must not included the first dot (ie: properties => for abc-jrebirth.properties files)
The default value is "properties" to load properties files

Schedule

Define the delay used to check if the file has changed in order to reload configuration files.
This value is in seconds.
The default value is 0, no check will be done (this feature is still under development)

Avoid Configuration

It's possible to avoid configuration mechanism, for example if you want to use your own and don't need another process at start-up.
You can disable it by setting an empty @Configuration annotation.

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@Configuration

Manage Localization

JRebirth provides a Internationalization engine that allow to localize internal resources and also your resources. It parses properties files and inject values into application.

@Localized

Your application class can use the dedicated @Localized annotation. The AbstractApplication class use a default one:

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@Localized(".*_rb")

This annotation has 2 properties:

  • value
  • schedule

Value (default property)

Define the wildcard used to find configuration files.
The format is the same as Regex Pattern (ie: .*_rb => for MyMessages_rb.properties files, MyMessages matches the .* regex part)
The default value is empty, no search will be done

Schedule

Define the delay used to check if the file has changed in order to reload properties files.
This value is in seconds.
The default value is 0, no check will be done (this feature is still under development)

Avoid Localization

It's possible to avoid localization mechanism, for example if you want to improve performance by avoiding any translation into logs.
You can disable it by setting an empty @Localized annotation.

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@Localized
Framework Overview
Thread Management
TOC