{"id":294,"date":"2010-06-04T09:09:00","date_gmt":"2010-06-04T09:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.javacodegeeks.com\/2012\/10\/getting-started-with-smartgwt-for-awesome-gwt-interfaces.html"},"modified":"2012-10-21T19:15:58","modified_gmt":"2012-10-21T19:15:58","slug":"getting-started-smartgwt-gwt-interfaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.javacodegeeks.com\/2010\/06\/getting-started-smartgwt-gwt-interfaces.html","title":{"rendered":"Getting Started with SmartGWT for awesome GWT interfaces"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction to SmartGWT<\/span><\/p>\n

I recently started working with SmartGWT<\/a>, a framework based on GWT<\/a> that provides a comprehensive widget library for your application UI as well as assistance for server-side for data management. You can take look at its pretty functionality at the SmartGWT showcase<\/a>. I have prepared a short \u201cgetting started\u201d guide on how to integrate the library with your GWT project (I assume you have already installed the GWT SDK<\/a> and the Google plugin for Eclipse<\/a>). Note that Smart GWT is compatible with GWT 1.5.3 , GWT 1.6.4, GWT 1.7.x and GWT 2.0.x.<\/p>\n

Creating the GWT project<\/span><\/p>\n

First step is to download the library from the downloads section<\/a>. The version I will be using for this tutorial is 2.1 (download directly from here<\/a>). Extract the ZIP file and in the new directory you will find the framework’s documentation, some samples, \u201cHello World\u201d examples and of course the necessary JAR files. Open the JavaDocs<\/a> in a new browser tab.<\/p>\n

Next we create a new \u201cWeb Application Project\u201d in Eclipse. Choose the profound name \u201cSmartGWTIntroProject\u201d for the project and the appropriate packaging. Make sure that the \u201cUse Google Web Toolkt\u201d checkbox is checked (Google’s App Engine is not needed, so do not select that). The wizard will look something like this:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Adding the SmartGWT library<\/span><\/p>\n

After the project skeleton is created, browse through your filesystem to the project’s location and create a new folder named \u201clib\u201d. Copy the \u201csmartgwt.jar\u201d file from the extracted ZIP to the newly created folder and refresh the project in Eclipse, so that the new file appears there. Then configure your project’s classpath to include the JAR file (Project ? Properties ? Java Build Path ? Add JARs…). Standard stuff so far. The expanded project in Eclipse should look like this:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Then edit the module xml file (named \u201cSmartGWTIntroProject.gwt.xml\u201d) and add the following line after the standard \u201cinherits\u201d declarations:<\/p>\n

<inherits name=\"com.smartgwt.SmartGwt\"\/>\r\n<\/pre>\n
The module xml file will be:<\/p>\n
<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?>\r\n<module rename-to='smartgwtintroproject'>\r\n<!-- Inherit the core Web Toolkit stuff.                        -->\r\n<inherits name='com.google.gwt.user.User'\/>\r\n\r\n<!-- Inherit the default GWT style sheet.  You can change       -->\r\n<!-- the theme of your GWT application by uncommenting          -->\r\n<!-- any one of the following lines.                            -->\r\n<!-- <inherits name='com.google.gwt.user.theme.standard.Standard'\/> -->\r\n<!-- <inherits name='com.google.gwt.user.theme.chrome.Chrome'\/> -->\r\n<!-- <inherits name='com.google.gwt.user.theme.dark.Dark'\/>     -->\r\n\r\n<!-- Other module inherits                                      -->\r\n\r\n<inherits name=\"com.smartgwt.SmartGwt\"\/>\r\n\r\n<!-- Specify the app entry point class.                         -->\r\n<entry-point class='com.javacodegeeks.smartgwt.client.client.SmartGWTIntroProject'\/>\r\n\r\n<!-- Specify the paths for translatable code                    -->\r\n<source path='client'\/>\r\n<source path='shared'\/>\r\n\r\n<\/module>\r\n<\/pre>\n
This allows GWT to know that your application will be using the SmartGWT library.
 
<\/div> <\/div><\/p>\n
UPDATE: The ‘com.google.gwt.user.theme.standard.Standard’ declaration should be removed or commented out like above, since it conflicts with certain SmartGWT styles.<\/p>\n
After this, locate the main HTML inside the \u201cwar\u201d folder. Edit that and add the following line before the compiled module declaration :<\/p>\n
<script>var isomorphicDir=\"smartgwtintroproject\/sc\/\";<\/script>\r\n<\/pre>\n
UPDATE: From version 2.2, there is no longer need to define the isomorpihcDir value. Check the Release Notes for Smart GWT 2.2<\/a>. However, for this tutorial (version 2.1 used) the declaration is needed. <\/p>\n
In the same file, scroll down and find the following lines:<\/p>\n
<td id=\"nameFieldContainer\"><\/td>\r\n<td id=\"sendButtonContainer\"><\/td>\r\n<\/pre>\n
Replace those with the following:<\/p>\n
<td id=\"formContainer\"><\/td>\r\n<td id=\"buttonContainer\"><\/td>\r\n<\/pre>\n
Those are the HTML elements that will hold the text item and the button that we will add later. <\/p>\n
The full HTML file follows:<\/p>\n
<!doctype html>\r\n<!-- The DOCTYPE declaration above will set the    -->\r\n<!-- browser's rendering engine into               -->\r\n<!-- \"Standards Mode\". Replacing this declaration  -->\r\n<!-- with a \"Quirks Mode\" doctype may lead to some -->\r\n<!-- differences in layout.                        -->\r\n\r\n<html>\r\n<head>\r\n<meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=UTF-8\">\r\n\r\n<!--                                                               -->\r\n<!-- Consider inlining CSS to reduce the number of requested files -->\r\n<!--                                                               -->\r\n<link type=\"text\/css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"SmartGWTIntroProject.css\">\r\n\r\n<!--                                           -->\r\n<!-- Any title is fine                         -->\r\n<!--                                           -->\r\n<title>Web Application Starter Project<\/title>\r\n\r\n<!--                                           -->\r\n<!-- This script loads your compiled module.   -->\r\n<!-- If you add any GWT meta tags, they must   -->\r\n<!-- be added before this line.                -->\r\n<!--                                           -->\r\n<script>var isomorphicDir=\"smartgwtintroproject\/sc\/\";<\/script>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" language=\"javascript\" src=\"smartgwtintroproject\/smartgwtintroproject.nocache.js\"><\/script>\r\n<\/head>\r\n\r\n<!--                                           -->\r\n<!-- The body can have arbitrary html, or      -->\r\n<!-- you can leave the body empty if you want  -->\r\n<!-- to create a completely dynamic UI.        -->\r\n<!--                                           -->\r\n<body>\r\n\r\n<!-- OPTIONAL: include this if you want history support -->\r\n<iframe src=\"javascript:''\" id=\"__gwt_historyFrame\" tabIndex='-1' style=\"position:absolute;width:0;height:0;border:0\"><\/iframe>\r\n\r\n<!-- RECOMMENDED if your web app will not function without JavaScript enabled -->\r\n<noscript>\r\n<div style=\"width: 22em; position: absolute; left: 50%; margin-left: -11em; color: red; background-color: white; border: 1px solid red; padding: 4px; font-family: sans-serif\">\r\n\r\nYour web browser must have JavaScript enabled\r\nin order for this application to display correctly.\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/noscript>\r\n\r\n<h1>\r\nWeb Application Starter Project<\/h1>\r\n\r\n<table align=\"center\">\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\" style=\"font-weight:bold;\">Please enter your name:<\/td>        \r\n<\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr>\r\n<td id=\"formContainer\"><\/td>\r\n<td id=\"buttonContainer\"><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\" style=\"color:red;\" id=\"errorLabelContainer\"><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n<\/body>\r\n<\/html>\r\n<\/pre>\n
Creating the application entrypoint<\/span><\/p>\n
When a GWT is created via Eclipse, a lot of auto-generated files are created. One of those is the main Java file in the \u201cclient\u201d package, which works as the application’s entrypoint. So, remove the generated code and add the following:<\/p>\n
package com.javacodegeeks.smartgwt.client.client;\r\n\r\nimport com.google.gwt.core.client.EntryPoint;\r\nimport com.google.gwt.user.client.ui.RootPanel;\r\nimport com.smartgwt.client.util.SC;\r\nimport com.smartgwt.client.widgets.IButton;\r\nimport com.smartgwt.client.widgets.events.ClickEvent;\r\nimport com.smartgwt.client.widgets.events.ClickHandler;\r\nimport com.smartgwt.client.widgets.form.DynamicForm;\r\nimport com.smartgwt.client.widgets.form.fields.TextItem;\r\n\r\npublic class SmartGWTIntroProject implements EntryPoint {\r\n    \r\n    public void onModuleLoad() {\r\n        \r\n        final DynamicForm form = new DynamicForm();\r\n        final TextItem textItem = new TextItem();\r\n        textItem.setTitle(\"Name\");\r\n        form.setFields(textItem);\r\n        final IButton button = new IButton(\"Hello\");\r\n        \r\n        button.addClickHandler(new ClickHandler() {\r\n            public void onClick(ClickEvent event) {\r\n                String name = textItem.getValue().toString();\r\n                SC.say(\"Hello \" + name);\r\n            }\r\n        });\r\n        \r\n        RootPanel.get(\"formContainer\").add(form);\r\n        RootPanel.get(\"buttonContainer\").add(button);\r\n        \r\n    }\r\n\r\n}\r\n<\/pre>\n
Make sure that the imported packages are as shown above, because SmartGWT uses classes with names same with those of the core GWT framework. <\/p>\n
Launching the application<\/span>
\nNext, we are ready to launch our application. Choose Run ? Run As ? Web Application and use your favourite browser to access the provided URL:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/127.0.0.1:8888\/SmartGWTIntroProject.html?gwt.codesvr=127.0.0.1:9997<\/a><\/p>\n
You should be able to see the following:<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n
That’s it. Now you are ready to create some cool applications, powered by SmartGWT. You can find the Eclipse project here<\/a> (some files have been removed from the project).<\/p>\n
This was just a short guide on how to add SmartGWT to your project. In the following posts I am going to create a full application based on SmartGWT in order to show you some of its wonderful capabilities. Stay tuned.<\/p>\n
Related Articles :<\/i><\/strong><\/div>\n