Porting Custom Swing Form to ZK

Introduction

• ADempiere has 2 client modes to access the ERP application:
  • Java Swing which is rich client and runs perfectly via LAN
  • Web-based clients such as HTML and ZK Ajax that is mostly used via the Web.
• All clients will access the Application Dictionary or Data Model to get the same data treatment. However the sourcecode that access and display that has to be mapped.
• The content below is posted by Low Heng Sin who is chiefly responsible for the ZK Ajax client completion started by Posterita.
  • It illustrates the direct component to component mapping at the sourcecode level of the application.

Component Mapping

Swing Classs	Zk Class	Notes
org.compiere.swing.CPanel	org.adempiere.webui.component.Panel	setLayout(layout) is replace by appendChild(layout). Layout manager is implemented as container component in Zk.
javax.swing.JLabel	org.adempiere.webui.component.Label
org.compiere.grid.ed.VLookup	org.adempiere.webui.editor.WTableDirEditor org.adempiere.webui.editor.WSearchEditor	WtableDirEditor for combo box, WsearchEditor for lookup.
org.compiere.grid.ed.VString	org.adempiere.webui.editor.WStringEditor
java.awt.GridBagLayout	org.adempiere.webui.component.Grid	Use GridFactory.newGridLayout()
javax.swing.JcomboBox	org.adempiere.webui.component.Listbox org.adempiere.webui.component.Combobox	Only Combobox support auto complete
java.awt.BorderLayout	org.zkoss.zkex.zul.Borderlayout	Must set width and height, either in pixel or %. Must setStyle("position: relative;") when use within ADForm.
org.compiere.apps.ConfirmPanel	org.adempiere.webui.component.ConfirmPanel
org.compiere.apps.StatusBar	org.adempiere.webui.panel.StatusBarPanel
org.compiere.minigrid.MiniTable	org.adempiere.webui.component.WListbox
org.compiere.grid.ed.VLocator	org.adempiere.webui.editor.WLocatorEditor
javax.swing.event.TableModelListener	org.adempiere.webui.event.WTableModelListener
javax.swing.JCheckBox	org.adempiere.webui.component.Checkbox
org.adempiere.swing.CDialog	org.adempiere.webui.component.Window
Java.awt.event.ActionListener	Org.zkoss.zk.ui.event.EventListener	actionPerformed(ActionEvent) is replace by onEvent(Event)
Org.compiere.apps.AEnv	Org.adempiere.webui.apps.AEnv
Javax.swing.JScrollPane	Org.adempiere.webui.component.Panel	Most of the time, JscrollPane can be remove from the UI components tree when we port Swing form to Zk. If you are not sure, remove it and test.
Javax.swing.JSplitPane	Org.zkoss.zul.Splitterorg.zkoss.zkex.zul.BorderLayout	Splitter must use together with Hbox or Vbox. If that's not suitable for the layout you are trying to build, use BorderLayout instead.
Org.compiere.apps.ADialog	Org.adempiere.webui.window.FDialog
Javax.swing.table.DefaultTableModel	Org.adempiere.webui.component.ListModelTable org.adempiere.webui.component.SimpleListModel	Use ListModelTable with WListbox and SimpleListModel with Listbox.
Java.beans.VetoableChangeListener	Org.adempiere.webui.event.ValueChangeListener	Event listener for field editor. vetoableChange(PropertyChangeEvent) is replace by valueChange(ValueChangeEvent)
Org.adempiere.apps.form.FormPanel	Org.adempiere.webui.panel.ADForm	init (int WindowNo, FormFrame frame) is replace by initForm(). Use the protected method getWindowNo to access the WindowNo variable.

Batch processing in custom form

• Don't use the AsyncProcess interface.
• Use Clients.showBusy and AuEcho to show busy message.
• Use ServerPush to execute long task on separate thread.
• Example for long task and batch printing: org.adempiere.webui.apps.form.WInvoiceGen.