Java Beans Course Requirements

The following materials will assist in successfully completing the course.

In order to compile, package and test JavaBeans, you will need both the JDK for the Java Platform and the JavaBeans Development Kit (BDK) 1.1.
Both of these software components can be located at the links below. The current versions of both of these development environments are available for downloading from the following websites.

1. JavaBeans Overview
2. Java SE Downloads

Many of the lessons and exercises in this course require you to use or refer to source code and executables.

Additional resources

The following JavaBeans book is recommended to supplement your study of JavaBeans.

This course is for everyone who wants to know how to build reusable components using the JavaBeans architecture and Java class libraries. It is designed to be used by programmers, students, and professionals that are already familiar with Java, so it does not concentrate on any of the basic concepts or syntax of the language. However, if you are experienced with other object-oriented languages such as C++ or Smalltalk, you should be able to follow along. If you are not familiar with Java, you may want to keep a course on the Java language close by, like the Java Language In any case, the material should prove useful to both novice and experienced programmers. One module discusses the interaction between JavaBeans and ActiveX components, and has some examples using Visual Basic. I assume that readers interested in this topic are already familiar with VB and the ActiveX component architecture, and don't attempt to explain them. Many good courses on Visual Basic are available if you need an introduction.

Java has emerged as a widely used object-oriented programming language, and its successful use can be attributed to its support for a variety of technologies that are used to solve specific infrastructure and application requirements. The JavaBeans technology has enabled largescale, coarse-grained reuse of components and has influenced a number of other Java technologies. JavaBeans is the technology that enables the construction of visual components as well as the binding of those components into a GUI application using a visual design tool NetBeans NetBeans supports "dragand- drop" design of a GUI application composed from smaller visual components called GUI widgets. Such a tool is capable of generating Java source code for the application based on the visual design of the application. An application programmer may then modify the source code to provide additional details of the application logic.

The JavaBeans API was originally proposed as a software component model for Java chiefly to allow users to manipulate and connect widgets in a GUI. However, applications in many other domains can also benefit from its loosely coupled architecture and support for introspection, customization, and persistence. For example, JavaBeans are used in mail clients to manage connections to a mail server and manipulate the contents of one's mailbox.
In the original JavaBeans specification , a JavaBean is defined as "a reusable software component that can be manipulated visually in a builder tool". This definition matches the goal of JavaBeans, which is to create a software component model. To realize the goal, Java defines an API, programming conventions, and naming patterns to promote component-oriented application development. Nevertheless, JavaBeans adhere to the same rules as those followed by any Java class at the level of source code as well as the byte code produced. A single JavaBean can be implemented as a collection of classes all working together to provide a unified set of functions. This enables the creation of coarse-grained components out of a set of Java classes.