user manual

116 BES Developer’s Guide
Application Client architecture
Figure 12.1 VisiClient architecture
Packaging and deployment
Deploying the application client components into a VisiClient container
requires the specification of deployment descriptors using XML. (Refer to
J2EE 1.3 Specification for more information about application clients, and their
deployment into a J2EE 1.3 compliant container.)
Application clients are packaged in JAR files and include a deployment
descriptor (similar to other J2EE application components). The deployment
descriptor defines the EJB and the external resources referenced by the
application. You can use the Borland Enterprise Server Deployment
Descriptor Editor for packaging and editing application client components. For
more information, go to the Management Console User’s Guide, Using the
Deployment Descriptor Editor section..
The deployment descriptor is necessary because there are a number of
functions that must be configured at deployment time, such as assigning
names to EJBs and their resources. The minimum requirements for
deployment of an application client into a VisiClient container are:
■
All the client-side classes are packaged into a JAR. See below section on
required client JARs and files. A well-formed JAR should have the
following:
■
Application specific classes including the class containing the application
entry point (main class)
■
The JAR file must have a META-INF subdirectory with the following:
■
A manifest file
■
A standard XML file (application-client.xml), as required by J2EE 1.3
specifications
■
A vendor-specific XML file (application-client-borland.xml)
■
RMI-IIOP stubs which can also be packaged separately. In this case, the
file needs the classpath attribute of the manifest file set to the appropriate
value. The JAR formed in this manner is deployable to a standalone