IBM Workplace Client Technology Micro Edition Version 5.7.1: Application Development and Case Study

2 WCTME: Application Development and Case Study

1.1 Workplace Client Technology Micro Edition

Workplace Client Technology Micro Edition (WCTME) is an integrated platform

for the extension of existing enterprise applications to server-managed client

devices such as desktop computers, mobile systems, personal digital assistants,

(PDAs), and other mobile and pervasive devices. The integrated package

combines the tools WebSphere® Studio Device Developer and Micro

Environment Toolkit for WebSphere Studio, run times (WebSphere Everyplace

Micro Environment, Service Management Framework (SMF), and WebSphere

Everyplace Custom Environment), and middleware (DB2e, MQe, Web Services)

for building, testing, and deploying server-managed client software to pervasive

devices.

Over the years, computing models have moved from the server-based or

mainframe model to the original networked model (PC-LAN) with shared files.

This stage devolved back to a server-centric or distributed application, PC-based

model to reduce cost-of-ownership. Now, we are back again to a desktop, or

device-centric model. It seems to cycle every few years. The only thing

consistent in all of this is change is that the industry has not been able to find a

good medium to maintain the autonomy and performance of localized

applications with the cost benefits that come with server-managed environments.

IBM® Workplace Client Technology (WCT) is the best of both worlds.

In essence, WCTME is the foundation platform for the WCT family of offerings

from IBM and provides a robust platform that supports devices from cell phones,

PDAs and other devices to tablet, mobile and even desktop systems. Regardless

of whether the computer is always, occasionally, or seldom connected, the

WCTME model enables you to extend your applications and programming

models using industry standards and without rewriting to all of these devices.

The WCTME platform is built as a combination of a Rich Client Platform (RCP)

based on the Eclipse model (originally devised for tools, and moved to be a more

generic application platform) as well as a browser-based model.

Eclipse is an

award-winning, open source platform for the construction of powerful software

development tools and rich desktop applications.

The underlying premises of the WCTME platform are:

1. A device is not just a gizmo like a PDA or cell phone. A device is anything

from lower-powered devices up to a tablet, mobile or desktop PC. Whenever

you see the term

device in this book, it can mean a PDA, cell phone, desktop,

or mobile computer in any state of connectivity.

2. The application model does not change from what is currently used but,

rather, it is modified to make the assumption that the device is not necessarily