Eclipse, a platform for building applications, was originally aimed at Web
application and image manipulation. With the release of Eclipse 3.0 there has
been a shift to the use of Eclipse as a Rich Client Platform (RCP). In other
words, using Eclipse as a base for everyday generic applications from media
players to productivity and desktop applications. Thinking of Eclipse as not
just an IDE but a platform for all application building is an evolution for the
platform and significantly extends its reach to developers. In this book the
designers of Eclipse as an RCP introduces the reader to the RCP concept and
walks them through a set of scenarios and examples using Eclipse to solve real
world, application problems. This will appeal to all developers who want to
develop and deploy world-class applications with rich, native GUIs.
Development areas that are already using Eclipse RCP include bio-medical,
embedded technology (handhelds, etc), enterprise and productivity applications
and banking.
