Developing and deploying HATS rich client applications

HATS gives you the ability to transform access to your existing host applications using rich client GUI applications that run in Eclipse Rich Client Platform (Eclipse RCP), Lotus Notes®, or Lotus® Expeditor Client environments.

The Eclipse RCP is a subset of plug-ins provided by the Eclipse platform, which is best known as an open source tooling platform. The introduction of Eclipse RCP enables you to use the core functionality provided by Eclipse to build native client applications targeted for a user’s desktop.

Lotus Notes® is powerful, multifaceted software that gives you instant access to all the information that is important to you. You can use Lotus Notes® to send and receive Internet mail, schedule appointments, browse the Web, contribute to Internet newsgroups, and take advantage of the Home Page for tracking all your important daily information. For more information see the https://help.hcltechsw.com/notes/11.0.1/client/welcome.html.

Lotus® Expeditor Client provides a rich client runtime environment and integrated middleware components for extending many enterprise applications to server-managed laptop and desktop systems.

Note:

Unless otherwise noted, the instructions documented here apply to developing and deploying HATS rich client applications in Eclipse RCP V3.7, Lotus Notes® V8.5.3, and Lotus® Expeditor Client V6.2.3 environments. For instructions that apply to earlier versions of Eclipse RCP and Lotus® Expeditor Client, see earlier versions of the appropriate Knowledge Centers.

A rich client environment offers capabilities not available in a traditional Web environment, including:

  • Improved response time
  • A richer set of user interface (UI) widgets which provide for a more native application appearance, for example, native tab folder control, editable combo boxes, toolbars, menu bars, and tables
  • No dependency on WebSphere® Application Server or WebSphere® Portal
  • Client side processing (distributed, not centralized on a single server)
  • Printing 3270E print jobs directly to a user's local printer

Additional information and help about developing rich client applications can be found in the Rational® SDP Help Contents. Select Help > Help Contents on the menu bar and search for rich client.

When creating HATS rich client applications, the distinction between Eclipse RCP, Lotus Notes®, and Lotus® Expeditor Client environments is minimal. Differences are documented throughout this chapter.

The primary architectural difference between a HATS rich client application and a HATS Web application is in where the Telnet socket connection initiates. With a rich client application, the socket connection initiates from a user's workstation, not from the WebSphere® Application Server, as it does with a traditional HATS Web application. Because rich client applications will require a client on a user's workstation, these applications are primarily targeted for internal users, who are accustomed to using a traditional, fat client terminal emulator.