Reusing/Installing Chrome and Java Code

Disclaimer: At first I thought this was a simple question about reusabi-
lity in Luxor, but I see that it is turning into a "blue sky" question.

I see that many of the sample programs (in ramses) duplicate each other's 
code, to implement common functions.  Examples: CmdCut, FileOpen, TreeModel.  
Is it possible to factor out some of these useful functions and copy them 
into libraries ?  

To describe a more concrete scenario, is it possible to bundle together 
XUL _and_ Java code _and_ icons _and_ all of the interconnections into 
a package (call it "Package P") that is reusable by another Luxor appli-
cation (call it "App A") ?

This "reuse of Package P by App A" could be done at App A's compile time 
or at App A's run time.   To do it at compile time would be more or less 
equivalent to providing 

- a jar file "P.jar", plus 
- a simple installation procedure "P_install(...)", which takes as an 
  argument a reference to (for example) a JPanel ... the "installer" 
  could (on its own) find the JPanel's menubar, text display area, etc.

If it can be done at App A's RUN time, i.e. click on a Luxor package P
 and have it permanently added to App A, then I realize that what I am 
asking about is equivalent to Mozilla XPI !  Or, to Java WebStart itself !

This would make Luxor as extensible as Mozilla, with the full power of 
Swing's UI and Java's networking capabililties, and without the need to 
_ever_ resort to Javascript  :) :)

Perhaps it would be doable if these extension packages were delivered 
as extensions to JPanel (or JComponent), with all menu items, buttons, 
etc. "pre-wired".  I am not sure.

Examples: each of these subsystems would comprise, at a minimum, a menu 
plus an hbox containing toolbar icons plus Java code for command processing:

-  a "File" package, to make file-oriented operations "drop-in"
- an "Edit" package, to make simple editing capabilities and clipboard access "drop-in"
-  a "Mail" package (based on a Datagrid), for fetching, viewing, and processing email

This level of extensibility requires a very well-defined platform and 
a very capable extension API that permits menus items, icons, and code 
to be inserted almost anywhere into the pre-existing UI.


fred baube
[email protected]



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