Rapid Application Development with Mozilla

Summary

Rapid Application Development with Mozilla, part of the Bruce Perens Open Source Series, is a concise guide for any programmer who wants to learn the versatility and compatibility of Mozilla, an open source toolset with over a thousand objects and components. An additional feature of Rapid Application Development with Mozilla is the NoteTaker Web browser add-on-a sample Mozilla application that is developed throughout the book. Written by Web and XML expert Nigel McFarlane, this book is the perfect addition to the library of any user-interface software engineer, cross-platform developer, or any programmer looking to discover the benefits of rapid application development.

Table of Contents

1. Fundamental Concepts.

Understanding Mozilla Product Names. The XML Environment. Platform Concepts. The RAD Environment. Effective RAD Projects with Mozilla. Hands On: Cranking Up the Platform. Debug Corner: Debugging from Outside. Summary.

2. XUL Layout.

XUL Means Boxes. Principles of XUL Layout. Box Layout Tags. A Box Improvement: <groupbox> and <caption>. General-Purpose XUL Attributes. Good Coding Practices for XUL. Style Options. Hands On: NoteTaker Boilerplate. Debug Corner: Detecting Bad XUL. Summary.

3. Static Content.

XUL and HTML Compared. XUL Content Tags. Understanding Font Systems. Style Options. Hands On: NoteTaker Boilerplate. Debug Corner: The DOM Inspector. Summary.

4. First Widgets and Themes.

What Makes a Button a Button? The Origins of XUL Widgets. XUL Buttons. Themes and Skins. Style Options. Hands On: NoteTaker Buttons and Themes. Debug Corner: Diagnosing Buttons and Skins. Summary.

5. Scripting.

JavaScriptÕs Role as a Language. Standards, Browsers, and <script>. ECMAScript Edition 3. Language Enhancements. MozillaÕs Scriptable Interfaces. Hands On: NoteTaker Dynamic Content. Debug Corner: Script Diagnosis. Summary.

6. Events.

How Mozilla Handles Events. How Keystrokes Work. How Mouse Gestures Work. Style Options. Hands On: NoteTaker User Input. Debug Corner: Detecting Events. Summary.

7. Forms and Menus.

XUL and HTML Forms Compared. Where to Find Information on Menus. Forms. Menus. Style Options. Hands On: NoteTaker Events and Forms. Debug Corner: Diagnosing Events and Forms. Summary.

8. Navigation.

Navigation Systems. Navigation Widgets. Style Options. Hands On: NoteTaker Toolbars and Tabs. Debug Corner: Navigation Problems. Summary.

9. Commands.

Commands and Mozilla. Command Concepts. How Commands Are Started. Using Commands Via XUL. Using Commands Via the AOM. Commands and XPCOM Components. Existing Commands. Style Options. Hands On: Command Design. Debug Corner: Catching Unexpected Commands. Summary.

10. Windows and Panes.

Ordinary <window> Windows. Popup Content. Dialog Boxes. JavaScript Window Creation. Embedding Documents in Panes. Mixing Documents. Managing Existing Windows. Style Options. Hands On: NoteTaker Dialogs. Debug Corner: Diagnostic Windows. Summary.

11. RDF.

Mozilla Uses of RDF. Learning Strategies for RDF. A Tutorial on Facts. RDF Syntax. RDF Examples. Hands On: NoteTaker: Data Models. Debug Corner: Dumping RDF. Summary.

12. Overlays and Chrome.

Overlays. The Chrome Registry. Persisting Window State. Related AOM and XPCOM Objects. Hands On: The NoteTaker Toolbar. Debug Corner: Overlay Tips. Summary.

13. Listboxes and Trees.

Text Grids. Listboxes. Trees. Style Options. Hands On: NoteTaker: The Keywords Panel. Debug Corner: Making <listbox> and <tree> Work. Summary.

14. Templates.

An Example Template: Hello, World. Template Concepts. Template Construction. Common Query Patterns. Template Lifecycle. Scripting. Style Options. Hands On: NoteTaker Data Made Live. Debug Corner: Template Survival Guide. Summary.

15. XBL Bindings.

Binding Concepts. Constructing One XBL Binding. Combining Multiple Bindings. How Bindings Are Processed. Scripting. Style Options. Hands On: The <noteplacer> Tag. Debug Corner: XBL Diagnosis. Summary.

16. XPCOM Objects.

Concepts and Terms. General-Purpose Scripting. Data Transfer. Web Scripting. Platform Configuration. Hands On: Saving and Loading NoteTaker Notes. Debug Corner: Working with Data Sources. Summary.

17. Deployment.

Overview of Install Strategies. Steps Toward Remote Deployment. Install Technologies. Hands On: Bundling Up NoteTaker. Debug Corner: Logging and Testing. Summary.

Index.
About the Author.

摘要

《使用Mozilla進行快速應用程式開發》是Bruce Perens開源系列的一部分，是一本簡明的指南，適合任何想要了解Mozilla的多功能性和兼容性的程式設計師。Mozilla是一個開源工具集，擁有超過一千個對象和組件。《使用Mozilla進行快速應用程式開發》的另一個特點是NoteTaker網頁瀏覽器附加元件，這是一個在本書中開發的示例Mozilla應用程式。本書由Web和XML專家Nigel McFarlane撰寫，是任何使用者介面軟體工程師、跨平台開發人員或任何想要發現快速應用程式開發好處的程式設計師的完美補充。

目錄

1. 基本概念。

了解Mozilla產品名稱。XML環境。平台概念。RAD環境。使用Mozilla進行有效的RAD專案。實戰：啟動平台。調試角落：從外部進行調試。摘要。

2. XUL佈局。

XUL意味著盒子。XUL佈局原則。盒子佈局標籤。一個盒子改進：<groupbox>和<caption>。通用XUL屬性。XUL的良好編碼實踐。樣式選項。實戰：NoteTaker範本。調試角落：檢測不良XUL。摘要。

3. 靜態內容。

比較XUL和HTML。XUL內容標籤。了解字型系統。樣式選項。實戰：NoteTaker範本。調試角落：DOM檢查器。摘要。

4. 第一個小工具和主題。

什麼使按鈕成為按鈕？XUL小工具的起源。XUL按鈕。主題和外觀。樣式選項。實戰：NoteTaker按鈕和主題。調試角落：診斷按鈕和外觀。摘要。

5. 腳本。

JavaScript作為一種語言的角色。標準、瀏覽器和<script>。ECMAScript第3版。語言增強功能。Mozilla的可腳本化介面。實戰：NoteTaker動態內容。調試角落：腳本診斷。摘要。

6. 事件。

Mozilla如何處理事件。按鍵事件的工作原理。滑鼠手勢的工作原理。樣式選項。實戰：NoteTaker使用者輸入。調試角落：檢測事件。摘要。

7. 表單和選單。

比較XUL和HTML表單。查找選單資訊的位置。表單。選單。樣式選項。實戰：NoteTaker事件和表單。調試角落：診斷事件和表單。摘要。

8. 導航。

導航系統。導航小工具。樣式選項。實戰：NoteTaker工具列和標籤。調試角落：導航問題。摘要。

9. 命令。

命令和Mozilla。命令概念。如何啟動命令。通過XUL使用命令。通過AOM使用命令。命令和XPCOM組件。現有命令。樣式選項。實戰：命令設計。調試角落：捕捉意外命令。摘要。

10. 視窗和窗格。

普通<window>視窗。彈出內容。對話框。JavaScript視窗創建。在窗格中嵌入文件。混合文件。管理現有視窗。樣式選項。實戰：NoteTaker對話框。調試角落：診斷視窗