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Why You Should Use Eclipse RCP (In 10 Minutes)

When our team first adopted Eclipse's Rich Client Platform as our application framework of choice, I was often asked, "Why?" "Isn't Java on the desktop dead?" Of course I find the case for Eclipse RCP incredibly compelling and could rattle on for some time explaining this programming gem we had found. In the end, I discovered that it was much easier to simply show people why RCP is so amazing rather than attempt to explain it.

With that thought in mind, I've provided a short (under ten minutes) screencast that gives you a glimpse of what's over the horizon. Go ahead, take a look.

This screencast showcases one of Eclipse's core advantages -- module reusability. Not just class reusability, but full component reuse. Such reuse is not easy to achieve, but Eclipse's architecture makes this much more possible than ever before. That programmer's holy grail is now within reach.

But wait, there's more. The Eclipse RCP provides an inherently extensible application framework. Eclipse's extension point architecture allows other developers to build on your work in consistent ways. Traditional applications transform into platforms and markets all of their own, thus further extending the field of reuse.

Finally, I want to point out that the mere fact that one can visibly demonstrate such functionality in a few minutes speaks volumes. While Eclipse RCP and plugin development come with a hefty learning curve, the results return substantial dividends.