Enabling modular business apps
for desktop, browser and mobile

Widget Toolkit

With RAP, you don't create UIs with HTML and browser technologies, but with the Java API of SWT, the widget toolkit used in Eclipse. The RAP Widget Toolkit (RWT) provides a comprehensive set of powerful SWT widgets, also including layout managers and event listeners. It supports advanced features such as Drag and Drop and drawing, and adds several web-specific features not found in SWT, like Markup Support. With the JFace viewer framework, applications can easily provide access to millions of data entries through the use of virtual rendering and lazy loading. RWT can be freely styled using a CSS-based Theming API.

• See the widgets in action: RAP Examples Demo
• SWT is easy to learn and nearly identical to RWT: SWT Documentation
• If you are already familiar with SWT, read about Differences between RWT and SWT
• Need more widgets? A list of known Add-Ons targeted specifically at RAP can be found in the RAP Wiki
• Widget behavior can be enhanced using client-side event handlers: RAP ClientScripting

Cross Platform

The default RAP Web client supports these browsers:

• Internet Explorer 9+
• Google Chrome 29+
• Firefox 23+
• Safari 6+
• Opera 15+
• iOs 6+
• Android 4 (Limited)

No browser plug-ins are required by the default client, only JavaScript needs to be enabled. However, custom widgets are free to build on any third-party API. Other browser may work if based on a Trident, Gecko or Webkit engine. Support on mobile browsers has some limitations.

Other platforms can be supported by alternative RAP clients connecting to RAP's open protocol. As an example, native clients for mobile platforms are available as a commercial add-on.

Integration

Making it possible to integrate RAP with other Java technologies is one of our main objectives. We're doing so by making RAP compatible with JEE and OSGi and by limiting dependencies to the necessary minimum. A partial list of compatible technologies:

• RAP applications can be deployed directly as OSGi bundles on Virgo, WebSphere and many other application servers.
• If you prefer, it can also be deployed as .war file in a traditional servlet container like Tomcat.
• The JEE compatibility mode in RAP makes it possible to use clustering.
• Equinox Security Integration ensures your data is safe at all times.

Tool Support

Many of the Eclipse tools designed for Java or SWT development can be used with RAP.

• You can use the full power of the Java Development Tools (JDT) including automated refactorings, debugger, test runner etc.
• The Plug-in Development Environment (PDE) assists with the creation of OSGi bundles, dependency management, maintaining a target platform, etc.
• The Eclipse WindowBuilder provides an excellent UI designer for SWT.
• WAR files can be created using the WAR product tools from the Libra project.
• Many more great add-ons are available for Java development in Eclipse such as the EclEmma code coverage integration or Findbugs for static code analysis....

Single Sourcing

RAP allows you to address different platforms with a shared code base. Applications can be developed for the desktop, the web browser, and even mobile clients without duplicating code. Due to RAP's high compatibility with the Eclipse UI technologies, a lot of existing code targeted at the desktop can be re-used for your web application with minimal changes. And besides the code, you can also re-use your developer tools and skills.

Typical scenarios are:

• Porting an existing SWT/RCP application to the web.
• Developing a new application that can run on the desktop and in the browser.
• Re-using existing libraries developed for previous applications.
• Utilize RCP-compatible open source libraries and frameworks. Examples:
  • The Eclipse Modeling Framework can create RAP UIs.
  • Use Eclipse BIRT (with some adjustments) to create charts in RAP.
  • Eclipse Riena is an application framework which can be used on top of RAP.
  • Eclipse Scout can generate RCP and RAP applications

Open Source

All code can be freely used in open source projects and in commercial applications. On the downloads page, you always get the latest versions. We also offer public nightly builds to make all changes available immediately. You can check out the source code directly from the Git repository or even fork us on GitHub.

If you require help beyond the RAP Developer's Guide, there is an active community maintaining a Newsgroup, a Wiki and the Incubator project. Bugs can be reported as RAP GitHub issues and will be processed transparently. Professional services are also available.