I have experience with the Eclipse RCP and would recommend it.
Pros:
Components - component / plu-in model allows for reuse.
Uses SWT and JFace which allows for native looking UI
Pluggable Views, Editors, and Perspectives make layouts easy and configurable.
Eclipse extension points make extending and integration with 3rd party APIs and tools easy.
Cons:
Learning curve
If you choose Eclipse RCP, defiantly get this book, it is invaluble when just starting out with the framework: http://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-Rich-Client-Platform-Applications/dp/0321334612
I can't say enough about the Eclipse RCP platform. I would recommend it for any Java desktop app development.
It's free, has great tutorials, and allows cross-platform development of rich desktop applications that use native OS windowing toolkit, meaning that your application will look native in any platform. It also has a clean API that stays out of your way, and makes deploying to any platform a piece of cake.
If your interested check out this book: http://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-Rich-Client-Platform-Applications/dp/0321334612
I have done quite a bit with an RCP application that made use of multiple plug-ins. This book helped me tremendously in all fronts: RCP framework and plug-in development:
http://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-Rich-Client-Platform-Applications/dp/0321334612
The book walks you through the development of a IM chat client using RCP and plug-in development.
Also the eclipse site and IBM have some pretty good tutorials, here is one: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/os-ecplug/
There has been a lot of improvements in the Eclipse RCP platform since the release of both of these books, so I really hope that there are new versions of these books coming out soon.
I have experience with the Eclipse RCP and would recommend it.
Pros:
Cons:
If you choose Eclipse RCP, defiantly get this book, it is invaluble when just starting out with the framework: http://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-Rich-Client-Platform-Applications/dp/0321334612
I can't say enough about the Eclipse RCP platform. I would recommend it for any Java desktop app development.
It's free, has great tutorials, and allows cross-platform development of rich desktop applications that use native OS windowing toolkit, meaning that your application will look native in any platform. It also has a clean API that stays out of your way, and makes deploying to any platform a piece of cake.
If your interested check out this book: http://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-Rich-Client-Platform-Applications/dp/0321334612
I have done quite a bit with an RCP application that made use of multiple plug-ins. This book helped me tremendously in all fronts: RCP framework and plug-in development: http://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-Rich-Client-Platform-Applications/dp/0321334612
The book walks you through the development of a IM chat client using RCP and plug-in development.
Also the eclipse site and IBM have some pretty good tutorials, here is one: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/os-ecplug/
I agree with Thomas Owens on "Eclipse Rich Client Platform: Designing, Coding, and Packaging Java(TM) Applications" and would also add "Eclipse: Building Commercial-Quality Plug-ins" to the list of rather outdated but still somewhat useful books on Eclipse RCP. Even though the latter does not go much into the Rich Client Platform, it explains quite a lot about the Eclipse plug-in architecture that is useful knowledge for developers of RCP applications.
There has been a lot of improvements in the Eclipse RCP platform since the release of both of these books, so I really hope that there are new versions of these books coming out soon.
RCP has a bigger learning curve, but once you learn the basics the Eclipse IDE itself supports building RCP applications very well. I have only built a plugin for NetBeans (not build a full-fledged application), and the learning curve was lesser than for the RCP application. The book Eclipse Rich Client Platform: Designing, Coding, and Packaging Java(TM) Applications provides a detailed introduction to building RCP applications.
Pretty much any java, eclipse, netbeans swing books should to the trick.
1) FREE --- Thinking in Java (http://mindview.net/Books/TIJ/DownloadSites)
2) CORE java , vol 1 and 2
3) Swing hacks : http://www.amazon.com/Swing-Hacks-Tips-Tools-Killer/dp/0596009070
4) netbeans RCP : http://www.amazon.com/Rich-Client-Programming-Plugging-NetBeans/dp/B00132S6UU/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1 5) eclipse Rich client programming -- http://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-Rich-Client-Platform-Applications/dp/0321334612
Hope this helps.
BR,
~A