Configuring a Java development environment

If your Pega 7 Platform development work involves activities (Rule-Obj-Activity rule type), user interfaces, or system interfaces, you can extend the Java code built into Pega 7 Platformwith your own code.

Pega 7 Platform supports open authoring, so you can work with any of several popular Java Integrated Development Environment (IDE) tools, including JEdit, Microsoft Visual J++, Borland JBuilder, Sun ONE Studio), or IBM Visual Age. (Recent versions of Eclipse cannot work with Pega 7 Platform open authoring.)

Note: Java compilation and execution occurs only on the Pega 7 Platform server. Pega 7 Platform does not use Java applets.

Java open authoring is available from the Activity, Edit Input, Edit Validate, and Function forms. A large set of predefined interfaces are available through the PublicAPI calls.

To make Java in Pega 7 Platform available to your IDE in Windows XP, specify which Java IDE or editor opens Java file types.

After you set up editors, you can start your Java editor by clicking () on certain rule forms. (If you do not set up a Java editor, Pega 7 Platform uses Notepad.)

Local CLASS files and Microsoft Visual Studio

The Microsoft J++ editor works best if the compiled CLASS files are available locally. To activate the IntelliSense™ feature:

• Copy the large prpublic.jar file from the Pega 7 Platform server into a local directory.
• Add the full path name of this file to your CLASSPATH Environment variable.
• Log off, then log back on so that this Environment variable is set.

This feature places several Java package "includes" and a variable declaration into each temporary file used for Java open authoring.

To confirm that your environment is set up correctly, create a Java class called TestPega.Java, with this code:

import Pega.*;
class TestPega{
public static void main(String[ ] args)
{
   Property p;
// p } }

In the fifth line: Remove the comment (“//”). After the “p”, enter a “.”. If IntelliSense works correctly, Visual J++ lists the available Property methods.

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