OOP Design Question

[Brenton Fletcher]

Hello
I am creating a Java program to search the internet.
+--------------+ +----------------------------------+
|GoogleSearcher| |Utilities |
|extends JFrame| |doSearch(Search s, String browser)|
+--------------+ +----------------------------------+
+--------+
|Search |
|getURL()|
+--------+
||
\/
+------------+
|GoogleSearch|
+------------+
Here is an excerpt from GoogleSearcher:
when button is clicked, Utilities.doSearch(new GoogleSearch("Hello World!"), "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE");

Utilities.doSearch(Search s, String browser) calles Runtime.exec(browser + " \"" + s.getURL() + "\"");
This opens a new browser window, with the search url as its url.

What I want is an OOP way to have CompletelyDifferentParamtetersSearcher, YahooSearcher, and FooBarSearcher, perhaps with an abstract base class? The CompletelyDifferentParameterSearcher, for example, might have different options that need to be displayed in the Searcher window, different options to GoogleSearcher, or YahooSearcher. Currently, a new instance of GoogleSearcher is created when the user clicks a button.

Any help would be appreaciated.
B.F.

 

[Anthony Borla]

<original text>

Hello
I am creating a Java program to search the internet.
+--------------+ +----------------------------------+
|GoogleSearcher| |Utilities |
|extends JFrame| |doSearch(Search s, String browser)|
+--------------+ +----------------------------------+
+--------+
|Search |
|getURL()|
+--------+
||
\/
+------------+
|GoogleSearch|
+------------+
Here is an excerpt from GoogleSearcher:
when button is clicked, Utilities.doSearch(new GoogleSearch("Hello World!"),
"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE");

Utilities.doSearch(Search s, String browser) calles Runtime.exec(browser + "
\"" + s.getURL() + "\"");
This opens a new browser window, with the search url as its url.

What I want is an OOP way to have CompletelyDifferentParamtetersSearcher,
YahooSearcher, and FooBarSearcher, perhaps with an abstract base class? The
CompletelyDifferentParameterSearcher, for example, might have different
options that need to be displayed in the Searcher window, different options
to GoogleSearcher, or YahooSearcher. Currently, a new instance of
GoogleSearcher is created when the user clicks a button.

</original text>

Two comments:

* While your approach to this task [i.e. launcing an external
browser] is quick and simple, Java does allow you to
build much of this functionality yourself:

- Use selected classes in java.net package for I/O
- Use selected classes in javax.swing for presentation
[e.g. JEditorPane, etc]

You could set this task as a challenge, perhaps ?

* Don't overuse inheritance. In your case I'd suggest that
the different 'searchers' don't differ enough to warrant
the use of inheritance. Instead, create new classes which
encapsulate the differences between these items.

For example, you could create an 'Options' abstract class
to represent different search options / option types for
each searcher type e.g.

abstract class Options { ... }
class GoogleOptions extends Options { ... }
...
class Searcher
{
public Searcher(Options opt, ...) { ... }
...
}
...
new Searcher(new GoogleOptions(...), ...);
...

It's perhaps difficult to convey these ideas adequately in just a few lines.
I would suggest that you look carefully at your various classes and see how
responsibilities can be shared with an eye on minimising inheritance.

I hope this helps [amd perhaps provides useful ideas ].

Anthony Borla

 

[Brenton Fletcher]

Hi
Thanks for the information.
I'm actually launching an external browser because Java's inbuilt HTML
support does not have thing like:
* JavaScript support;
* Flash suppport;
* complex layout support;
* and it overlays stuff over the document;
And when some one clicks a link of the search page, what if this page uses
new features of Java? (rhetoriacal)

Thanks,
B.F.

<original text>

Hello
I am creating a Java program to search the internet.
+--------------+ +----------------------------------+
|GoogleSearcher| |Utilities |
|extends JFrame| |doSearch(Search s, String browser)|
+--------------+ +----------------------------------+
+--------+
|Search |
|getURL()|
+--------+
||
\/
+------------+
|GoogleSearch|
+------------+
Here is an excerpt from GoogleSearcher:
when button is clicked, Utilities.doSearch(new GoogleSearch("Hello World!"),
"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE");

Utilities.doSearch(Search s, String browser) calles Runtime.exec(browser + "
\"" + s.getURL() + "\"");
This opens a new browser window, with the search url as its url.

What I want is an OOP way to have CompletelyDifferentParamtetersSearcher,
YahooSearcher, and FooBarSearcher, perhaps with an abstract base class? The
CompletelyDifferentParameterSearcher, for example, might have different
options that need to be displayed in the Searcher window, different options
to GoogleSearcher, or YahooSearcher. Currently, a new instance of
GoogleSearcher is created when the user clicks a button.

</original text>

Two comments:

* While your approach to this task [i.e. launcing an external
browser] is quick and simple, Java does allow you to
build much of this functionality yourself:

- Use selected classes in java.net package for I/O
- Use selected classes in javax.swing for presentation
[e.g. JEditorPane, etc]

You could set this task as a challenge, perhaps ?

* Don't overuse inheritance. In your case I'd suggest that
the different 'searchers' don't differ enough to warrant
the use of inheritance. Instead, create new classes which
encapsulate the differences between these items.

For example, you could create an 'Options' abstract class
to represent different search options / option types for
each searcher type e.g.

abstract class Options { ... }
class GoogleOptions extends Options { ... }
...
class Searcher
{
public Searcher(Options opt, ...) { ... }
...
}
...
new Searcher(new GoogleOptions(...), ...);
...

It's perhaps difficult to convey these ideas adequately in just a few lines.
I would suggest that you look carefully at your various classes and see how
responsibilities can be shared with an eye on minimising inheritance.

I hope this helps [amd perhaps provides useful ideas ].

Anthony Borla

 

[Anthony Borla]

Hi
Thanks for the information.
I'm actually launching an external browser because Java's
inbuilt HTML support does not have thing like:
* JavaScript support;
* Flash suppport;
* complex layout support;
* and it overlays stuff over the document;
And when some one clicks a link of the search page,
what if this page uses new features of Java? (rhetoriacal)

Sure ! I just wasn't sure [based on the information available in your
post] whether you were aware of other option(s), so I took the liberty of
suggesting one.

The reason I was so presumptuous is that I've noticed [in a fair number of
postings to this and similar NG's] the use of 'Runtime.exec' to launch
Internet-specific utilities like browsers and even utilities like 'ping' or
similar when, with a little more work, whether to locate or write suitable
code [java.net, etc], would result in a much more efficient and robust Java
application. Putting this another way, use of 'Runtime.exec' seems to be the
first option of the newbie / near beginner, and may, in many instances, well
remain the *only* option. I wanted to do my bit to ensure that it wasn't
yours !

Cheers,

Anthony Borla

 

[Brenton Fletcher]

Hi,
I feel a bit bad because I think I may have been a bit strong in my writing.
Thank you for your responce.

B.F.

Hi
Thanks for the information.
I'm actually launching an external browser because Java's
inbuilt HTML support does not have thing like:
* JavaScript support;
* Flash suppport;
* complex layout support;
* and it overlays stuff over the document;
And when some one clicks a link of the search page,
what if this page uses new features of Java? (rhetoriacal)

Sure ! I just wasn't sure [based on the information available in your
post] whether you were aware of other option(s), so I took the liberty of
suggesting one.

The reason I was so presumptuous is that I've noticed [in a fair number of
postings to this and similar NG's] the use of 'Runtime.exec' to launch
Internet-specific utilities like browsers and even utilities like 'ping' or
similar when, with a little more work, whether to locate or write suitable
code [java.net, etc], would result in a much more efficient and robust Java
application. Putting this another way, use of 'Runtime.exec' seems to be the
first option of the newbie / near beginner, and may, in many instances, well
remain the *only* option. I wanted to do my bit to ensure that it wasn't
yours !

Cheers,

Anthony Borla