Fasttrack: Lotus 8 Eclipse development

Please be aware that this fasttrack is outdated!!
Some day I might update it from Lotus Notes 8.0.1 to a more current version
(currently Lotus Notes 8.5 & Expeditor 6.2)

If you're interested in getting involved in IBM Lotus 8 / Eclipse development technologies and you're wondering how to get started, here are some guidance you might want to explore.

This blog contains some step-by-step tutorials and informational guides that you can use in your quest to advance your skills and your company's competitive advantages.

Abstract

• Introduction
• Prerequisites
• Setting up development environments
• Learning the new stuff
• Courses
  
• Adjusting the project culture
  
• Iterating your product / client strategy

Introduction

• Getting started with Lotus / Eclipse

Prerequisites

• Download and install the software

Setting up development environments

Lotus Notes

• Create Notes 8 environment
• Test Notes 8 samples

Lotus Sametime

• Create Sametime 8 environment
• Test Sametime 8 samples

Learning the new stuff
So now you've got the development environments up and running, that's nice, but you still have some more stuff to do.

Next up is the understanding of the possibilities in the Eclipse based Lotus Notes and Sametime architectures, features and plug-ins.

Here are some examples on development best practices worth thinking about :

• Java in Eclipse
  
• Eclipse plug-ins
• Eclipse SWT
  
• Eclipse RCP (Rich Client Platform)
• Lotus Expeditor 8 architecture and plug-ins
• Lotus Notes /Eclipse architecture and plug-ins
  
• Lotus Sametime /Eclipse architecture and plug-ins

Courses
Currently there are not many official learning suppliers on Lotus, Eclipse and Expeditor technologies other than IBM and The RCP Company were I work.

Adjusting the project culture
If many of the mentioned technologies are new to you, you should find a way to merge the new project and development considerations into your current procedures.

I know there are a lot of today's traditional Lotus Notes developers out there that, again, will have to adjust to IBM's innovative strategies, like this IBM Lotus Eclipse client. It might take a few years for most of them to get up to speed, depending on their customers needs.

This is a good opportunity for new software players to conquer new niche markets.

Iterating your product / client strategy
With this need for investment in new skills and knowledge, you have to re-think how your investment will generate the best pay-off on your solutions.

• Where can you get professional best-practice guidance and knowledge
  
• How can a solution benefit best from the new features and possibilities
• How should you model the optimal plugin architecture
• How will you integrate to the existing business logic
• How should you prepare and model the development teams