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 Technical :: IBM > WebSphereMQ Explorer
I was a member of the development team creating a new Java-based user interface for IBM WebSphere MQ (Explorer v6).
Project Background
Introduction
IBM WebSphere MQ is corporate "middleware". It is designed to allow businesses to connect various applications together - even if the different applications are running on different operating systems and on various types of machines.
In this way, it allows companies to reliably create, manage and administer very large-scale networks.
The software was released with a simple Windows application called Explorer, which provided a graphical user intefcace allowing basic administration of the MQ network. Administration from other platforms, or using more sophisticated commands, was provided by a command line interface.
Project aims
This project involved creating a new version of the graphical Explorer application. The new version needed to support other platforms, previously limited to the command-line tool.
It also needed to include more advanced functionality - allowing easier access to some of WebSphere MQ's more complicated functions which could previously only be accessed by the command-line.
Project technologies
The new application was created as a Java application built on the Eclipse platform. This helped to provide a framework that would allow the application to run on a variety of platforms.
Activities
prototype screenshot My main role was in creating plugins for the new Explorer - providing new functionality not available in the old Windows Explorer, including the ability to graphically represent the network on a scrolling, zooming canvas.

I was also involved in development on the core Explorer - ensuring functions on the old Explorer were still supported.
This included work in a variety of areas, including:
  • Prototyping graphical interfaces
  • User-centred design - including being involved in a number of prototype evaluation sessions with IBM customers
  • Networking programming - both to get the data about the network to display it graphically, and to carry out user commands entered through the interface
  • Design and coding
  • Unit testing
External Links
bbc news BBC News article with a brief description of IBM Websphere MQ.
 
Royal Academy of Engineering Details about an award won by Websphere MQ while I worked as a development engineer.
 
websphere mq The WebSphere MQ product is "integrated middleware providing infrastructure for business software".
 
eclipse logo Eclipse is an open-source project, providing a robust, multi-platform base for the development of highly integrated tools.

Last updated: 6 Nov 2005

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 Technical :: IBM > WebSphereMQ Explorer

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