Tutorial: Project Development

Our customer wants a tool to aid in production of motion pictures. In this part, we are going to set-up the project framework with empty ui components. Fuction is added in subsequent parts.

Step 1: Create UI Plugin

To create the a new plugin, open the wizard.

• File >> New >> Plug-in Development >> Plug-in Project >> Next >

Project name for the feature is com.acme.movie.ui. Next >. In the wizard you should know that you'll have a use for an activator, check that. Also know that the plug-in makes UI contributions, but is not a rich client application. Finish

Open the form editor from plugin.xml. From Overview page make sure This plug-in is a singleton.

Step 2: Create Perspective

Perspective is a viewport to user interface. It is setting for how specific type of work is done in a project (Read More). Our application will have only one perspective, movie production perspective. There will be a model browser (left), an editor for diagram representations (center), a properties view (bottom) and a database view (right). Here is a sketch.

Lets start. Add Movie Production perspective.

• Open com.acme.movie.ui / META-INF/MANIFEST.MF >> Extensions
• Add a new extension, org.eclipse.ui.perspectives
• A node will appear, select it, right click new >> perspective. Select it.
• Add info, put com.acme.movie.ui.perspective as id, "Movie Production" as name, and com.acme.movie.ui.PerspectiveFactory as class name.
• Create perspective factory class. Click on the blue underlined "Class *:" link, a class instantiation wizard will open. Finish.
• Make the editor area permanently visible. Edit the class.

<syntaxhighlight lang="java">

   public class PerspectiveFactory implements IPerspectiveFactory {
     @Override
     public void createInitialLayout(IPageLayout layout) {
       layout.setEditorAreaVisible(true);		
     }
   }

</syntaxhighlight>

The empty perspective needs content, lets start with the Model Browser. It should be located on the left-hand side as planned in the sketch. Simantics has such component, the identifier is org.simantics.structural.ui.modelBrowser. We are going to add a perspective extension that states that, in this perspective there is a Model Browser that is located to the left of the editor area. FYI the identifier of the editor area is org.eclipse.ui.editorss.

Add Model Browser View to the perspective.

• Add new extension org.eclipse.ui.perspectiveExtensions
• Put com.acme.movie.ui.perspective as targetID
• Add model browser
  • com.acme.movie.ui.perspective >> right-click >> new >> view
  • id = org.simantics.structural.ui.modelBrowser
  • relationship = left
  • relative = org.eclipse.ui.editorss
  • ratio = 0.2
  • visible = true
  • closable = false

Apply the same steps to add property view at the bottom.

• com.acme.movie.ui.perspective >> right-click >> new >> view
• id = org.simantics.browsing.ui.graph.propertyView
• relationship = left, org.eclipse.ui.editorss
• ratio = 0.7
• visible = true
• closable = false

And put symbol library to the right.

• com.acme.movie.ui.perspective >> right-click >> new >> view
• id = org.simantics.diagram.symbollibrary.managed
• relationship = left
• relative = org.eclipse.ui.editorss
• ratio = 0.6
• visible = true
• closable = false

Step 3: Create Feature

Feature is a set of plug-ins grouped into a single manageable unit. In the final release the application would be delivered as a Feature. Features can be installed from an update site using Simantics Project Manager (SPM).

Create feature

• Open wizard File >> New >> Plug-in Development >> Feature Project >> Next >
• Project name for feature is com.acme.movie.feature. Next >.
• The feature includes both com.acme.movie.ontology and .ui plugins, check those. Finish

Step 4: Create Product

But for development the feature is not enough, we need a product.

Create a new product configuration

• File >> New >> Plug-in Development >> Product Configuration >> Next >
• Select com.acme.movie.ui as parent folder and put Movie.product for filename. Finish

Create Product extension

• Open Movie.product
• Select New Product. A wizard will open. Leave Defining Plug-in as com.acme.movie.ui and Product ID product.
• Select org.simantics.workbench.application as Product Application. Finish.
• Open Movie.product and Overview tab sheet from the editor bottom.
  • Add values for ID, Version and Name; say com.acme.movie, 1.0 and "Motion Picture Planner"
  • Choose org.simantics.workbench.product as Product and org.simantics.workbench.application as Application
  • Select "The product configuration is based on: features"
• Open Dependencies tab sheet from the editor bottom.
  • Add org.simantics.sdk
  • Add com.acme.movie.feature
  • Save file.

Step 5: Simantics Feature

Simantics feature is an configuration extension. It is needed for automated management. See Project Development.

Add Simantics Project Feature

• Open UI plugin settings: org.com.acme.movie.ui >> plugin.xml
• Add some plug-in dependencies: Dependencies >> Required Plug-ins >> Add...
  • org.simantics.project, org.simantics.db, org.simantics.utils, org.simantics.utils.datastructures
• Add org.simantics.project.feature extension: Extensions >> Add... >> org.simantics.project.feature
• id = com.acme.movie.feature
• label = Movie Production Feature
• published = true
• class = com.acme.movie.ui.ProjectFeature

Create Project Feature class and set the default perspective.

• Instantiate the class: click the blue class*. link to open a wizard. Finish
• Add method configure(). Note, you can automatically import dependency classes with (ctrl-shift-o, organize imports).

<syntaxhighlight lang="java">

   public class ProjectFeature extends AbstractProjectFeature implements IProjectFeature {

@Override public void configure() throws ProjectException {

           getProject().setHint(ProjectKeys.DEFAULT_PERSPECTIVE, "com.acme.movie.ui.perspective");

}

   }

</syntaxhighlight>

Create install group.

• Open UI plugin's extensions: org.com.acme.movie.ui >> plugin.xml >> Extensions
• Select your feature Movie Production Feature
• Add installGroup right-click >> New >> installGroup
• id = com.acme.movie.feature.group

Step 6: Run it

OK, you have now a feature and a product configuration. Give it a go.

• Open Movie.product
• Click Launch an Eclipse application

If everything goes fine a simantics platform should start and open up. It should look like this, if not, you can look for help in the tutorial source codes at https://www.simulationsite.net/svn/simantics/tutorials/trunk/

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Amazing You have a simantics project!

In the next part you will be developing a model.
Tutorial 3: Model Development