Developing Plug-Ins for NetBeans

Developing Plug-Ins
for NetBeans

Tim Boudreau
Staff Engineer
Sun Microsystems

TM SM
NetBeansTM Software Day at 2005 JavaOneSM Conference

Agenda

● NetBeans Overview
● Plug-In Development Support
● Architectural Background
● Developing a Plug-In


Modular Design


Everything is a Plug-In


What is a plug-in (module)

● A jar file with some special manifest entries

OpenIDE-Module: org.netbeans.modules.project.ant/1
OpenIDE-Module-IDE-Dependencies: IDE/1 > 4.48
OpenIDE-Module-Specification-Version: 1.6
OpenIDE-Module-Implementation-Version: 050219
OpenIDE-Module-Public-Packages: org.netbeans.api.project.ant.*, org.ne
tbeans.spi.project.ant.*
OpenIDE-Module-Module-Dependencies: org.netbeans.modules.projectapi/1,
org.netbeans.modules.queries/1, org.openide.loaders
OpenIDE-Module-Localizing-Bundle: org/netbeans/modules/project/ant/Bun
dle.properties



● Module code-name

dle.properties



● What version of the main APIs does it need

dle.properties



● Modules have version numbers

dle.properties



● Modules can expose APIs

dle.properties



● Modules can use APIs from other modules

dle.properties



● Everything is localized

dle.properties


Anatomy of a Module


Plugin Support in NetBeans 4.2
● NetBeans Plugin Projects
● New Plugin Template
● API class templates
● Build Plugins outside source tree
– Deploy to
● Separate Binary
● Platform-only Binary
● Current IDE
DEMO: Creating a Plugin


How the Hello World module works

● Installs a layer file which
– Is merged into the system (configuration) filesystem
– Defines a virtual filesystem fragment
– Installs an instance file
● Points to a standard Swing Action


Filesystems API

● FileObjects: Abstraction over java.io.File
– “Files” may not be on disk
● XML
● Remote (FTP, NFS)
● Database, etc.
– Support
● Listening for changes
● Ad-hoc “attributes” (key-value pairs)
● Live in a FileSystem – a namespace
● Used for both config data + user's files


Filesystems – virtual files


XML Filesystems – very virtual files


Layered Filesystem


System (configuration) Filesystem


A Tour of the System Filesystem

DEMO: Browsing the layer file and System FS


DataObjects wrap Files


DataSystems API

● DataObjects – wrap 1 or more FileObjects
– “Typed” files – knows what the content is
● Different DataObject types for different MIME types
– Programmatic access to file contents
● Structural or parsed representation of contents
● Support for editing, etc.
● DataLoaders
– Factories for DataObject
– Recognize and claim FileObjects by extension or
contents

DataSystems


Nodes API

● Presentation layer on top of DataObjects – add
– Icon, display name, menu actions, properties, child
nodes
● Generic hierarchy API
● Displayed to user with the Explorer API
– Tree, List, Combo, Menu, TreeTable and other
views
● Don't have to represent files


From Files to Nodes


Factory Relationships – Files to Nodes


Lookup Patterns

● “Glue” between disparate APIs
● Common pattern: To ask an object for an
implementation of some interface
– SomeObject.getLookup().lookup (SomeIFace.class);
– SomeObject.getCookie (SomeIFace.class);


Lookup API

● A way to find objects (dependency injection)
● Global singletons
● Lookup.getDefault().lookup (SomeInterface.class)
● Objects belonging to another object
● node.getLookup().lookup (SomeInterface.class)
● dataObject.getCookie (SomeInterface.class)

● Why lookup?
● Lazy instantiation – create on demand
● Evolution
● Its hard to add/remove methods
● Its easy to change what lives in an object's Lookup

Global Lookup Registration

● Instance file in system filesystem:
<folder name=”services”>
<file name=”org-foo-mymodule-MyService.instance”/>
</folder>

● META-INF/services entry in jar:
● A single file that names the interface implemented
● META-INF/services/org.openide.ErrorManager
● With a single line of text naming the implementation
class
● com.mycom.mymodule.MyErrorManagerImpl


getLookup() vs. getCookie()

● Newer idiom
● someobject.getLookup().lookup (SomeClass.class)

● Older idiom
● someobject.getCookie (SomeClass.class)

● Principle difference
● Lookup is more generic
● Objects in a Lookup don't have to implement the marker
interface Node.Cookie


Povray


Developing Plug-Ins
for NetBeans

Tim Boudreau
Staff Engineer
Sun Microsystems


Developing Plug-Ins for NetBeans

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