Use Eclipse Technologies to build a modern
embedded development IDE.
Gaétan Morice – Benjamin Cabé
October 28th, 2009

Embedded Modeling IDE
Requirements

Requirements
• What is M2M ?
API/Web
Services
Asset Communication Connectivity Customer
Device Network Application
• Definition : “M2M refers to data communication between machines.”
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Requirements
API/Web
Services
Asset Communication Connectivity Customer
Device Network Operated & Hosted Application
M2M Services
Platform
 Hosted and operated M2M services platform. Highly scalable, available and secure.
Provides APIs to develop web-based custom designed applications.
 Open embedded agent integrated in virtually any cell devices (Airlink box, modules
embedded in OEM equipment, custom box etc. both from Sierra or other 3rd party).
 Patented world class Eclipse based IDE to develop embedded applications
and to generate widgets for end-users.
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Requirements
• Embedded development (Machine-to-Machine)
• Modeling environment
• Component-oriented approach
Model Code Binary Target Execution Debug
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Requirements
• Users profiles
►Newbies
►Solution providers
• Multiple targets
►Sierra Wireless devices
►Embedded Linux
►…
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Embedded Modeling IDE
Technical Solution

Features
Editors
Validation Navigator
Model
Editor
Compilation Code
Navigator
Communication Target Navigator
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Features
Model
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Modeling
Model
• EMF - Eclipse Modeling Framework
►The model is the pillar of the tool
►Used to model what an embedded project is
►Benefits from EMF
–Notifications
–Serialization
–Reflective API
–… all the incredible EMF tools (GMF, Validation, Xpand, Ecore Tools, …)
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Modeling
Model
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Features
Navigator
Model
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Navigator
Navigator
• Objectives Model
►1:1 Mapping between Project and Model
►Display informations in the model as project’s artefacts
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Navigator
Navigator
• Workspace integration Model
►AdapterFactory transforms
–IProject into Model Project
–Model Project into Iproject
public class ProjectAdapterFactory implements IAdapterFactory {
@Override
public Object getAdapter(Object adaptableObject, Class adapterType) {
Object result = null;
// Bi-directional adapter IProject <----> M2MProject
if (adaptableObject instanceof IProject && adapterType.equals(Project.class)) {
result = adaptToModel((IProject) adaptableObject);
}
else if (adaptableObject instanceof Project && adapterType.equals(IProject.class)) {
result = adaptIProject((Project) adaptableObject, adapterType);
}
return result;
}
}
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Navigator
Navigator
• Workspace integration Model
►EMF Transaction
–Global model repository
–Transactional Editing Domain
public class ProjectActivator extends Plugin {
public static final String TRANSACTIONAL_EDITING_DOMAIN_ID = "com.anwrt.ec598.project.editingDomain";
...
public TransactionalEditingDomain getEditingDomain(){
TransactionalEditingDomain shared = TransactionalEditingDomain.Registry.INSTANCE
.getEditingDomain(TRANSACTIONAL_EDITING_DOMAIN_ID);
return shared;
}
...
}
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Navigator
Navigator
• Project Explorer Model
►Displays model objects as the Project structure
►Based on Common Navigator Framework
–Extensible tree view
–Rather complex API
–But really powerful
Extension Points: org.eclipse.ui.navigator.*
Excellent tutorial: “Building a Common Navigator based viewer”
►We use an internal model to define the structure (nodes only
used to group or display informations)
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Navigator
Navigator
• Project Explorer Model
►Result
EMF Objects
Model contribution
Navigation nodes
CDT contribution
Default display (resources)
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Features
Editors
Navigator
Model
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Model dition
Editors
• Forms editors Model
►Forms + EMF + databinding
–Create UI
private void createContent(FormToolkit toolkit, Composite parent) {
Composite composite = toolkit.createComposite(parent, SWT.NONE);
GridDataFactory.fillDefaults().grab(true, false).applyTo(composite);
GridLayoutFactory.fillDefaults().numColumns(2).applyTo(composite);
toolkit.createLabel(composite, "Name:", SWT.NONE);
_textName = toolkit.createText(composite, "", SWT.BORDER);
GridDataFactory.fillDefaults().grab(true, false).applyTo(_textName);
}
–Bind UI to model
private void bind() {
DataBindingContext bindingContext = new EMFDataBindingContext();
// -- Bind the Name
bindingContext.bindValue(SWTObservables.observeText(_textName, SWT.FocusOut),
EMFEditObservables.observeDetailValue(Realm.getDefault(), getEditingDomain(),
_myEObject, M2MPackage.eINSTANCE.getINamedElement_Name()));
}
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Model edition
Editors
• Forms editors Model
►Result
Available in PDE Incubator:
EMF-Forms Editor to be used for next-generation PDE editors
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Model edition
Editors
• Graphical Editor: GMF Model
►Uses GMF generator to bootstrap
GMF generation
Model
Generated Customization
editor
Modified
editor
►Heavy use of GMF Runtime
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Model edition
Editors
• Graphical Editor: GMF Model
►Other features
–Rotation
–Automatic port creation
–HTML Tooltips
–Extensible presentation
•Custom figures can be defined using an extension point
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Model edition
Editors
• Graphical Editor: GMF Model
►Result
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Features
Editors
Validation Navigator
Model
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Model validation
Validation
• EMF Validation Model
►Extensible (needed for specific-target constraints)
►Constraints are registered using an extension point
Extension points: org.eclipse.emf.validation.*
►We use only the batch mode
public IStatus validate (EObject model, IProgressMonitor monitor) {
IBatchValidator batchValidator = ModelValidationService.getInstance()
.newValidator(EvaluationMode.BATCH);
batchValidator.setIncludeLiveConstraints(true);
batchValidator.setReportSuccesses(false);
return batchValidator.validate(model, monitor);
}
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Model validation
Validation
►Integrated in a builder Model
–Transparent and automatic (on save)
–Uses Problem Markers
–Coupled with quick fixes for a better user experience
Validation decorators are based on
markers generated by the Validation builder
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Features
Editors
Validation Navigator
Model
Code
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Code generation
Model
• Xpand Code
►Performance issue
–Workflow is too slow then use only Java API
►Example of template
«IMPORT model»
«DEFINE file FOR SourceComponentClass»
«FILE project.name.toLowerCase() + "/" + name + ".java"-»
package «project.name.toLowerCase()»;
public class «name» extends ComponentClass {
«IF methods.select(m | m.kind.toString() == "EVENT").size > 0»
public void receiveEvent(int inputEventMethod, Object value) {
«FOREACH methods.select(m | m.kind.toString() == "EVENT") AS m-»
// TODO handle Event: " + «m.name.toUpperCase()»:
«ENDFOREACH-»
}
«ENDIF»
}
«ENDFILE»
«ENDDEFINE»
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Code generation
Model
• Xpand Code
►Call the Xpand generator programmatically
public void generate(final EObject object, IProgressMonitor monitor) throws CoreException {
Generator generator = new Generator();
// define the metamodel used in the template
MetaModel m2mMetamodel = new EmfMetaModel(M2MPackage.eINSTANCE);
generator.addMetaModel(m2mMetamodel);
// define the template
generator.setExpand("templates::SourceComponentClass::file FOR component");
// define the output folder
Outlet outlet = new Outlet("C:/myOutput/src");
generator.addOutlet(outlet);
// configure protected regions
generator.setPrSrcPaths("C:/myOutput/src");
generator.setPrDefaultExcludes(true);
// define the EObject input
WorkflowContextDefaultImpl ctx = new WorkflowContextDefaultImpl();
ctx.set("component", object);
// run the generator
generator.invoke(ctx, new ProgressMonitorAdapter(monitor), new IssuesImpl());
}
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Code generation
Model
• Integrated in a builder Code
►Transparent and automatic (on save)
►Synchronization between model and code
►Incremental generation
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Features
Editors
Validation Navigator
Model
Editor
Code
Navigator
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Code editors and navigator
Editor
Code
• CDT
Navigator
►Code navigation
►Syntax highlight
►Content assist
►Refactoring
►…
• LuaEclipse
►Currently not based on DLTK but under development
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Code editors and navigator
Editor
Code
• CDT
Navigator
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Features
Editors
Validation Navigator
Model
Editor
Code
Navigator
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Round-tripping
Model
• Mandatory for a good user experience Code
• Be able to edit code or model indifferently
►Continuous synchronization
• First study: EMF Compare
►Good candidate but too rich for our needs
►Solution: Direct modification of existing models
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Round-tripping
Model
• Solution Code
►Integrated in a builder
►Synchronize Model and AST Code
►From code to model: Based on existing parser
AST
Java transformation
Model Model
(previous version) (extract from code)
Merge
Model
(new version)
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Features
Editors
Validation Navigator
Model
Editor
Compilation Code
Navigator
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Compilation
Compilation Code
• CDT - Managed Build System (MBS)
►Declarative creation of custom tool chains
–Through MBS Extension point
–Direct integration in CDT builder and preference
–A bit complex
Extension Point: org.eclipse.ui.managebuilder.core.buildDefinition
Excellent tutorial: CDT Plug-in Developer Guide
►Mechanism of scanner discovery profiles to find tools binaries
Extension Point:
org.eclipse.cdt.make.core.ScannerConfigurationDisccoveryProfile
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Compilation
Compilation Code
• CDT – MBS
►Result
Binaries packages for download on device
Options
Compiler and linker for the device (based on ARM GCC)
Tools
Binary post-processors to match device caracteristics
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Compilation
Compilation Code
• CDT - Dependencies management
►Dependencies management
–Difficult with CDT
–Configuration, build artefacts, libraries include, header include to manage
–No generic rule => have to be hand craft
–Use of CDT API to access projects description
–Managed by refactoring process
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Compilation
Compilation Code
• CDT - Dependencies management
public class ModifyCProjectDependenciesChange extends Change {
private final IProject project;
...
public Change perform(IProgressMonitor pm) throws CoreException {
ICProjectDescription projectDescription = CDTPropertyManager.getProjectDescription(project);
ICConfigurationDescription[] configurationDescription = projectDescription.getConfigurations();
...
}
...
}
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Features
Editors
Validation Navigator
Model
Editor
Compilation Code
Navigator
Target
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Features
Editors
Validation Navigator
Model
Editor
Compilation Code
Navigator
Communication Target
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Target communication
Communication Target
• Objectives:
►make device's services available
–Download
–Terminal
–…
►De-coupling of services and communication channel
►Extensible
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Target communication
Communication Target
• Target Communication Framework - TCF
►Embedded agent
►Asynchronous Launch Terminal
Config View
►Protocol based on
►Command, Result Download Terminal
►Event Service Service
Connection
TCF Channel
Manager
Embedded
Agent
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Features
Editors
Validation Navigator
Model
Editor
Compilation Code
Navigator
Communication Target Navigator
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Target navigator
Target Navigator
• Remote System Explorer - RSE
►GUI framework
►Tree Explorer
►Match well with TCF
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Target navigator
Target Navigator
• Remote System Explorer
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Features
Editors
Validation Navigator
Forms
EMF Validation GMF
Project Explorer + CNF
Model
Xpand AST
Editor
CDT
Compilation Code CDT + DLTK
Navigator
TCF RSE
Communication Target Navigator
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Embedded Modeling IDE
Demonstration

Embedded Modeling IDE
Conclusion

The benefits of a large ecosystem
• Allows to create really complex environment quickly
• Covers differents kinds of domains
• Offers reactive support with the community
• Allows to focus on real added value
© Sierra Wireless inc. – Made available under EPL v1.0

Questions?
Gaétan Morice
gmorice@sierrawireless.com
Benjamin Cabé
bcabe@sierrawireless.com