Case Study: Adding "-> Logbook..." to CSS Data Browser

1. Decide on the level of integration
   • I decided to use the "very low level" of integration, because this seems to be the easiest way to work with CSS.
   • More info: http://css.desy.de/content/e760/e761/index_eng.html
2. Check out the CSS source code
   1. Install Mercurial locally
      • Download Mercurial source code from http://mercurial.selenic.com/release/mercurial-1.6.4.tar.gz
      • Type "make local" in the top directory
      • Install the MercurialEclipse plugin, too, but don't use it as such need usage tips from Kay & Co.
   2. Clone the CSS repository
      • Several available: http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/cs-studio/wiki/SourceRepository
      • Use 'read-only' repository => http://cs-studio.hg.sourceforge.net:8000/hgroot/cs-studio/cs-studio (no account/password)
   3. Increase JVM memory for Eclipse
      • Edit eclipse.ini in $ECLIPSE_HOME (1024 MB is what I ended up with)
   4. Import the necessary CSS plugins as Eclipse projects
      • The minimum list of plugins to develop with DataBrowser need clarification from Kay & Co.
        
3. Checkout the HLA source code (from CVS)
4. Create the edu.stanford.slac.save2logbook plugin
   • Copy the HLA Save2Logbook source to this plugin and configure for other plugins to use it
5. Add to the DataBrowser plugin the dependency on edu.stanford.slac.save2logbook
   • Eclipse bug: If plugins panel is empty, start typing the plugin name
6. Implement the new features in DataBrowser and Save2Logbook plugins
   • Add JFace Button, set size, label, and background color
   • Add JFace ActionListener that generates an Eclipse (Graphics) image
   • Add a method in Save2Logbook that saves an Eclipse image as a JPEG file and creates the logbook XML files as well as directories
7. Test the new features by running DataBrowser as an Eclipse application
8. Create a SLAC DataBrowser product configuration
   • Select CSS Data Browser as the application
   • Modify CSS splash
9. Export SLAC DataBrowser to some local directory and distribute it from there
10. When launching SLAC DataBrowser for the first time, configure the EPICS and DataBrowser preferences to use SLAC settings

Major To-Dos

• Headless build
• "Workspace in use" issues

Resources

How to develop with CSS

• Overview https://ics-web.sns.ornl.gov/css/EPICS2010Intro/EclipseCSSDevIntro1.pdf
• Demos http://css.desy.de/content/e70/e10/index_eng.html
• JavaDoc http://css-javadoc.desy.de/
• Plugins http://css.desy.de/epicsgroup/css/content/e428/e396/e402/e491/CSSPluginOverview.htm
  • DAL
    • http://css.desy.de/content/e428/e791/e1323/e1324/index_eng.html
    • http://css.desy.de/content/e428/e791/e1296/e1344/index_eng.html
  • Preferences
    • http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/cs-studio/wiki/HierarchicalPreferences
    • http://css.desy.de/content/e428/e1596/e1597/index_eng.html
  • Messages
    • http://css.desy.de/content/e428/e339/index_eng.html
    • Server http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/cs-studio/wiki/JavaMessageServer
    • Log http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/cs-studio/wiki/MessageLog
  • Authentication and Authorization http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/cs-studio/wiki/AuthAndAuth
• Mailing list http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?forum_name=cs-studio-core

• Development environment
  • Tools
    • Localization editor http://css.desy.de/content/e428/e1446/e1448/index_eng.html
    • IDE
    • Version Control
      • Hg http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/cs-studio/wiki/SourceRepository
      • Eclipse plugin: http://www.javaforge.com/project/HGE
      • Commit, then push
      • Pull, then update
  • API
  • Documentation
    • Eclipse Architecture
    • CSS Architecture
      • Wizards http://css.desy.de/content/e428/e446/e448/index_eng.html
      • http://accelconf.web.cern.ch/AccelConf/ica07/PAPERS/MOPB03.PDF
• Build and release procedures
  • Eclipse-based build http://ics-web.sns.ornl.gov/css/devel.html
    • http://ics-web.sns.ornl.gov/css/devel.html#prefs
  • Headless
    • http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/cs-studio/wiki/BuildSystem
    • http://css.desy.de/content/e428/e1436/index_eng.html
    • http://www.developertesting.com/archives/month200508/20050823-HeadlessHelloWorldInEclipse.html
  • Creating a product
    • http://css.desy.de/content/e428/e2048/e2244/index_eng.html
  • Automated?
• Production environment
  • Workspace
    • http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/cs-studio/wiki/Workspaces
    • http://ics-web.sns.ornl.gov/css/issues.html
  • Update Site http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/cs-studio/wiki/UpdateRepository
  • Intro pages, cheatsheets http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/cs-studio/wiki/IntroPages

How to contribute to CSS

• Level of integration http://css.desy.de/content/e760/e761/index_eng.html
• Standards
  • Test-driven (JUnit) http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/cs-studio/wiki/UnitTests
• Procedure http://css.desy.de/content/e760/e761/index_eng.html
  • Select the level of integration for your plugin from the list above
  • Use existing interfaces and extension points
  • Add new extension points whenever useful
  • Use Eclipse contributions to integrate your plugin seamlessly with other plugins
  • Use common data types (IData) to exchange data (not only strings) with other plugins
  • Localize strings in your code
  • Decouple local requirements from CSS implementations. Use interfaces to decouple.
  • Test CSS core versions and plugins on several platforms (at least Windows, Linux Mac-OS)
• Code style
  • http://css.desy.de/content/e428/e1446/e817/e818/index_eng.html

Links

• http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/cs-studio/
• http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/cs-studio/wiki/CompareProducts
• http://accelconf.web.cern.ch/AccelConf/ica07/PAPERS/ROPB02.PDF (applications)