[Gambas-user] Question: Is it possible to build 'plugins/add ons' for Gambas applications

William Cabrera cabrerawilliam at ...626...
Wed Oct 3 17:55:52 CEST 2012 

the problem is with the functions of the plugin, as the application will
know what features the plugin?

2012/10/3 Sebastian Kulesz <sebikul at ...626...>

> On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 9:23 AM, Fabien Bodard <gambas.fr at ...626...> wrote:
> > 2012/10/3 Benoît Minisini <gambas at ...1...>:
> >> Le 03/10/2012 12:22, Ron a écrit :
> >>> On 3-10-2012 2:58, Willy Raets wrote:
> >>>> On Wed, 2012-10-03 at 08:26 +0930, Bruce wrote:
> >>>>> On Tue, 2012-10-02 at 23:03 +0200, Willy Raets wrote:
> >>>>>> Hi.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I recently had a request of someone if it is possible to build a
> >>>>>> plugin/add on for my existing Gambas application.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I like the idea, as it would give extra function to my application.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> So would it be possible to write applications that, once installed,
> add
> >>>>>> something to my application, like the add ons for Firefox for
> example.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Would this be possible with Gambas?
> >>>>>> If so, how to set up the main application to except these
> plugins/add
> >>>>>> ons?
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I anyone could point me into the good direction it would be much
> >>>>>> appreciated.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Willy
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> P.S. Would it be possible to have plugins/add ons written in for
> example
> >>>>>> Java added to a Gambas application? Or am I going to far in my mind
> :)
> >>>>>>
> >>>>> Hi Willy,
> >>>>>
> >>>>> The concept is feasible, but requires some effort on your part to
> >>>>> implement the following:
> >>>>> 1) a plug in manager for your app to let the user register and start
> the
> >>>>> plug in.
> >>>> That is what I kind of figured out :)
> >>>>
> >>>>> 2) an object model for your app data that safely exposes the data in
> >>>>> some way:
> >>>>>     a) dbus?
> >>>>>     b) directly passing the data to the plug-in?
> >>>>>     c) using interface files?
> >>>>> 3) if you want to allow the plug in to modify the data, then some
> sort
> >>>>> of interface to recognize modification requests and apply them
> >>>>> (judiciously of course).  Again, gb.dbus messaging and gb.signal look
> >>>>> the most sophisticated approach.
> >>>> Seems I'll have to dive into gb.dbus
> >>>>
> >>>>> Some weeks ago I proposed adding such functionality to the IDE
> itself.
> >>>>> In that post there is a mocked up proof of concept for step 1.  I
> didn't
> >>>>> take it any further as there was little interest expressed.  We have
> >>>>> added it to our local gambas installation and taken it further.
> >>>>> However, no data that is within the IDE is exposed to the add-ins
> (as I
> >>>>> didn't want or need to do that).  Our IDE add-ins work outside the
> IDE
> >>>>> to provide some developer aids and at the most add new files to the
> >>>>> project.  Some examples are: a "class-builder" that reads a UML xmi
> file
> >>>>> and creates a new class with the majority of the property handling
> code
> >>>>> already implemented; a "installer" that installs an automake package
> of
> >>>>> the project with little user intervention; a "todo list " manager
> that
> >>>>> goes far beyond the IDE tasks panel to manage to-dos, bugs, ideas,
> etc;
> >>>>> and a stockview type of icon/image manager that previews any/all of
> our
> >>>>> icon libraries and allows importing of icons into the project
> directory.
> >>>>> So, nothing that actually modifies the active code within the IDE,
> the
> >>>>> only data that is passed to the add-ins is the project path. Other
> than
> >>>>> adding files to the project the only other back interface is via the
> >>>>> clipboard. For example, the stock viewer copies the path of the
> clicked
> >>>>> icon onto the clipboard in the format needed for a Picture["path"]
> >>>>> command.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> If you want to look at the POC search the mail archives for
> "Proposal" -
> >>>>> it was some time in August.  I don't think we have an archive of it,
> but
> >>>>> if you can't find the post then pm me and I'll have a look though
> system
> >>>>> backups for it.
> >>>> Ok I found your post about it and downloaded the archives. Archives
> >>>> won't open somehow :(
> >>>>
> >>>> Reason it gives:
> >>>> tar: This does not look like a tar archive
> >>>> tar: Skipping to next header
> >>>> tar: Exiting with failure status due to previous errors
> >>>>
> >>>> So I hope you still have them lying around somewhere.
> >>>> Their names where (might help retrieving them):
> >>>> addinmeta1-0.0.6.tar.gz
> >>>> paddys-hill-runterm_simple-0.0.2.tar.gz
> >>>>
> >>>> Very curious about this...
> >>>>> I'd say that dbus would be the way to go for part 2 as it is a
> >>>>> convenient way to encapsulate and expose your object data model.
> >>>> If I get part 1 done (guess your example will come in helpfull to get
> me
> >>>> going) I'll have a good look at dbus and it's possibilities.
> >>>>
> >>>>> regards
> >>>>> Bruce
> >>>>>
> >>>> Thanks again..
> >>>> You are always very helpful and seem to be thinking and doing a lot
> I'm
> >>>> thinking and trying to do :)
> >>>>
> >>>> Willy
> >>>>
> >>>> BTW, I like your idea of being able to add plugins to the IDE as you
> >>>> suggested. I can think of some useful additions off my own that would
> >>>> speed up some routine tasks often needed during development.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>> Willy,
> >>>
> >>> Search for the file names online, download the files from the found
> list
> >>> archive and open them with 7zip (windows, yuk) right click choose "open
> >>> archive".
> >>> Then click on the files until you see the list of contents, you can
> then
> >>> drag them to a folder.
> >>> Simply unpacking directly indeed results in one strange text file with
> >>> all files concatenated in it.
> >>>
> >>> I'm also looking at some way of creating plugins/define an api for my
> >>> project! (domotiga)
> >>> So people can code a plugin as a gambas component, place it in a
> >>> directory (plugins) and the main software will scan/find and register
> it.
> >>>
> >>> I looked at this info also...
> >>>
> http://www.gambasforge.org/code-55-application-modulaire--des-plugins-pour-votre-appli.html
> >>> but haven't got it to work just yet the way I want it.
> >>> So keep me posted if you want, when you succeed in creating a POC ;)
> >>>
> >>> Regards,
> >>> Ron.
> >>>
> >>
> >> Technically, even if it is strange, plugins are not really necessary
> >> with Gambas.
> >>
> >> As plugins usually depends on the main program version, you can put all
> >> plugins in the main program. Anyway, the Gambas interpreter will load
> >> the plugin code only if it is used.
> >>
> >> The only problem is when many different people work on different plugins
> >> located in the same source code.
> >>
> >> If the version requirement is strong enough (like Gambas with its main
> >> component), it is not a big deal.
> >>
> >> Otherwise, if you really want people to develop their plugins
> >> independently, you have to create components or libraries.
> >>
> >> Libraries are actually the good way: you put them in the same directory
> >> than the main executable so that it can find them, and that's all.
> >>
> >> I think you can load them at runtime with Component.Load(), just check.
> >> Otherwise you are doomed - But I will fix that, this is the goal. And
> >> maybe we should be able to put plugins in their own directory somewhere,
> >> but then I have to modify Component.Load() to deal with absolute paths.
> > Yes i think it is needed
> >>
> >> Now, to create a plugin API :
> >>
> >> 1) Having everything in the main program is the easier path. You can do
> >> what you want. A shared module, using inheritance, and so on. I think
> >> you should try to do that as much as possible. Note that there is less
> >> security problems, as the control is done at the source code level. And
> >> fixing the problem is fast when everything is at the same place.
> >>
> >> 2) If the plugin is a library : that's the problem. It is not easy at
> >> all, but it is an IDE problem : the library (plugin) project should be
> >> able to use the main project as if it is a component or a library, so
> >> that if the plugin interface is an exported class of the main program,
> >> then the plugin can use it directly with no compilation error. I must
> >> think a litle about that...
> > DBUS ?
>
> DBus IS the way to go. A plugin could be any class that depends on
> DBusObject. When a plugin is loaded (simply executed, even from a
> shell), a Main function is executed which registers the object and
> enters in to an infinite loop.  It can expose an Exit() method to
> quit, etc. It requires no additional work! what do you think?
>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Benoît Minisini
> >>
> >>
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> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Fabien Bodard
> >
> >
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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>
>
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------
William Cabrera
http://willicab.gnu.org.ve

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