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author | Angelo Naselli <anaselli@linux.it> | 2014-03-19 09:48:56 +0100 |
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committer | Angelo Naselli <anaselli@linux.it> | 2014-03-19 09:48:56 +0100 |
commit | 4bb4a6b4279c7cb8a540fc1ff5948274db53eeff (patch) | |
tree | 419843ce92ea9918415bccbee8d60f7148caaa6e /MODULE_HACKING | |
parent | af749c4c05b8e64c836e79353714b106c64903d2 (diff) | |
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Added a basic Module how to
Diffstat (limited to 'MODULE_HACKING')
-rw-r--r-- | MODULE_HACKING | 113 |
1 files changed, 113 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/MODULE_HACKING b/MODULE_HACKING new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e7f9f97 --- /dev/null +++ b/MODULE_HACKING @@ -0,0 +1,113 @@ +AdminPanel Modules + +AdminPanel is basically an application launcher, so everything +executable file can be run really. To get benefit of UI abstarction +though, the "modules" should be written with the use of libYUI, yast +user interface abstraction, so that they can be run using a Gtk, ncurses +or Qt environment in a transparent manner. +Modules based on libYUi can be written in C++, using the native language, +python, ruby and perl, using libYUI bindings. + +AdminPanel is written in perl, so it also add a native approach, +for perl modules. + +How to write a perl AdminPanel module +====================================== + +AdminPanel module are written using Moose wit an OO apporach. +Modules are extension of the AdminPanel::Module class. + +- Code alignemnt +As a simple code convention, we add the followin line at the +beginning of the file + +# vim: set et ts=4 sw=4: + +So that using vim we force to get tabs to be 4 characters +and considered as blanks, so please if you use another editor +and you want to include your code under adminpanel tree_callback +keep this convention. + +- POD +Then add POD to your file, we are trying to pass "make test" +and POD is one of the important tests. +It's not only a matter of test of course, having the manual +and a good documentation of the modules is mandatory. +Remember also that the code could/should be read and understood by +other people, so try to keep POD aligned. + +- Internal declaration +Internal functions or methods are "_" predfixed, e.g. +sub _foo { +} + +- Module template +Try to keep distinct the GUI layout and the module back-end. Since +the module is a configuration tool for the most, one thing is the +graphic user interface and another is a lower level interface. Such +an approach allows to use shared things also into other projects +that don't want to use YUI bindings for instance. + +Said that you have to: +1. Define the package name usually like: + package AdminPanel::Module::MyModule; + +2. Use Moose and yui, the first to extend Module the latter for libYUI + bindings. + +3. Extend AdminPanel::Module defining a "start" method that has to be invokated + by AdminPanel. + Other important things are icon and name attributes, please look at other modules + code and to Moose documentation how to do it. + +4. Add the module to configuration file so that apanel can load it (see below). + +Some share code is into AdminPanel::Shared modules, such as Locales to manage localization +or Module back-ends for instance. + +- AdminPanel configuration (how to run a module) + +apanel can be run using a "name" parameter and eventually by forcing a configuration +directory path where to find configuration files. +Default name is apanel, and the name by convention is the place in witch to find +configuration files under /etc. +So apanel will look for: +/etc/apanel/settings.conf +/etc/apanel/categories.conf +categories can also be searched under: +/etc/apanel/categories.conf.d/MyModule.conf + +How to run modules is defined into categories.conf or alternatively +MyModule.conf under the related categories.conf.d. +Last method allows to write a Module that is not under the AdminPanel +development tree, and easily install, load and run it using apanel. + +Categories are icon buttons that can contain more modules, so to have +a old mcc view: +_______________ +|C | | +|A | | +|T | Modules | +|E | | +|G.| | +--------------- +Layout can change in future though. + +Let's see an example +<category> + <title>Hardware</title> + <icon>/usr/share/icons/configuration_section.png</icon> + <module> + <class>AdminPanel::Module::AdminMouse</class> + </module> + <module> + <title>Module name</title> + <launcher>PATH/to/lunch/module</launcher> + <icon>absolute/paht/to/module/icon</icon> + </module> +</category> + +First module is a perl AdminPanel::Module extension (AdminMouse), +latter is an external one, as you can see could be a script +as well as an executable command. +Look at settings.conf and categories.conf for details. |