6.3. How are modules organized in the Java code?
The previous section describes how modules and plug-ins are
organized at the Java level independent of how they are actually
packaged.
Within the ArgoUML project some parts of the code are developed
and packaged separately from the main ArgoUML source code.
This section describes how they are
organized and how you create such source-code modules.
6.3.1. Requirements on modules
An external module requires:
The module main class implements org.argouml.moduleloader.ModuleInterface
Archive the main class into a jar, with an entry "Name" in MANIFEST.MF
specifying the name of the main class. For example, Name:
Name: your/own/domain/your/package/your.class
The class in question must implement
org.argouml.moduleloader.ModuleInterface.
Put the jar file into a directory called "ext" under the home directory of
ArgoUML
Run ArgoUML and check if the module appears in Edit -> Settings -> Modules
New modules that are added to ArgoUML shall reside in whole new
packages. Either you put your module classes in
your.own.domain
.your.package.nameorg.argouml.your.package.name
where your.package.name
is the name of your addition.
...create a new source-code module.
Suggestion, copy from the
menutest module as described here.
Make a copy of
argouml/modules/menutest into argouml/modules/your
name.
Add any jar you need to
argouml/modules/your name
/lib and add references to each of the jars in
argouml/modules/your
name/build.xml.
Edit
argouml/modules/your name
/module.properties
Edit argouml/modules/your
name/src/org/manifest.mf.
Reorganize the source files as necessary. Remove the
directory
argouml/modules/your name
/src/org/argouml/ui and create your own classes
like org.argouml.your package
name in
argouml/modules/your name
/src/org/argouml/your package
name.
...get Argo to use a plug-in?
![[Note]](images/note.png) | Note |
|---|
This description is for the old module loader. |
Once you've created a jar file with a plug-in in it, you need to
make sure that Argo can find the jar to be able to execute it.
If you are using a "standard" ArgoUML source structure, then
you should be able to execute build install
or ant install in the source directory of the
plug-in. This will copy the jar file to the proper directory in the
main ArgoUML build target. You can test your plug-in by running
build run in the src_new directory.
If you need to install the jar "the hard way", try the following
steps.
Start up ArgoUML.
Go to the menu
Edit->Settings and look at the
Environment tab. Find the entry
labeled ${argo.ext.dir}. Create that
directory if it does not already exist.
Copy the plug-in jar and any other jars
required by it into that directory.
Start up ArgoUML again, and you should see the
plug-in's startup banner (if it has one, of course).
