Setting Up a Plug-in Project

To set up a new plug-in project, use the Plug-in wizard, which:

Prompts you to configure required plug-in settings
Establishes the default plug-in directory structure, described in Understanding Plug-in Project Structure.

To use the plug-in wizard, follow these steps:

1. In Nexaweb Studio, select File > New > Other.
The Select a Wizard dialog appears.

2. Click + beside Nexaweb to expand it. Then select Nexaweb Java Plug-in Project.
The Project Settings dialog appears.

3. Complete the Project Settings form as follows:

$image\img00221.gif$

Project name: Specify a name for this plug-in. You must specify a name.

Location: Specifies the root directory of the files for this Plug-in. Nexaweb uses the Project name as the name of the root directory by default. To specify a different directory name, click the Use default check box and enter a directory in the Directory field, or click browse to search for a directory on your local system.

4. Click Next.
The Select the Nexaweb platform directory form appears.

$image\img00222.gif$

Nexaweb Platform Directory: Specifies location of version of the Nexaweb platform with which to associate this plug-in. Defaults to the most current version of Nexaweb platform installed on your system.

To change the Nexaweb platform version, enter the directory for a different version of Nexaweb platform in the Nexaweb Platform Directory field, or click choose to search for a directory.

5. Click Next.
The Plug-in Information form appears.

$image\img00223.gif$

Component Namespace: Specify the URI of the namespace for this plug-in. For example, http://openxal.org/core/xal.

Namespace Prefix: Specify a qualified name, or short version, for this namespace. For example, xal.

Provider Name: Optionally, specify the organization that developed this plug-in.

Author: Optionally, specify the developer of this plug-in.

Version: Specify the version of this plug-in.

Description: Provide a description of this plug-in.

Plug-in class: Click the checkbox beside Generate the Java class . . . if you do not want Nexaweb Studio to generate a Java class file for this plug-in.

6. Click Finish.
Studio processes the information you specified for this plug-in, creates the default project structure (described in the next section), and adds the plug-in to the Navigator.

Understanding Plug-in Project Structure

Nexaweb automatically creates the structure for your plug-in described in the following table:

$image\img00224.gif$

Bin

Dist

PluginContent

images

lib

PLUGIN-INF

PLUGIN-INF/docs

PLUGIN-INF/schema

stylesheets

plugin.xml

source

classpath

.nexawebpluginsettings

.project

Location of the compiled java classes. Studio packages the classes into a jar file named pluginname-classes.jar and places it into the plug-in's redistributable file during building.

Location of the distributable plug-in jar file.

Default location of any images files that accompany the plug-in project. You can store images in any directory.

Location of the library file on which the plug-in depends.

Contains resources that are not accessible from the client. Put all private information in here.

Location of any doc files that accompany the plug-in project.

The location of the schema file that defines the components of the plug-in. Typically contains a schema file called plugin.xsd. If you change the name of this file, you must also change the reference to this file in the plugin.xml file.

The location of the stylesheet that the plug-in uses. If you change the name or location of this file, you must also change the reference to this file in the plugin.xml file.

Contains all tag mappings and plug-in specific reference information. Nexaweb Platform needs this file to integrate the plug-in correctly.

The location of all java source files.

Eclipse specific build information, needed for eclipse to function correctly.

Nexaweb Studio specific information needed for Studio to function correctly.

Eclipse specific project information, needed for eclipse to function correctly.