[IGSTK-Developers] Application Wizard

[Hui Zhang]

Hi, Patrick,

It would be nice to have this wizard to generate the basic framework of 
application or even IGSTK class later. In IGSTK class, there is a lot of 
common part for declaration and logger. State machine is a big part in IGSTK 
programming, so I vote option 3 to use XML to handle the state machine 
diagram, which means state machine can be imort/export to other 
applications.

Two questions:
1) I am not sure whether we should generate ApplicationGUI.fl in this way. 
This file probably should be generated from fluid, and be designed by the 
developer;
2) About the implementation. I suggest using another way instead of writing 
the content of each line from the source code. For example, current code:

   m_FileStream << "PROJECT( " << appName << " )\n\n";

    m_FileStream << "FIND_PACKAGE(IGSTK)\n";
    m_FileStream << "IF (IGSTK_USE_FILE)\n";
    m_FileStream << "  INCLUDE (${IGSTK_USE_FILE})\n";
    m_FileStream << "ELSE (IGSTK_USE_FILE)\n";
    m_FileStream << "  MESSAGE( FATAL_ERROR \"This application requires 
IGSTK!\")\n";
    m_FileStream << "ENDIF (IGSTK_USE_FILE)\n\n";

.....

I prefer to build several template files, (CMakeListsTemplate.txt, 
ApplicationTemplate.h, ApplicationTemplate.cxx, and mainTemplate.cxx) and 
save them in the ApplicationWizard directory. Instead of letting the program 
generate these files, the program can simply copy these template files from 
ApplicationWizard directory to the designated directory and rename the 
files. Of course some change should be made, such as the project name. It is 
an elegant way, comparing letting the program write each line of the files. 
Another benefit is it is easy to change the template file by any txt editor.

Thanks,
James


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Patrick Cheng" <cheng at isis.georgetown.edu>
To: "'IGSTK-developers'" <igstk-developers at public.kitware.com>
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2005 10:36 AM
Subject: [IGSTK-Developers] Application Wizard


> Hi everyone,
>
> I wrote a application wizard program, not quite finished yet.
> The purpose of this program is to provide the user (application
> developer) a skeleton of the application code.
>
> Right now, you need to provide a directory, the name of the application
> class, and the name of the GUI class. it will generate the
> CMakeLists.txt, ApplicationGUI.fl, Application.h, Application.cxx, and
> main.cxx file for you.
>
> The next step is to expending it to the state machine. I have been
> investigating some possible ways to do this.
>
> 1. Use my gui and simple combobox to add states, inputs, and transition.
> Drawback: not so intuitive to user.
>
> 2. Implement the state machine editor function in my gui so that user
> can draw and edit the state machine in the gui. drawback: too much work
> to do. :(
>
> 3. Use third party tool to design state machine and export to xml file.
> and my application can ready in the xml file and generate the code.
>
> I personally prefer the 3rd option. I found FSME can do the job, but it
> requires Qt. There is another StateMachineEditor in MITK, but it's in 
> Java.
>
> Anyone has some suggestions?
>
> Thank you.
>
> Patrick
>
> BTW: to try the code, put them under the Sandbox/Example directory, and
> add a subdir in the upper level CMakeLists.txt
>
>
> -- 
> Peng (Patrick) Cheng
> Software Engineer
> cheng at isis.georgetown.edu
>
> Imaging Science and Information Systems (ISIS) Center
> Department of Radiology, Georgetown University Medical Center
> 2115 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 603
> Washington, DC, 20007
>
> Work phone: 202-687-2902
> Work fax:   202-784-3479
> Cell phone: 202-674-5626
>


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