In theory this method could be used to build testing output devices. specific devices that expect certain data to be sent to them and raise errors if the data is wrong. I think there are a lot of architectural hurdles to jump before it would be do-able, but definitely something to aim for.
-Tristan On Mon, Jul 7, 2008 at 10:28 PM, Edward A. Lee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > This sounds like a great idea! > > One possible application that would make my life easier is in building > regression tests. If the Test actor could display results when not running > headless, and not display them when running headless, that would make > developing > tests much easier... > > Edward > > > At 09:42 PM 7/2/2008, Tristan King wrote: > >I've started doing a bit of work on building an actor IO package (< > http://ptolemy.actor.io>ptolemy.actor.io) > > > >The purpose of this is to provide user input and output for actors so that > the actors themselves don't have to be responsible for how they get user > input, or how output is displayed. This will help to build actors that are > useable in gui and headless environments without having to have modified > actors for each situation. > > > >I've built a simple prototype which uses an IO factory which is embedded > in the Manager (since all actors can get access to the manager which > controls them). When an actor requires an IO "device" it makes a request to > the IO factory which returns an instance of the desired "device". For > example, the Display actor requests a Text-based output device. This device > implements a standard text based output device interface which has a > write(String) function, and all the Display actor has to do is "write" the > text to the device which handles how to display it. I've used spring to > instantiate the correct IOFactory so that in the case of vergil, each > manager is loaded with a ptolemy.vergil.io.VergilIOFactory and if vergil is > not used the manager defaults to a ptolemy.actor.io.HeadlessIOFactory. > > > >My work is currently stored in my ptII git mirror, in a branch which has > been converted for maven compilation. > >If you want to clone the whole repository here are the git commands to > clone the repository and to get to the branch (this will take a while): > > > >git clone git://<http://git.hpc.jcu.edu.au/jc124742/ptII.git> > git.hpc.jcu.edu.au/jc124742/ptII.git > >git checkout -b actorio origin/actorio > > > >or you can download the current snapshot of the branch (which is about > 35mb) from: > >< > http://www.hpc.jcu.edu.au/git/?p=jc124742/ptII.git;a=shortlog;h=refs/heads/actorio > > > http://www.hpc.jcu.edu.au/git/?p=jc124742/ptII.git;a=shortlog;h=refs/heads/actorio > >you can then run it by doing: > > > >mvn compile # compiles the code, may take a while the first time while > maven sorts out it's dependencies > >mvn exec:exec # starts vergil > > > >then fire up any workflow while uses a Display actor. Note that i'm > rubbish with swing and some of the window placing/sizing functionality has > been removed to facilitate the separation of the actor from the > visualisation, so the display window isn't nearly as good as the old one. If > you start the workflow using MoMLSimpleApplication (i.e: > > > >mvn compile > >java -cp > target/classes:$HOME/.m2/repository/org/springframework/spring-context/2.0.8/spring-context-2.0.8.jar:$HOME/.m2/repository/org/springframework/spring-beans/2.0.8/spring-beans-2.0.8.jar:$HOME/.m2/repository/org/springframework/spring-core/2.0.8/spring-core-2.0.8.jar:$HOME/.m2/repository/log4j/log4j/1.2.15/log4j-1.2.15.jar:$HOME/.m2/repository/commons-logging/commons-logging/1.1.1/commons-logging-1.1.1.jar > ptolemy.actor.gui.MoMLSimpleApplication ../test.xml > > > >) it will print the output of any Display actors to the console. > > > >If other people want to work on this, I will create a new branch for it on > the ptolemy II svn (it requires a few changes to the core of ptolemy so i'm > not gonna commit it to the trunk) and put it there in makefile building > mode. > > > >So, is anyone else interested in this? I think it's a key component in > making kepler available in multiple environments. But it's a big change, > much too big to be left up to one person. I would feel a lot more > comfortable with a bunch of people telling me my ideas and designs are > rubbish and help me build a good system rather than to build something that > no one but me wants to use. > > > >Things that need to be done: > >* My factory idea and prototype architecture needs to be criticised. > >* Types of "devices" need to be defined (i.e. text output, image output, > file output, graph output, etc) > >* IO Factory and device interfaces need to be defined. > >* Existing actors need to be modified to use the factory. > >* standard factory implementations need to be written (i.e. I'm rubbish at > swing and thus someone else should do the vergil factory). > > > >Comments? Ideas? Criticisms? > >Cheers > >-Tristan > > > >-- > >Tristan King > >Research Officer, > >eResearch Centre > >James Cook University, Townsville Qld 4811 > >Australia > > > >Phone: +61747816902 > >E-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] www: < > http://eresearch.jcu.edu.au>http://eresearch.jcu.edu.au > > ------------ > Edward A. Lee > Robert S. Pepper Distinguished Professor > EECS Dept., 545Q Cory Hall, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-1770 > phone: 510-642-0253, fax: 510-642-2845 > [EMAIL PROTECTED], > http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Faculty/Homepages/lee.html > > -- Tristan King Research Officer, eResearch Centre James Cook University, Townsville Qld 4811 Australia Phone: +61747816902 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] www: http://eresearch.jcu.edu.au
