XOTclIDE User Guide

Artur Trzewik

Edited by

Bill Paulson

Abstract

This document contains the user documentation and tutorials for XOTclIDE

XOTclIDE is an Integrated Development Environment for XOTcl and Tcl. XOTcl is an object oriented extension for Tcl. XOTcl can also manage old Tcl code (procs).

XOTclIDE was suggested and inspired by such great Smalltalk graphical environment systems as Squeak and Envy.

XOTclIDE is licensed under the GNU Public License

Table of Contents

1. XOTclIDE Overview

About this document
Main Features
Benefits
Ancestry

2. Getting Started Tutorial

Developing Your First Application - Tutorial

Starting XOTclIDE
Creating new Components
Adding Tcl procedures
Interactive work with procedures
Saving Component in File System
Using Components without XOTclIDE
Loading a Package or Component from File System
Creating Configuration Maps and Distributing Programs
Evaluating Short Tcl Scripts
Advanced Usage: Overview

Object-Orientation with XOTcl Components and Object Introspection - Tutorial

Load Sample Application
Create an Instance of a Class
Object Inspector

3. Programming with XOTclIDE

System Requirements and Installation

XOTclIDE Programs and Start Options

Starting XOTclIDE from tclkit
Starting XOTclIDE without Version Control System
Starting XOTclIDE with Version Control System
Starting XOTclIDE with Version Control System by loading from Version Control
Options synopsis

Building an Application

XOTclIDE Components
Component lifecycle

Browsers and Inspectors

Writing Source
Refactoring
Debugging running Systems
Version Control
Configuration Management and Deploying
Special Browsers

Source Editing

Basic Editor Function
Code Completion
Navigation in Sources
Syntax highlighting
Checking parentheses
Automatic Indenting
Evaluate Tcl Scripts in Editor

4. Extended Features

Version Control System

Benefits of Version Control
Base Characteristics
Principle
Database Schema of Version System
Definitions (Editions,Versions)
Using Version System, Main Functions
Changes Browser
Component Loader
Installing Version Control System

Syntax Checking

Reason for syntax checking in Tcl/XOTcl
Syntax checker implementation
Example Tcl procedures
Example XOTcl methods
Syntax Checking while editing
Syntax Checker Browser
Tcl/XOTcl Parser
How to extend syntax interpretation
Problems
Magic strings for checker
Checking Referenced Object Calls

Configurations Management

Main Features
Configuration Map - Without Version Control System
Using Configurations Maps
Deploying Application
Configuration Browser - with Version Control System

Debugging

Debugger Browser
Stack Error Browser
Tracker Browser
Variable access tracking and watching

Importing Tcl Projects into XOTclIDE Components

Importing by definition tracking
Importing by System Introspection
Importing Tcl comments
Plug-ins Architecture

5. Additional Information

Author and License of XOTclIDE
XOTclIDE WWW Resources

List of Figures

1.1. Ancestry of XOTclIDE
2.1. Component Browser
2.2. Create Component
2.3. Invoking Procedures
2.4. Saving Components
2.5. Configurations Map Browser
2.6. Workspace
2.7. Sample Component in Component Browser
2.8. Create Instance Dialog
2.9. Sample Railway application
2.10. Object Inspector
2.11. Methods in Object Inspector
3.1. UML Structure of Components
3.2. Code Completion
3.3. Syntax Highlighting
3.4. Checking Parenthesis
3.5. Evaluate Scripts
3.6. Substitute Scripts
3.7. Inspect Script Evaluation
4.1. Version System Principle
4.2. Version System ER Diagram
4.3. Changes Browser
4.4. Syntax Checker Dialog
4.5. Syntax Checker Tool
4.6. Configuration Map Browser
4.7. Configuration Browser
4.8. Debugger
4.9. Error Stack Browser
4.10. Method Call Tracker
4.11. Variable Tracker and Variable Watch
4.12. Load Package Dialog
4.13. Comment Scanner Tool


		Chapter 1. XOTclIDE Overview