Overview

# NetBeans Architecture Answers for Editor module

- Author: dkonecny@netbeans.org
- Answers as of: Dec 7, 2006
- Answers for questions version: 1.12
- Latest available version of questions: 1.26

WARNING: answering questions version 1.12 rather than the current 1.26.

## Interfaces table

##### Group of java interfaces

Interface Name | In/Out | Stability | Specified in What Document?
EditorAPI | Exported | Official | .../org/openide/text/doc-files/api.html
NodesAPI | Imported | Official | .../org/openide/nodes/doc-files/api.html .../overview-summary.html The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
UtilitiesAPI | Imported | Official | .../org/openide/util/doc-files/api.html ../org-openide-util/overview-summary.html The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
SettingsAPI | Imported | Official | .../org/openide/options/doc-files/api.html .../overview-summary.html The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
WindowSystemAPI | Imported | Official | .../org/openide/windows/doc-files/api.html
org.openide.awt | Imported | Official | ../org-openide-awt/overview-summary.html The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
org.openide.windows | Imported | Private | .../overview-summary.html The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
DialogsAPI | Imported | Official | .../overview-summary.html The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.

##### Group of property interfaces

Interface Name | In/Out | Stability | Specified in What Document?
indentEngine | Exported | Stable | Property hold instance of IndentEngine and this indentation engine is used instead of system one.
javax.swing.text.Document.StreamDescriptionProperty | Imported | Stable | Property hold instance of DataObject from which the document was created. This property can be used by the modules and is part of the Editor API.
javax.swing.text.Document.TitleProperty | Imported | Stable | Property hold instance of String with name of the file being edited. This property can be used by the modules and is part of the Editor API.
javax.swing.text.Document.modificationListener | Exported | Friend | In order to fix issue 51872 the openide needs a way how to be notified about change of a document outside of its Document lock. `DocumentListener`s are always notified under the lock, so a special contract has been established (since version 5.3) by registering an instance of `VetoableListener` by calling `putProperty ("modificationListener", listener)`. The NetBeans aware documents are adviced to honor this property and call the listener outside of the document lock when a modification is made. The actual contract of the call can be seen in NbLikeEditorKit.java in methods `insertString` and `remove`.

## General Information

Question (arch-what): What is this project good for?

Answer: The EditorAPI is used for accessing editor-related functionality from within the IDE for use by other modules and the core IDE itself.

Question (arch-overall): Describe the overall architecture.

WARNING: Question with id="arch-overall" has not been answered!

Question (arch-usecases): Describe the main use cases of the new API. Who will use it under what circumstances? What kind of code would typically need to be written to use the module?

WARNING: Question with id="arch-usecases" has not been answered!

Question (arch-time): What are the time estimates of the work?

WARNING: Question with id="arch-time" has not been answered!

Question (arch-quality): How will the quality of your code be tested and how are future regressions going to be prevented?

WARNING: Question with id="arch-quality" has not been answered!

Question (arch-where): Where one can find sources for your module?

WARNING: Question with id="arch-where" has not been answered!

## Project and platform dependencies

Question (dep-nb): What other NetBeans projects and modules does this one depend on?

Answer: Module uses following API's:

- NodesAPI
- UtilitiesAPI
- SettingsAPI
- WindowSystemAPI

Default answer to this question is:

These modules are required in project.xml file:

- UtilitiesAPI - The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
- NodesAPI - The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
- org.openide.awt - The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
- org.openide.windows - The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
- DialogsAPI - The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
- SettingsAPI - The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.

Question (dep-non-nb): What other projects outside NetBeans does this one depend on?

Answer: Apart from javax.swing.text none.

Question (dep-platform): On which platforms does your module run? Does it run in the same way on each?

Answer: Any platform. Runs the same way.

Question (dep-jre): Which version of JRE do you need (1.2, 1.3, 1.4, etc.)?

Answer: JRE 1.3

Question (dep-jrejdk): Do you require the JDK or is the JRE enough?

Answer: JRE

## Deployment

Question (deploy-jar): Do you deploy just module JAR file(s) or other files as well?

Answer: Classes belonging to this module do not reside in standalone library. They are bundled together with other parts of the openide in openide.jar.

Question (deploy-nbm): Can you deploy an NBM via the Update Center?

Answer: Module does not have its own NBM.

Question (deploy-shared): Do you need to be installed in the shared location only, or in the user directory only, or can your module be installed anywhere?

Answer: Module does not have its own jar.

Question (deploy-packages): Are packages of your module made inaccessible by not declaring them public?

Answer: No, but it is not necessary. The module has just one public package.

Question (deploy-dependencies): What do other modules need to do to declare a dependency on this one?

WARNING: Question with id="deploy-dependencies" has not been answered!

## Compatibility with environment

Question (compat-i18n): Is your module correctly internationalized?

Answer: Yes.

Question (compat-standards): Does the module implement or define any standards? Is the implementation exact or does it deviate somehow?

Answer: The module uses Swing text package. It extends it in NbDocument class which adds support for:

- locking document for complex modifications
- styled text printing
- holding and working with biased positions
- adding of special UI components to their Editor pane
- annotations

Question (compat-version): Can your module coexist with earlier and future versions of itself? Can you correctly read all old settings? Will future versions be able to read your current settings? Can you read or politely ignore settings stored by a future version?

Answer: Module uses serialization. It coexists with the earlier versions, but not with future ones. The future versions will be able to read settings.

## Access to resources

Question (resources-file): Does your module use `java.io.File` directly?

Answer: Yes, for showing absolute filename path in the tooltip.

Question (resources-layer): Does your module provide own layer? Does it create any files or folders in it? What it is trying to communicate by that and with which components?

Answer: No.

Question (resources-read): Does your module read any resources from layers? For what purpose?

Answer: No.

Question (resources-mask): Does your module mask/hide/override any resources provided by other modules in their layers?

Answer: No.

## Lookup of components

Question (lookup-lookup): Does your module use `org.openide.util.Lookup` or any similar technology to find any components to communicate with? Which ones?

Answer: Yes, it looks for IndentEngine service type class. This class is defined in this module. The first one indentation engine found for the given MIME is returned. Others are ignored.

Question (lookup-register): Do you register anything into lookup for other code to find?

Answer: No.

Question (lookup-remove): Do you remove entries of other modules from lookup?

Answer: No.

## Execution Environment

Question (exec-property): Is execution of your code influenced by any environment or Java system (`System.getProperty`) property?

Answer: No.

Question (exec-component): Is execution of your code influenced by any (string) property of any of your components?

Answer: The module can be influencend by this property: indentEngine - Property hold instance of IndentEngine and this indentation engine is used instead of system one. It set these Swing properties: javax.swing.text.Document.StreamDescriptionProperty - Property hold instance of DataObject from which the document was created. This property can be used by the modules and is part of the Editor API. javax.swing.text.Document.TitleProperty - Property hold instance of String with name of the file being edited. This property can be used by the modules and is part of the Editor API. javax.swing.text.Document.modificationListener - In order to fix issue 51872 the openide needs a way how to be notified about change of a document outside of its Document lock. `DocumentListener`s are always notified under the lock, so a special contract has been established (since version 5.3) by registering an instance of `VetoableListener` by calling `putProperty ("modificationListener", listener)`. The NetBeans aware documents are adviced to honor this property and call the listener outside of the document lock when a modification is made. The actual contract of the call can be seen in NbLikeEditorKit.java in methods `insertString` and `remove`.

Question (exec-ant-tasks): Do you define or register any ant tasks that other can use?

WARNING: Question with id="exec-ant-tasks" has not been answered!

Question (exec-classloader): Does your code create its own class loader(s)?

Answer: No.

Question (exec-reflection): Does your code use Java Reflection to execute other code?

Answer: Yes, it calls protected method MultiDataObject.getCookieSet(). The class which calls this is deprecated, but it is still in use by clients.

Another reflection is used in QuietEditorPane, where DelegatingTransferHandler delegates also on two protected methods of TransferHandler: `createTransferable` and `exportDone`. This delegation is needed because of drag and drop feature described in issue #53439

Question (exec-privateaccess): Are you aware of any other parts of the system calling some of your methods by reflection?

Answer: No.

Question (exec-process): Do you execute an external process from your module? How do you ensure that the result is the same on different platforms? Do you parse output? Do you depend on result code?

Answer: No.

Question (exec-introspection): Does your module use any kind of runtime type information (`instanceof`, work with `java.lang.Class`, etc.)?

Answer: The Editor module operate with plain Swing Document in its APIs and checks whether the document does not implement some of the Netbeans extensions defined in NbDocument. It also tries to retype CloneableTopComponent.Ref.getComponents() to its CloneableEditor. If some document does not implement StyledDocument, it is wrapped into FilterDocument which implements limited StyledDocument functionality.

Question (exec-threading): What threading models, if any, does your module adhere to?

WARNING: Question with id="exec-threading" has not been answered!

Question (security-policy): Does your functionality require modifications to the standard policy file?

WARNING: Question with id="security-policy" has not been answered!

Question (security-grant): Does your code grant additional rights to some other code?

WARNING: Question with id="security-grant" has not been answered!

## Format of files and protocols

Question (format-types): Which protocols and file formats (if any) does your module read or write on disk, or transmit or receive over the network? Do you generate an ant build script? Can it be edited and modified?

Answer: None.

Question (format-dnd): Which protocols (if any) does your code understand during Drag & Drop?

Answer: None.

Question (format-clipboard): Which data flavors (if any) does your code read from or insert to the clipboard (by access to clipboard on means calling methods on `java.awt.datatransfer.Transferable`?

Answer: None.

## Performance and Scalability

Question (perf-startup): Does your module run any code on startup?

Answer: No.

Question (perf-exit): Does your module run any code on exit?

Answer: No.

Question (perf-scale): Which external criteria influence the performance of your program (size of file in editor, number of files in menu, in source directory, etc.) and how well your code scales?

Answer: Size of file which is going to be open.

Question (perf-limit): Are there any hard-coded or practical limits in the number or size of elements your code can handle?

Answer: No.

Question (perf-mem): How much memory does your component consume? Estimate with a relation to the number of windows, etc.

Answer: Unknown.

Question (perf-wakeup): Does any piece of your code wake up periodically and do something even when the system is otherwise idle (no user interaction)?

Answer: No.

Question (perf-progress): Does your module execute any long-running tasks?

Answer: Opening of document. It is done in RequestProcessor.

Question (perf-huge_dialogs): Does your module contain any dialogs or wizards with a large number of GUI controls such as combo boxes, lists, trees, or text areas?

Answer: No.

Question (perf-menus): Does your module use dynamically updated context menus, or context-sensitive actions with complicated and slow enablement logic?

Answer: No.

Question (perf-spi): How the performance of the plugged in code will be enforced?

WARNING: Question with id="perf-spi" has not been answered!

Built on December 7 2006. | Portions Copyright 1997-2005 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.