Forum LAMS for Tech-Heads - General Forum: Steps to create a tool and integrate in the Author

By: Ernie Ghiglione

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Hi Syed,

The technical wiki is your best friend:

http://wiki.lamsfoundation.org/display/lams

Specifically, look at the Tool Development section:

* Eclipse Tool Builder
* Starting Tool Development
* Tag Library Definitions
* LAMS Custom Tags
* Development Best Practices

Here's the page on how to get and compile the LAMS Code from scratch:

http://wiki.lamsfoundation.org/display/lams/Building+LAMS

Within that, there's almost 20 different tools you can see the code for and use as guidelines to create your tool.

Thanks,

Ernie

Posted by Ernie Ghiglione

By: Syed Ghouse

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Thanks Ernie for the info provided.

While installing the toolbuilder plugin in the eclipse,
I get an error
-------------------------------------------------------------
Cannot complete the install because some dependencies are not satisfiable
org.lams.toolbuilder.feature.group [1.0.0] cannot be installed in this environment because its filter is not applicable.
-------------------------------------------------------------

I'm not sure what dependencies are not satisfied.

Posted by Syed Ghouse

By: Syed Ghouse

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I've followed the other method of getting the plugin, it was fine.
But, when I run the lams_build/build.xml to deploy the new tool in eclipse the build fails because of the followin msg.
-------------------------------------------------------------
..\workspace\lams_common\build.xml:168: D:\jboss-5\common\lib not found.
-------------------------------------------------------------

I know the path is not correct, I need to change the path.
But I can't find the file where the above path is assigned

Posted by Syed Ghouse

By: Ernie Ghiglione

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See properties files configuration: http://is.gd/eAEeP

Make sure you read the Building LAMS page.

Posted by Ernie Ghiglione

By: b u

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Hi Ernie,

I have recompiled and was able to run LAMS but after checking it seems that the custom tool i created is not displaying on the author tab. Is there a way to recompile LAMS not from scratch but just the tool code so that the Databse is not wiped out. Thanks!

Posted by b u

By: Ernie Ghiglione

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Yes. Each tool has it's own build.xml file. In there you can find the tasks to deploy your tool without having to rebuild the entire LAMS.

Have a look at this page in the wiki:

http://wiki.lamsfoundation.org/display/lams/Tool+Deployment

Thanks,

ernie

Posted by Ernie Ghiglione

By: b u

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Thanks for that Ernie. I read the contents of the link you provided. I have the sql script and deploy directory all set-up. But still when I build the tool the custom tool is still not on the Author Tab Tools list. What I have in sequence for the build are these:
deploy-tool, synchronize-deploy
Is this sequence correct? The link doesn't seem to provide the build sequence to use.


Thanks again.

Posted by b u

By: b u

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...adding on to my previous post...I have also checked MySQL tables and the tool has been added to the various tables.

Posted by b u

By: Ernie Ghiglione

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Hi BU,

Once you have your tool ready to be deployed, I would suggest you select the "explode war" task. That will copy deploy your tool into the lams.ear directory and of course explode it (open the war file).

Then if you do changes in the jsps, you can synchronise deploy and they would get copy over to jboss and you won't need to stop it.

However, if you do change in any .java files, well... you'll need to restart jboss.

I'm not so sure if there's a way to make .jar changes while Jboss is running. But I don't think so.

Hope it helps.

Ernie

Posted by Ernie Ghiglione

By: b u

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Hi Ernie,

Thank you so much for that tip. The custom tool is now visible on the Author Tab. It is however not visible on the FCK Editor.
Also when I build I get a build failed, file not found exception.

What should I perform next to make it show up on FCK Editor?

Posted by b u

By: Ernie Ghiglione

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I would suggest to look at the code from other tools to see how the fckeditor tag works.

Also have a read at these pages:

http://wiki.lamsfoundation.org/display/lams/LAMS+Custom+Tags
http://wiki.lamsfoundation.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1181
http://wiki.lamsfoundation.org/display/lams/Tag+Library+Definitions

Thanks,

Ernie

Posted by Ernie Ghiglione

By: b u

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Hi Ernie,

I have looked at those links. I have done the following:
- modified fckconfig_custom.js - added the name of my tool in FCKConfig.ToolbarSets["Default"]. I also added FCKConfig.Plugins.Add('mytool', 'en');. I have rebuilt the tool build.xml and when I open up the FCK Editor, it is not displayed and I also get error "Unknown toolbar item". How do I resolve this?

Posted by b u

By: Ernie Ghiglione

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Ah! Right! Finally I get what you are trying to do... sorry it has taken me so long. I thought you were coding a new LAMS tool, but instead you are trying to add a plugin to the FCKEditor.

Have a look at this skype plugin. If you follow the same steps, you'll be able to do it with your tool.

http://wiki.lamsfoundation.org/display/lamsdocs/FCKEditor+Skype+Plugin

Also, make sure -before you try it, to clear your browser cache!

Thanks,

Ernie

Posted by Ernie Ghiglione

By: b u

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Hi Ernie,

Now it is displayed on the Text Editor, thanks for your help there. For some reason I withinn the fckeditor/plugins/ directory, the diractory for my custom tool was not being deployed. Once this directory existed - it worked. BUT ...I get javascript errors when I click on my cuatom tool. I get Error: Invalid Argument. I can't find what is causing this.

Posted by b u

By: b u

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I also get this javascript error:
http:/mysite/lams/tool/mylamstool/authoring/init.do?author

when I launch my tool

Posted by b u

By: b u

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Sorry please refer to this url instead of the previous one I posted.

I also get this javascript error:
http:/mysite/lams/tool/mylamstool/authoring/init.do?mode=author

Posted by b u

By: Felipe Peña

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Adding to what Ernie posted, I believe you need to have some mid-deep knowledge about Spring and Struts, the frameworks included in LAMS. If you don't, probably you'll not understand the folder structure and why some files are related to each other.

Hope it helps!

Posted by Felipe Peña