TnApplicationLauncher Help Text

Tangram Application Launcher V.3.32 alpha, help text
Platform: VisualWorks for Smalltalk-80 Release 2.5.1, ENVY Release 3.01, HP Distributed Smalltalk Release 5.5.

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Contents:

1. Where to find it.

2. Description.

3. Usage.

General

Check Boxes

Buttons

Menus

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1. Where to find it.

You find class TnApplicationLauncher in the latest version of application Tn_DPE.

This help text is available from /net/WWWVST/html/ovma/tangram/project/alte_dpe/tools/TnApplicationLauncherHelpX.txt (where X is the version number).

To use this help text online, you have two possibilities:

• to place it into the same directory as the smalltalk image or
• to set a system environment variable TMMCSHELPPATH to the path where the help text resides (e.g. for GMD developers in UNIX: setenv TMMCSHELPPATH /net/WWWVST/html/ovma/tangram/project/alte_dpe/tools).

To use the HTML version of this text with netscape started from an Application Launcher you have also two possibilities:

• to place it into the same directory as the smalltalk image or
• to set a system environment variable TMMCSHTMLHELPPATH to the path where the help text resides (e.g. for GMD developers in UNIX: setenv TMMCSHTMLHELPPATH /net/WWWVST/html/ovma/tangram/project/alte_dpe/tools).

Installation of the launcher: See TnApplicationLauncherInstallation1.1.html

If you want to use monitoring from your application launcher, you have to load application Tn_Monitor before opening a new application launcher gui.

2. Description.

Application Launcher is a tool for managing Tangram T-MMCS applications (or modules resp.). It is the user interface for the managers of an application.

For this purpose it allows installation / deinstallation of the application's configuration manager (CM) as well as re-registration of the CM at the name service (e.g. after restart or saving the environment). Methods for the creation and termination of COs (without using templates or written code in a workspace etc.) may be started. So it replaces the templates (templates.html, also available as templates.txt) in use until now.

Application specific functions (e.g. for the creation of COs) may be started and application specific grafical user interfaces may be opened using buttons or menus of this launcher. For this purpose specific menu items and buttons for application functions may easily be installed by the subclass (for details consult the appLauncherInstallation.txt).

Additional functions are maintenace of the system (toggle ORB on/off, garbage collecting, saving or exiting the smalltalk environment) and offering of Tangram T-MMCS tools which can be started or even controlled. By the help of these functions, application launcher can replace the use of the DST Launcher and the Tangram Request Monitor window. So if wanted, application launcher may be the only window to be seen on the screen.

Application launcher may be opened automatically when starting the Smalltalk environment. The CM may be automatically installed (including automatical start of the ORB) and the application may be automatically connected to the monitoring event channel.

3. Usage.

General:

You open the Application Launcher by evaluating a phrase like "TnXYZLauncher open" and replacing "XYZ" by the name of your application (e.g. TnAccessSessionLauncher). There are three possibilities:

"open" opens an existing gui (if available) or opens a new one (if needed).

"openNew" asks you, if there is an existing gui with a configuration manager (CM), whether you want to use the existing gui (inclusive CM) or to create a new gui.

"absolutelyNew" always opens a new one (and forgets a possibly existing CM). (See "install / deinstall" below).

When starting the image (application) a new application launcher may open up automatically, or an existing one may openup it's window (see menu function "Options - set auto opening".

When starting the image (application) and opening the launcher automatically, the CM may be also automatically installed. This has to include automatic start of the ORB. The monitoring event channel may be connected (if needed) too.

You may save the application (image) from your application launcher (see menu function "System - save", after you have closed all other windows including DST Launcher (titled "HP Distributed Smalltalk") before saving. When you start the image again, only the application launcher window will be opened. (When you close this (last) window, Smalltalk opens a DST Launcher automatically).

The above features combinded you may follow these steps to an automatic start:
- Close all windows, but leave the application launcher opened.
- If you want to use monitoring, you can start and connect the monitor (using the "Tools-Monitoring" menu) before exiting or choose automatic monitor connection from the "Options" menu.
- Choose automatic installation of CM from the "Options" menu and
- Use "exit..." (and then "exit and save") via the "System" menu.
When you start the environment again, the application will automatically be installed.

Check Boxes:

This check box displays whether the ORB is running or not. Clicking starts or stops the ORB immediately (On stopping no dialog asks for a delay like using the ORB Control Panel).

This check box has no ready made function. It may be used by application launcher subclass programmers to switch and signal a mode 'test'. Using this check box calls method #testButtonClicked which may be overwritten by subclass.

Buttons:

Configuration Manager

To create an instance of the application's configuration manager and register it at the name service. This CM will be held by the application launcher even if you quit application launcher, so on next opening of the application launcher the configuration manager will still be accessible.

To register the configuration manager again. (E.g. needed after saving the application if IIOP transport ist set to dynamic allocation).

To open an inspector on the configuration manager accessed via name service.

Application

These buttons are for application specific purposes. An application specific launcher function description is added at the end of this text when opening this text from a specific application launcher.

Unspecific

To see this text

To close the application manager.

Closing does not effect the configuration manager and it's data.

Menus:

Functions marked with a (*) are for developmental purposes of the T-MMCS and may be obsolete after completion.

System

• open Control Panel

To open up a Request Broker Panel.

• start / stop ORB

To start or stop the ORB. When the ORB is running, this item shows a check mark at it's left side.

• open Control Panel and start / stop ORB

To start or stop the ORB and open up a Request Broker Panel.

• open Launcher:

To open the Smalltalk environment's launcher.

• save

To save the Smalltalk environment and stop the ORB first.

• exit ...

  To exit the Smalltalk environment and stop the ORB first (a dialog will ask, whether with or without saving).

To send the message #cleanUp to every instance of configuration manager, it's life cycle managers and it's computational objects, including the running configuration manager. May be helpful to delete garbage from lost configuration manager instances. CleanUp details depend on the implementation of this method in the specific classes.

To send the message #destroy to every instance of configuration manager and interface.

To open an absolutely new launcher (without an existing CM) and close the existing launcher.

CM

• install / deinstall

To create an instance of the application's configuration manager and register it at the name service.

• re-register

To register the configuration manager again. (E.g. needed after saving the application if IIOP transport ist set to dynamical allocation).

• register with ... (*)

To register the configuration manager using another name (only for testing purposes).

• inspect

To open an inspector on the configuration manager accessed via name service.

Application

An application specific launcher function description is added at the end of this text when opening this text from a specific application launcher.

Options

• set auto opening

When on, the application launcher window opens up automatically when starting the image. When on, this item shows a check mark at it's left side.

Please note
If you leave your application launcher window opened, when saving the environment, the use of this feature is not needed!

• set auto installation of CM

When on, the application launcher automatically installs the CM when opening the window, including start of the ORB (if needed). When on, this item shows a check mark at it's left side.

Please note:
If you save your environment while the ORB is running, the automatical start of the ORB before installing the CM succeeds, but it seems that HPDSD stops the ORB after that.
So if you want to start the ORB automatically when starting the environment, then stop it before saving or use for saving the "System-save" or "System-exit..." (exit and save) menu items which will stop the ORB before saving.

• set auto monitor connection

When on, the application launcher automatically connects the application to the monitoring channel (if needed) when installing the CM and starts the monitor (if needed). When on, this item shows a check mark at it's left side.

Please note generally:
Automatical -installation of CM, -start of ORB and -connection to the monitoring channel depend on a running name service. Take care that the name server and it's ORB are started at the moment you use automatical installation via application launcher.

Tools

• Name Service Editor

To start a Name Service Editor (if available).

• Code Generator

To start an IDL to Smalltalk Generator (if available).

• Monitoring



• open Monitor

To open a Request Monitor for the application (if available).

• started

To perform the chosen monitoring actions (see options below).

• connected

To connect to the monitor to the monitor display (via event channel).

• test request

To send a test request to the monitor display.

Options:

When on, these items show a check mark at their left side.

• in requests

To monitor incoming requests.

• out requests

To monitor outgoing requests.

• beep

To beep on handling a request.

• wait

To wait before handling a request.

• Transcript log

To write a log line into Transcript.

• local log file

To write a log line into a local file.

• common log file

To write a log line into a common file.

• open Monitor Net Editor

To open a Request Monitor Net Editor (if available).

For details on monitoring consult RequestMonitor help text.

? (= Help)

• all help

To open a help text window showing the complete help text including the application specific part.

• application only

To open a help text window showing only the the application specific help text.

(c) GMD FOKUS Tangram tko, hpu 97-02-06, tko 97-05-26