Tangram Tools Generic Help

Tangram Distributed Processing Environment (DPE) Framework Version: 1997.
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. Description

2. Usage

General

Check Boxes

Buttons and Menus

Menus

3. Hints for developers

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1. Description

This help text comprises generic functions which are offered by most Tangram tools used in the 1997 DPE (Distributed Processing Environment) framework.
Tangram tools serve to handle objects of the Tangram framework (e.g. installation, deinstallation, inspection). Besides the specific functions of the managed object, every launcher offers generic functions for system maintenance and general options for application handling.
Using these functions, a launcher can replace the use of the initial DST Launcher. So if wanted, a Tangram launcher may be the only window to be seen on the screen, which is needed for deployment versions.

2. Usage

General

• Opening


You open a launcher by evaluating a phrase like "TnCapsuleLauncher open" and replacing "CapsuleLauncher" by the name of the tool. There are three possibilities:

"open" opens an existing GUI (window) (already opened or collapsed (iconified)) or opens a new one (if needed).

"openNew" asks you, if there is an existing GUI with an installed object, whether you want to use the existing GUI or to create a new one (and forget the installed object).

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

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

• Automatic configuration of the Object Request Broker (ORB)
  When starting the application (capsule) and opening the launcher automatically, the ORB may be configured (before starting it) by loading a DST Settings file automatically.

• Automatic setting of the ORB Naming Service IOR filename
  When starting the ORB, the path/filename for the naming service IOR file may be set automatically from a UNIX environment variable (whose name may be specified too).

• Automatic installation of the managed object
  When starting the application (capsule) and opening the launcher automatically, the managed object may be also automatically installed. This has to include automatic start of the ORB.

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

• Automatic start and installation of the managed object
  The above features combinded you may follow these steps to an automatic start:
  - Close all windows, but leave the launcher opened.
  - Choose automatic configuration of the ORB (if needed) from the "Options" menu and
  - Choose automatic installation of the managed object from the "Options" menu and
  - Use "exit..." (and then "exit and save") via the "System" menu.
  When you start the environment again, the managed object will automatically be installed.

Check Boxes

• ORB
  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). It will be checked, whether the path specified in the UNIX environmentvariable ('NSIORFILE') is the same, as the path in the DST settings. If not, the DST settings path is set accordingly.

• Test
  This check box has no ready made function. It may be used by application programmers to switch and signal a mode 'test'. Clicking on this check box calls method #testButtonClicked which may be overridden by subclass.

Buttons and Menus

[Insert here the name of the managed object]

• install / deinstall
  To create an instance of the managed object. This managed object will be held by the launcher even if you quit it, so on next opening of the launcher the managed object will still be accessible. If the ORB is not running, it will be started.

• inspect
  To open an inspector on the installed managed object. (In a runtime application an inspector replacing window will be opened.)

Unspecific

• help
  To open up a dialog to choose a help text version.

• quit
  To close the tool.
  Closing does not effect the managed object and it's data.

Menus

Functions marked with a (*) are for developmental purposes of the framework and may be obsolete after completion.
System
• clean up (*)
  To delete all application specific runtime object instances. Clean up details depend on the implementation of this method in the specific launcher.


• new launcher (*)
  To open an absolutely new launcher (without an existing managed object) and close the existing launcher.


• resetCapsule (*)
  To close all Tangram GUIs, delete all instances of Tangram DPE objects and release dependencies to ObjectMemory and ORB StartUpCoordinator.


• resetORB (*)
  To stop and initialize the ORB and set the DST settings by reading an ORB configuration file (if existing) (See below: set DST Settings).


• resetAll (*)
  To use resetCapsule and resetORB.


• ORB:
• 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.
• DST:
• 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).



Options

• set auto opening
  When on, the launcher window opens up automatically when starting the application. When on, this item shows a check mark at it's left side.
  Please note:
  If you leave your launcher window opened, when saving the environment, the use of this feature is not needed!


• set auto installation of [insert the name of the managed object]
  When on, the launcher automatically installs the managed object 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 managed object succeeds, but it seems that DST 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 ORB configuration
  When on, the launcher induces the Tangram DST System Settings tool to load and accept a settings file. (See Tangram DST System Settings tool). When on, this item shows a check mark at it's left side.


• set auto ORB naming filename
  When on, the launcher induces DST - before starting the ORB - to set path and filename for the ORB Naming Service IOR file as specified in a UNIX environment variable (which can be set using options menu "set ORB naming environment variable name" (see below)). When on, this item shows a check mark at it's left side.
  
• set message display
  When off, messages to Transcript (via TnTranscript) will not be displayed. When on, this item shows a check mark at it's left side.
  
• spec ORB configuration filename
  If automatical ORB configuration shall be used (see above) the name of the settings file has to be specified, otherwise a default name (TnDSTSettings.001) will be used.
  
• spec ORB naming environment variable name
  If automatical setting of ORB naming service ior filename shall be used (see above) the name of the UNIX environment variable has to be specified, otherwise a default name ("NSIORFILE") will be used (The file will be named "ns.ior").
  
• open DST Settings
  To open a Tangram DST System Settings tool (a DST System Settings tool enhanced by a file save / load function) to create settings files to use for automatical (or manual) configuration.
  



? (= Help)

• all help
  To open a help text window showing the complete help text.
  
• about
  To open a help text window showing information about the developing institution.

3. Hints for developers