This set of pages describes how to develop (new) sources for the CommunityMashup.

Setting up the development environment

We are using Eclipse as (Java) development environment.

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• Import existing projects -> Next -> Finish
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The result should look like this:

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If there are problems compiling the sources, please check in the Eclipse Workspace Settings that the (Java) Compiler compliance level is set to "1.6" (or higher).

Checking out source code for additional sources

The CommunityMashup core already includes source code of the public sources -

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• File->Import->SVN->Checkout Projects from SVN
• Browse projects in https://vcs.cscwlab.de/svn/communitymashup/trunk

Creating a new source

Create new project in Eclipse

Usually, you just have to right-click in the package explorer - and select New -> Project

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Now finish the process (do NOT select any template for creating the project).

Project structure

The new project should have the following structure:

Share project

Now you should import the project to a source code management service - in our case SVN:

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In some SVN plugins you may now have to commit the initial import - in others this commit already did happen (and you had to specify a commit comment ...)

Include needed components

• Open the file META-INF/MANIFEST.MF in the project.
• Change to the tab "Dependencies"
• Add in Required Plug-ins the following projects from your workspace (you should have set up your workspace before ...):
  • org.sociotech.communitymashup.core
  • org.sociotech.communitymashup.source.SourceServiceFacade
• Add in Imported Packages
  • org.osgi.service.log
• Save the changes!

Create main class

Create a main class for the new source: right-click in your project: New -> Class

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Do not forget to add the newly created classes to the source code management system ...

Implement functionality

Initialization

• Open the new class.
• Implement the method initialize() to do everything that is needed to initialize your source: 
  
  
• TBD add source
  
  
• Important: Call super.initialize() to continue the initialization after you have finished your stuff.

Comments on using / creating Items

In the fill phase of the sources the main task is to create Item objects and add them to the DataSet (and to other Item objects).

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• • > DataFactory factory = DataFactory.eINSTANCE
  • Now create an empty Item object using the appropriate create method of the factory
    > person = factory.createPerson()
  • Now use the add-methods of the new object to add any information that might be needed to specify with which objects to merge the new object - e.g. name, alternativeNames, Identifier objects
    > person.setName(xxx)
    > person.addAlternativeName(xxx) 
  • Then add the object to the DataSet using the sources add method:  
    > person = source.add(person);
    • in an optional second parameter of the add function you can specify a value for the Items ident attribute
    • when the object is merged, the function may return the reference to a different object! 
  • Now add all other data (e.g. MetaTags)

Testing the sources

To run the CommunityMashup Demo configuration, the following steps are required

Packing updated sources for using them in a CommunityMashup installation

1. Select the source project - right click: Export
2. Plug-in Development / Deployable plug-ins and fragments -> Next
3. Specify any directory
4. In Options: "Package plug-ins as individual JAR archives" should be selected
5. Finish

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