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QuickStartManual
Quick Start Manual
Phase-Support Quick Start Manual for Eclipse-based PDT (Version 0.4.0)Contents:
IntroductionPDT(Prometheus Design Tool) is a MAS(Multi-Agent System) design tool developed by Agents Group of RMIT University. The aim of PDT is to make it more convenient to develop an agent oriented application by decoupling the whole design process into different phases in a top-down manner. Following the guidance of the PDT tool, user can focus on one particular design phase at a time and identify all the components of the system step by step. There has been a stand alone Java application tool which was started in 2002 for research purpose. This Eclipse-based version is an enhancement of its ancestor. For more information, please go to our web page Prometheus Design Tool PDT Overview:
Important notes: 1.Please do not minimize the Property window in Eclipse while using PDT, it will cause some display abnormal in the property detail view. 2.The palette tool bar in PDT diagram is very strongly "attached" to each of the diagram, to perform entity and link creation/modification operation, so please do not use the independent palette tool window from the eclipse. 1. Install1.1 Install EclipseEclipse-based PDT can work on most 3.5 Eclipse platforms without upgrading any bundles. If you've never installed Eclipse on your machine, go to the download page via the former link and choose any package below. These are the packages that we have tested. Eclipse-based PDT requires a framework named "Graphical Editing Framework", the package name is "org.eclipse.gef", please make sure your eclipse has the package include
If your Eclipse is an old version, you must upgrade/install the following bundles of a version no earlier than what listed below.
1.2 Install PDT Plug-inGo to Download page and download our version 0.3.9. The jar files and instructions are packed in a zip file. After extracting the files, copy au.edu.rmit.cs.PDT_0.3.9.jar and au.edu.rmit.cs.JACKCodeGenerator_0.3.9.jar to the plugin folder under Eclipse install directory and open Eclipse as normal. If installation succeeds, there should be a new menu item on the menu bar:
2. Create PDT ProjectAn Eclipse project must be created first so that the PDT project file could be hosted within it. It could be any type of Eclipse projects where files could be hosted. Here we choose to build a Java Project named "Test" by Eclipse's New wizard.
Leave all the other configuration default when creating "Test" project.
A PDT file can be created now by the same New wizard.
Choose "Test" project we just created as its container.
After that, open PDT graphical editors by double clicking the .pd file.
Note: If you can not see the pallet panel as shown on the diagram, please click on the 'arrow' located on the left/right up conner of the graphical editor to enable it. 2.1 Navigate DiagramsYou can navigate among diagrams by clicking items on the diagram outline or by clicking the editor tabs.
For agent and capability, double clicking on their cells can also bring their overview to the front. 2.2 Entity Creation & DeletionTo add a cell on to a diagram, select an entity type on the editor pallet and click on the diagram area.
To delete a cell from diagram, right click the cell and choose Delete Entity Icon. Or you can select the cell and click Delete button on your keyboard.
To delete an entity from model, right click the cell and choose Delete EntityFrom the model
or select an entity from Entity List on the outline view, and click the delete button on the tool bar.
BTW, Eclipse-based PDT starts to use new notations. For more detail about new notations, please turn to A Unified Graphical Notation for AOSE 3. Edit Entity PropertyClicking a cell on the diagram or selecting an item from Entity List, entity's properties will be demonstrated on Eclipse Property View. The properties are categorized into different tabs. 3.1 Property TabThe editable text fields and boolean properties are demonstrated here. To modify a field, you can type in new value and click Tab on keyboard to shift to the next property.
3.2 Relation TabThe relationships between entities are displayed here. Most of the fields are read-only. When the links on the graphical editor are modified, this tab will be updated accordingly.
3.3 AUML Text TabCommunications are defined by AUML text in protocol. Click a protocol, Eclipse Property View will show up with AUML overview in it. AUML editor supports syntax highlighting and auto-indentation. The AUML sequence diagram is on the right of the text editor.
There is also an interaction table illustrating all the interactions defined in the selected protocol.
3.4 Scenario Step TabThere are two areas on the scenario step tab. In step editing area, you can edit the information of a selected step. In the step table area, you can add/delete step(s) and change the step order by Drag-N-Drop operation.
3.5 Data Field Tab & Post Event TabA Data Type can be assigned to Data. To define a Data Type, go to Data's property tab and input a new type name or choose an existing one from the drop-down list.
Data Type have two special tabs, namely Data Field tab and Post Event tab. To add a data field, go to Data Field Tab on the property view and click addition button on the left. To modify this new added field, click the corresponding line in the table then the line will become editable.
You can follow the same way to add a post event. Or you can link Data with a Message on the graphical editor and the message will be stored as a post event of Data's Data Type automatically.
4. JACK Code GenerationThe code generation feature is developed as an independent plug-in cooperated with Eclipse-based PDT. Users don't need to install it if they just want to do PDT design. Installation is similar as Converter plug-in. Just copy the jar file to the plugin folder. You can generate JACK code via the following steps: 1. Right click a PDT project and choose AO Code Generation -> Generate JACK Code from pop-up manu;
2. Follow the 4 steps of the code generation wizard:
Then click finish to generate code. 3. The code inside the PDT Design Block will be updated automatically every time users regenerate code. So DO NOT add your code to this area. Any modification inside this area will be flushed off if you regenerate code.
5. Drag and Drop OperationThe drag and drop operation manual is in following link: http://code.google.com/p/pdt-plugin/wiki/DragAndDropManual 6. Automatic Backup FeatureAutomatic Backup enables PDT to automatically create backup copy of the current project file and allow users to manage the backup period. 6.1 Opening a backup file When user choose to open a .pd.bk file type, the following dialog will appear.
If user choose “Save as” button, the following file dialog will pop up to ask user input a name for the backup project file to save as.
Please close the “backup project file” after the save as operation, and then open the saved as file from the left file tree. If user choose “Cancel” button, a warning message will popup, the backup project file will be open, but when user try to save it, another warning message will display tell user they can not use save on backup file.
6.2 Setup the backup timer The default backup period is 5 minutes, if you would like to set a different, please select “Set Automatic Backup Period” from “PDT Menu”.
A dialog box will pop up and ask user to input the new backup time period.
7. Unimplemented FeaturesThere are several features still under developing, including:
These features are not covered in plug-in of version 0.2.8 but will be implemented in feature. |
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