NetBeans Architecture Answers for Options Dialog and SPI module

General Information

Question (arch-what): What is this project good for?
Answer:

This module contains implementation of Options Panel and simple SPI.

Question (arch-overall): Describe the overall architecture.
Answer:

Options Dialog module contains implementation of Options Dialog and simple SPI. This SPI allows installation of custom options panels / categories to Options Dialog. This module contains implementation of Miscellaneous Panel ans Miscellaneous Panel SPI too. OptionsDialogSPI

Question (arch-usecases): Describe the main use cases of the new API. Who will use it under what circumstances? What kind of code would typically need to be written to use the module?
Answer:

Register top level Options Panel

Client can install new panel to Options Dialog - see JavaDoc for OptionsCategory class.

Register panel to Advanced Options Panel

Client can install new panel to Advanced Options Panel - see JavaDoc for AdvancedOption class.

Question (arch-time): What are the time estimates of the work?
Answer:
Question (arch-quality): How will the quality of your code be tested and how are future regressions going to be prevented?
Answer:

This module follows NetBeans standard processes (QA, Unit Tests).

Question (arch-where): Where one can find sources for your module?
Answer:

The sources for the module are in the Apache Git repositories or in the GitHub repositories

Project and platform dependencies

Question (dep-nb): What other NetBeans projects and modules does this one depend on?
Answer:
• Progress - The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime.
• org.netbeans.libs.formlayout - Additional library to simplify Hanz the work and create a nightmare for rest of us. It is needed for compilation and used during runtime.
• FilesystemsAPI - The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
• UtilitiesAPI - The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
• org.openide.awt - The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
• DialogsAPI - The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
• WindowSystemAPI - The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
• ActionsAPI - The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
• ExplorerAPI - The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
• NodesAPI - The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime. Specification version 6.2 is required.
• LoadersAPI - The module is needed for compilation. The module is used during runtime.
Question (dep-non-nb): What other projects outside NetBeans does this one depend on?
Answer:

None.

Question (dep-platform): On which platforms does your module run? Does it run in the same way on each?
Answer:

Runs on all platforms.

Question (dep-jre): Which version of JRE do you need (1.2, 1.3, 1.4, etc.)?
Answer:

JRE 1.4.

Question (dep-jrejdk): Do you require the JDK or is the JRE enough?
Answer:

JRE is enough.

Deployment

Question (deploy-jar): Do you deploy just module JAR file(s) or other files as well?
Answer:

No.

Question (deploy-nbm): Can you deploy an NBM via the Update Center?
Answer:
Question (deploy-shared): Do you need to be installed in the shared location only, or in the user directory only, or can your module be installed anywhere?
Answer:
Question (deploy-packages): Are packages of your module made inaccessible by not declaring them public?
Answer:

Yes.

Question (deploy-dependencies): What do other modules need to do to declare a dependency on this one, in addition to or instead of the normal module dependency declaration (e.g. tokens to require)?
Answer:

Nothing.

Compatibility with environment

Question (compat-i18n): Is your module correctly internationalized?
Answer:

Yes.

Question (compat-standards): Does the module implement or define any standards? Is the implementation exact or does it deviate somehow?
Answer:

No.

Question (compat-version): Can your module coexist with earlier and future versions of itself? Can you correctly read all old settings? Will future versions be able to read your current settings? Can you read or politely ignore settings stored by a future version?
Answer:

There are no earlier versions of this module, and this module has no settings.

Question (compat-deprecation): How the introduction of your project influences functionality provided by previous version of the product?
Answer:

No deprecation.

Access to resources

Question (resources-file): Does your module use java.io.File directly?
Answer:

No.

Question (resources-layer): Does your module provide own layer? Does it create any files or folders in it? What it is trying to communicate by that and with which components?
Answer:

Yes, it installs OptionsWindowAction to menu, and AdvancedPanel implementation to Options Dialog.

Question (resources-read): Does your module read any resources from layers? For what purpose?
Answer:

OptionsDialogSPILayers - Use OptionsDialog folder for registration of custom top level options panels. Register your implementation of OptionsCategory there (*.instance file). Standard file systems sorting mechanism is used. AdvancedPanelSPILayers - Use OptionsDialog/Advanced folder for registration of custom panels to Miscellaneous Panel. Register your implementation of AdvancedCategory there (*.instance file). Standard file systems sorting mechanism is used. OptionsExportLayers - Use OptionsExport/<MyCategory> folder for registration of items for export/import of options. Registration in layers looks as follows

 <folder name="OptionsExport">
     <!-- category -->
     <folder name="MyCategory">
         <!-- category display name -->
         <attr name="displayName"
          bundlevalue="org.netbeans.modules.mymodule.options.Bundle#Category_Display_Name"/>
         <!-- item -->
         <file name="MyItem1">
             <attr name="displayName" bundlevalue="org.netbeans.modules.mymodule.options.Bundle#Item1_Display_Name"/>
             <!-- include regex pattern rooted to userdir -->
             <attr name="include" stringvalue="config/Preferences/org/netbeans/modules/mymodule/.*|config/mymodule/.*"/>
             <!-- exclude regex pattern rooted to userdir -->
             <attr name="exclude" stringvalue="config/mymodule/obsolete/.*"/>
         </file>
         <!-- item -->
         <file name="MyItem2">
             <attr name="displayName" bundlevalue="org.netbeans.modules.mymodule.options.Bundle#Item2_Display_Name"/>
             <!-- include pattern with properties constrain -->
             <attr name="include" stringvalue="config/mymodule[.]properties#key[1-9].*|keyA.*#|config/mymodule[.]xml"/>
             <!-- exclude pattern with properties constrain  -->
             <attr name="exclude" stringvalue="config/obsolete[.]properties#key5"/>
         </file>
     </folder>
 </folder>
 

Include/exclude patterns may contain either a regular expression defining files relatively to userdir (see MyItem1) or a compound pattern defining files and property keys (see MyItem2). A compound pattern consists of file regex pattern followed by hash delimiter (#) then property key regex pattern followed by another hash delimiter. Hash delimiter can be ommited at the end of compound pattern. For example, a compound pattern can have the following structure filePattern1#keyPattern1#|filePattern2|filePattern3#keyPattern3. org.netbeans.modules.options.export.OPT_RestartAfterImport - By default importing settings (as described by OptionsExport API does not require restart. Some systems may however support complex modifications to the installation structure. Then they should brand the OPT_RestartAfterImport to true. NetBeans IDE does require restart after settings import.
Question (resources-mask): Does your module mask/hide/override any resources provided by other modules in their layers?
Answer:

No.

Question (resources-preferences): Does your module uses preferences via Preferences API? Does your module use NbPreferences or or regular JDK Preferences ? Does it read, write or both ? Does it share preferences with other modules ? If so, then why ?
Answer:

Uses org.netbeans.modules.options.api.OptionsHeight and OptionsWidth properties.

Lookup of components

Question (lookup-lookup): Does your module use org.openide.util.Lookup or any similar technology to find any components to communicate with? Which ones?
Answer:

Lookups and layers. See JavaDoc.

Question (lookup-register): Do you register anything into lookup for other code to find?
Answer:

No.

Question (lookup-remove): Do you remove entries of other modules from lookup?
Answer:

No.

Execution Environment

Question (exec-property): Is execution of your code influenced by any environment or Java system (System.getProperty) property? On a similar note, is there something interesting that you pass to java.util.logging.Logger? Or do you observe what others log?
Answer:

No.

Question (exec-component): Is execution of your code influenced by any (string) property of any of your components?
Answer:

No. But This module sets some property on core OptionsAction: org.netbeans.core.actions.OptionsAction.additionalActionName - Crates button with given string in bottom left corner of Advanced Options Dialog. org.netbeans.core.actions.OptionsAction.additionalActionListener - Given ActionListener is notified when custom button is pressed.

Question (exec-ant-tasks): Do you define or register any ant tasks that other can use?
Answer:

No.

Question (exec-classloader): Does your code create its own class loader(s)?
Answer:

No.

Question (exec-reflection): Does your code use Java Reflection to execute other code?
Answer:

No.

Question (exec-privateaccess): Are you aware of any other parts of the system calling some of your methods by reflection?
Answer:

No.

Question (exec-process): Do you execute an external process from your module? How do you ensure that the result is the same on different platforms? Do you parse output? Do you depend on result code?
Answer:

No.

Question (exec-introspection): Does your module use any kind of runtime type information (instanceof, work with java.lang.Class, etc.)?
Answer:

No.

Question (exec-threading): What threading models, if any, does your module adhere to? How the project behaves with respect to threading?
Answer:
Question (security-policy): Does your functionality require modifications to the standard policy file?
Answer:

No.

Question (security-grant): Does your code grant additional rights to some other code?
Answer:

No.

Format of files and protocols

Question (format-types): Which protocols and file formats (if any) does your module read or write on disk, or transmit or receive over the network? Do you generate an ant build script? Can it be edited and modified?
Answer:

No.

Question (format-dnd): Which protocols (if any) does your code understand during Drag & Drop?
Answer:

None.

Question (format-clipboard): Which data flavors (if any) does your code read from or insert to the clipboard (by access to clipboard on means calling methods on java.awt.datatransfer.Transferable?
Answer:

None.

Performance and Scalability

Question (perf-startup): Does your module run any code on startup?
Answer:

No.

Question (perf-exit): Does your module run any code on exit?
Answer:

No.

Question (perf-scale): Which external criteria influence the performance of your program (size of file in editor, number of files in menu, in source directory, etc.) and how well your code scales?
Answer:
Question (perf-limit): Are there any hard-coded or practical limits in the number or size of elements your code can handle?
Answer:
Question (perf-mem): How much memory does your component consume? Estimate with a relation to the number of windows, etc.
Answer:
Question (perf-wakeup): Does any piece of your code wake up periodically and do something even when the system is otherwise idle (no user interaction)?
Answer:

No.

Question (perf-progress): Does your module execute any long-running tasks?
Answer:

No.

Question (perf-huge_dialogs): Does your module contain any dialogs or wizards with a large number of GUI controls such as combo boxes, lists, trees, or text areas?
Answer:

Yes.

Question (perf-menus): Does your module use dynamically updated context menus, or context-sensitive actions with complicated and slow enablement logic?
Answer:

No.

Question (perf-spi): How the performance of the plugged in code will be enforced?
Answer: