google-code-export / b-tk

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Plugin mechanism in Mokka #53

Open GoogleCodeExporter opened 9 years ago

GoogleCodeExporter commented 9 years ago
What should be the improvement?
Mokka has already some tools to edit/process data (see menu Tools) and can read 
lots of file formats used in Biomechanics. However, some third parties 
(laboratories, companies, students) might like to add some tools or file 
formats without the release of the source code (due to some publication in 
progress or some patents). The possibility to load external plugins will solve 
this problem. Moreover, it gives also the benefit to use Mokka as an existing 
platform for the visualisation and configuration of the acquisition(s). Third 
parties can then focus only on the development based on an existing API.

Could you detail it by giving examples (code, files)?
The development of a plugin mechanism needs two main parts. First, Mokka will 
contain an extension manager to install/load/update/remove extensions, while 
the second part will propose a software development kit (SDK) to implement 
plugin. Each plugin will be packaged in a file like it is done for the 
extensions of the software Mozilla Firefox. The plugin file format will be able 
to manage at the same time the different supported OS and architectures (i.e. 
Windows, MacOS X and Linux - for 32-bit and 64-bit architectures). The first 
release of the plugin mechanism will give the possibility to implement tools 
and reader/writer (load/save/import/export) for new file format.

Original issue reported on code.google.com by arnaud.barre on 8 Apr 2013 at 6:03

GoogleCodeExporter commented 9 years ago
This feature is in development in the branch 'mokka-plugin'. It is already 
possible to load plugins in Mokka for new file format or for new tools. There 
is still some improvements to do. For example to be able to update a plugin 
from the web.

This feature will need also to create some documentation for the SDK proposed 
to develop plugins. An application should be also developed to easily package 
the plugin in the correct file format.

Original comment by arnaud.barre on 28 Apr 2013 at 9:21