1 % ==========================================
2 \documentclass[11pt,final,a4paper]{article}
5 \bbtkGuide[User's Guide]
6 % ==========================================
9 % ==========================================
12 \section{Introduction}
13 Note: pdf version of this User's Guide can be retrieved from the following URL:\\
14 \url{http://www.creatis.insa-lyon.fr/creatools/documentation}
15 % ==========================================
16 \subsection{What is bbtk?}
17 % ==========================================
18 \BBTK(\bbtkns) is a set of tools (\CPP libraries and executables)
19 providing a \CPP framework for the definition of elementary processing \emph{units}, called {\bf black boxes}, and the definition and execution of processing \emph{chains}
20 made up of these black boxes. \\
22 %It's a part of the \texttt{Creatools suite} composed mainly of :
30 %which depend on the OpenSource libraries:
38 % ==========================================
39 \subsubsection{The black box philosophy}
40 % ==========================================
42 \href{http://www.answers.com/topic/black-box-theater}{The Answers Dictionary} defines a {\bf black box} as
43 \emph{``A device or theoretical construct with known or specified performance characteristics
44 but unknown or unspecified constituents and means of operation''} \\
45 \href{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_box_\%28disambiguation\%29}{Wikipedia}
46 defines a {\bf black box} as
47 \emph{``any component in a system in which only the input and output
48 characteristics are of interest, without regard to its internal mechanism
50 We should merge these definitions:
51 not only the inputs and outputs are of interest but also
52 \emph{what the box does!}
53 Hence, we would say that a black box is any \emph{\bf documented}
54 component of a system, letting the user know
55 \emph{\bf what} the box is supposed to do and
56 \emph{\bf how to use it}
57 but not \emph{\bf how it does it}. \\
59 \BBTK provides a systematic framework
60 to encapsulate (or ``wrap'') any
61 existing \texttt{C} or \CPP processing code into an object
62 (a black box) having a {\bf generic symbolic interface}, where
65 \item{\bf generic} means that the interface is \emph{the same}
66 for all boxes. Hence one does not need to know which particular
67 method allows, say, to set a particular input or
68 get a particular output of the box.
69 One can use a black box in a purely abstract way.
70 \item{\bf symbolic} means that a particular
71 input or output is referenced by a 'name', that is by a symbol
72 which identifies the input or output.
73 It also means that symbolic information (text) is
74 attached to a box: description of the box, author,
75 description of its inputs and outputs, etc.
78 (Actually, genericity is achieved because the interface is symbolic.
79 We let you think about this\dots)
81 Of course, symbolic data attached to a box may be
82 {\bf queried}: what are the inputs/outputs of the box?
83 what are their type? their description? etc.
84 This allows {\bf automatic documentation} of boxes.
86 The abstract definition of black boxes is the most basic
87 aspect of \BBTK architecture.
88 Another key aspect is the grouping of black boxes into
89 so called {\bf packages},
90 which are \emph{dynamic libraries} that can also
91 be queried, in particular about the boxes they provide.
92 The package structure then offers a mechanism similar to \emph{'plug-in'} mechanism.
93 \BBTK provides the methods to load a package at run-time,
94 and create instances of the boxes it contains.
96 These two mechanisms (black boxes and packages)
100 \item The definition of an {\bf interpreted script language},
101 which allows to manipulate packages and boxes very easily in symbolic way.
102 \BBTK provides one: \bbs (the Black Box Script language) and its interpreter
103 \bbi (the Black Box Interpreter).
104 \item {\bf Automatic documentation} of existing packages.
105 \texttt{html} documentation of packages is proposed by
109 Finally, these different components allow {\bf efficient}:
112 \item {\bf capitalization and reuse} of existing processing units,
113 including {\bf documentation}
114 \item {\bf testing, prototyping} in a very simple script language
115 \item {\bf inter-operability} between atomic processings that
116 have been written by different persons, using different libraries, etc.
120 % ==========================================
124 A \texttt{black box}:
126 \item has a name (this is actually a type name),
127 \item has a description and an author,
128 \item belongs to categories (keywords that allow to index it
129 into automated documentation, and that are specified in the box definition),
130 \item has inputs and outputs that in turn have their:
133 \item types (any C++ type),
136 \item does something and can be executed, i.e. outputs are updated according to inputs.
140 \item is a ``plug-in'' in the \bbtk framework,
142 \item has a description and an author.
145 \item a dynamic library (dll/so/dylib) that contains compiled
146 black boxes (e.g.: dynamic library name of the package `std' is `bbstd.dll', `libbbstd.so' or `libbbstd.dylib' depending on the platform),
147 \item bbs scripts: script-defined boxes, examples, applications,
148 \item data: test data, resources.
150 \item is automatically documented.
153 % ==========================================
155 % ==========================================
156 \subsubsection{{\bbtk} components}
157 % ==========================================
160 \item A \CPP {\bf\emph{library}} - called \bbtk - which defines a framework
161 (abstract classes) to develop black boxes and store them into
162 dynamic libraries, called black box \emph{packages}.
163 \item Different {\bf\emph{"core" black box packages}}:
165 \item {\bf\emph{std}}: the 'standard' package including basic useful boxes.
166 \item {\bf\emph{wx}}: basic graphical interface elements (widgets: sliders, buttons, etc. based on the \texttt{wxWidgets} library).
167 \item {\bf\emph{itk}}: the basic image processing package, based on the \itk library.
168 \item {\bf\emph{vtk}}: the basic images and surfaces processing and visualization package, based on the \vtk library.
169 \item {\bf\emph{wxvtk}}: widget boxes based on the \vtk library (2D and 3D visualization and
171 %\item {\bf\emph{creaImageIO}}: Provides hight level widgets to read images, including DICOM.
172 \item {\bf\emph{itkvtk}}: adaptors permitting to connect \itk boxes to \vtk boxes and conversely.
173 \item {\bf\emph{kw}}: widgets based on \texttt{KWWidgets} library (medical-image oriented:
174 slicer, transfer function editors, etc.).
175 \item {\bf\emph{demo}}: some black-box based demos.
176 \item {\bf\emph{appli}}: some black-box based standalone applications.
177 \item {\bf\emph{toolsbbtk}}: tools for bbtk administration and package development.
179 \item A {\bf\emph{development environment}}, called \bbStudio, which provides:
181 \item An online {\bf\emph{script editor and interpreter}}
182 \item A powerful html {\bf\emph{help environment}}, integrating:
184 \item Online documentation scanning
185 \item Retrieving boxes on various criteria
186 \item Checking demos and examples
189 \item A standalone {\bf\emph{interpreter}}, called \bbins, which allows to
190 execute \bbs scripts.
191 \item {\bf\emph{Various development utilities}}:
193 \item \bbfy generates the \CPP code of a black box from a
194 description file written in \texttt{xml}.
195 %\item \bbdoc generates the html documentation of a black box package
196 %(author, description, description of its black boxes :
197 %author, description, inputs, outputs, and so on).
198 \item \bbCreatePackage allows to create the basic file architecture
199 to start the development of a new black box package.
200 \item \bbCreateBlackBox allows to create the basic file architecture
201 to start the development of a new black box, that will be included in an already existing package.
202 \item \texttt{bbs2cpp} translates a \texttt{.bbs} script into a \CPP file.
203 \item \bbc (sorry: Linux only, for the moment) that compiles \texttt{.bbs} scripts into executables.
204 \item \bbRegeneratePackageDoc which creates the html documentation of the Package.
205 \item \bbRegenerateBoxesLists which creates the html pages of the various lists of all the currenly installed boxes.
206 \item \bbPlugPackage which automatically incorporates a new package.
208 \item A full {\bf\emph{documentation}} that can be printed (pdf), browsed (html) and
209 queried through keywords.
212 The general architecture of \BBTK
213 is shown in figure \ref{bb-architecture}.
216 \caption{\BBTK architecture}
218 \includegraphics[width=0.6\textwidth]{bb-architecture.png}
220 \label{bb-architecture}
225 % ==========================================
226 \subsection{Content of this guide}
227 % ==========================================
229 Read this \texttt{Users' Guide} if you want to learn how to use
230 \bbtk development environnement \bbStudio and how to write black box scripts.\\
231 If your aim is to write your own Packages and Black Boxes, you have to read the
232 \texttt{Package Developper's Guide}.
234 % ==========================================
237 \section{Getting started with bbStudio}
239 % ==========================================
242 % ==========================================
243 \subsection{The interface}
244 % ==========================================
247 %\vspace{0.5cm}\hrule
248 %\section{The Development environment (bbStudio)}
251 Just run it, typing in a console \bbStudio
252 or clicking on its icon or its menu entry.
253 You'll get something like in figure
254 \ref{bbi-fig-bbStudio-gui}
255 (the exact appearance of \bbStudio is Operating System and \bbtk version dependent).
257 %At start, \bbStudio opens with a very minimal 'How to use' in the middle.
258 %Don't forget to read it: it will vanish at the first mouse click.
262 %\caption{The bbStudio Development environment interface at start time}
264 %\includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth]{bbStudioMainPageStart.png}
266 %\label{bbi-fig-bbStudio-gui-start}
269 %Let's have a look at the resized window :
271 \caption{The bbStudio Development environment interface}
273 \includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth]{bbStudioMainPage.png}
275 \label{bbi-fig-bbStudio-gui}
278 The interface is divided into four parts: \texttt{Files}, \texttt{Messages},
279 \texttt{Command}, \texttt{Help}.
280 It is written using the Advanced User Interface library of wxWidgets
282 whose 'docking manager' allows windows and toolbars to be floated/docked
284 Feel free to resize/reposition any part you want.
285 Your preferences will be kept next time you run again \bbStudions.
287 %Please don't use this feature at learning time
288 %(the snapshots of this document wouldn't match with your screen ...)
290 \subsubsection{'Files' part}
291 \label{bbi-FilesPart}
293 It is the \bbs script editor (see section \ref{Scripting} to learn about scripting).
295 If you load a file holding a script, it will be displayed in this area, and you will be
296 able to modify it, to save it, to save-as it and to run it, using the respective
297 lower-toolbar buttons (see figure \ref{lowertoolbar}).
300 \caption{The 'Files' lower toolbar}
302 \includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth]{lowertoolbar2.png}
309 % \item {\bf\emph{New file}}: Create a new file to hold a script
310 % \item {\bf\emph{Open file}}: Open an already existing file holding a script
311 % \item {\bf\emph{Close file}}: Close a file holding a script
312 % \item {\bf\emph{Save file}}: Save he current file (if modified)
313 % \item {\bf\emph{Save file as}}: Save he current file under a different name
314 % \item {\bf\emph{Run file}}: Execute the script you just loaded/modified/written
315 % \item {\bf\emph{cursor position}}: column number : line number
319 \subsubsection{'Messages' part}
320 \label{bbi-MessagesPart}
322 Two kinds of messages will be output here:\\
324 \item {\bf\emph{System messages:}} produced by the kernel, in case of a user mistyping, or an execution error.\\
325 \item {\bf\emph{Script messages:}} produced by the \bbtk equivalent of \texttt{printf}
326 or \texttt{std::cout} in user programs.
330 \subsubsection{'Command' part}
331 \label{bbi-CommandPart}
333 You can type here \bbs commands which are executed on the fly.
334 The buttons are shortcuts to the most frequently used commands.
335 The command (or button) \texttt{help} permits to print in the \texttt{Message} zone the list of all recognized commands, while the command \texttt{help} \emph{command\_name} provides the help on the selected command.
337 \subsubsection{'Help' part}
338 \label{bbi-HelpContentsPart}
340 The 'Help' part of \bbStudio is used to browse the html help of \BBTKns. You can find there various guides (see section~\ref{sec:guides}) and detailed information about each black box available (see section~\ref{sec:boxes_help}). They can be browsed alphabetically, by package and by category. Two special categories, demos and examples, are available via direct links (see section~\ref{sec:demos_examples}).
343 % ==========================================
348 % ==========================================
349 % ==========================================
350 % ==========================================
351 % ==========================================
352 % ==========================================
356 % ==============================================
357 \subsection{Online Help}
358 % ==============================================
360 Various levels of help are supplied by \bbStudions.
362 % ==========================================
363 \subsubsection{Command-line help}
364 % ==========================================
367 The 'working' area (the left one, as opposed to the (\texttt{Help}) area, on the right side) is composed of:
368 one single line area (\texttt{Command}), at the bottom, in which you can enter your commands, and
369 a multiple line zone (\texttt{Messages}) in which the command interpreter prints out the result of your commands.
370 %The upper part contains the script editor; we shall not use it right now, you may reduce it.
371 Command-line help for the black box scripting language \bbs (see section \ref{Scripting}) can be obtained in this zone. \par
372 As mentioned above, the command (or button) \texttt{help} permits to print in the \texttt{Message} zone the list of all recognized commands, while the command \texttt{help} \emph{command\_name} displays in this zone the help about the selected command.\par
373 The command \texttt{help} \emph{package\_name} displays in the \texttt{Message} zone a short information about the selected package, provided that this package was previously loaded (Note that you can know which packages were loaded by executing the command \texttt{help packages}). Furthermore, it simultaneously displays in the right zone (\texttt{Help}) the corresponding full html help available.\par
374 In a similar way, one can obtain the information about any box from the loaded packages, by executing the command \texttt{help} \emph{box\_name}. Note that some boxes may be unavailable if the command \texttt{load} was used to load the package, since this command only loads the boxes in binary. Some boxes are defined in script files. To be sure that all the boxes from the package are loaded the command \texttt{include} is to be preferred.\par
375 You can also get the list of the objects currently present in the workspace, by executing the command \texttt{help workspace}.
377 % ==========================================
378 \subsubsection{Guides}
380 % ==========================================
382 All the guides can be browsed in html version in the \texttt{Help} part of \bbStudions. Their pdf versions (except Doxygen documentation) can be retrieved from:\\
383 \url{http://www.creatis.insa-lyon.fr/creatools/documentation}
386 \item {\bf\emph{User's Guide}}: This guide!
387 \item {\bf\emph{Package Developer's Guide}}: Step-by-step "How-to" for programmers who want to create their own
388 black boxes/packages.
389 % \item {\bf\emph{Developper's Guide}}: For bbtk kernel developpers only. (This one is probably not very much
390 % up-to-date, since we spend more time in developping than writing documentation that's not of user concern).
391 % \item {\bf\emph{Reference Manual}}: Contains a exaustive description of all the features for all the commands.
392 %\item {\bf\emph{Booklet}}: Vade mecum.
393 \item {\bf\emph{Doxygen Documentation}}: Doxygen source browser.\\ Automatically generated from source files. Should only concern the kernel developers.
399 % ==========================================
400 \subsubsection{Boxes Help}
401 \label{sec:boxes_help}
402 % ==========================================
403 Lists of currently available boxes from installed packages, sorted according to the following criteria:
405 \item {\bf\emph{Alphabetical list}}%: This is the 'zero-level' of retrieving.
406 \item {\bf\emph{List by package}}%: The boxes are indexed by package they belong to
407 \item {\bf\emph{List by category}}:
408 Each box is indexed by a list of keywords, called 'categories', such as '\texttt{read/write}',
409 '\texttt{filter}', '\texttt{viewer}', ...
410 A given box may belong to more than one \texttt{category}, however some categories are mutually exclusive.
411 Standard categories are:
413 \item\texttt{atomic box}/\texttt{complex box}\\
414 Any box is either atomic or complex.\\
415 The former are 'atomic' units written in C++ and available in binary form.\\
416 Any pipeline built up as an assembly of several black boxes (atomic or complex), and described in \bbs script language is itself viewed as a complex black box, and hence tagged as belonging to the latter category.
417 \item\texttt{example} / \texttt{demo} / \texttt{application} (see \ref{sec:demos_examples})\\
418 These ones are scripts that produce a result when executed (i.e. they
419 execute a pipeline), as opposed to the scripts that only define complex boxes but do not instanciate and execute boxes.
421 \item\texttt{example}: It is just a (simple) example, for programmers, of how to use a given feature. The \texttt{Examples} link on the starting page links to the list of the boxes of this category.
422 \item\texttt{demo}: It can be a 'good looking' (a.k.a 'sexy') example of some sophisticated work, done only by using \texttt{bbtk}. The \texttt{Demos} link on the starting page links to the list of the boxes of this category.
423 \item\texttt{application}: It is a final application, end-user intended (e.g. association of a DICOM image browser, reader, viewer with some interaction and processing)
425 \item\texttt{widget}: A piece of graphical interface (based on \texttt{wxWidgets}).
426 \item\texttt{dicom}: A box related to medical images in Dicom format.
427 \item\texttt{viewer}: A box allowing to view something (e.g. an image).
428 \item\texttt{read/write}: An I/O-related box.
429 \item\texttt{mesh}: A mesh-related box.
430 \item\texttt{filter}: A filter, mainly image filters.
431 \item\texttt{image}: An image-related box.
432 \item\texttt{3D object creator}: A box which creates a 3D object to be injected into a 3D view (e.g. a plane, a surface).
433 \item\texttt{math}: Maths of course.
434 \item\texttt{misc}: Miscellaneous...
436 Remark that the list of categories is 'auto-extensible': each time a new box is created which belongs to a new category and the boxes list is regenerated, the new category appears in the list, holding the new box. The above list only contains the categories used in the packages provided with current \bbtk release.
437 \item {\bf\emph{ List of adaptors}}: The adaptors are a special type of black boxes that are used internally to perform type conversions. Although they are not end user intended, you may see their list. Adaptors belong to the \texttt{adaptor} category.
439 For each box, the html \texttt{Help} provides the informations necessary to use it: its name, its purpose, the descriptions of its inputs/outputs and the name of the package (or script file) that is to be loaded. Note that for a given box only the inputs/outputs listed in white cells are of actual interest. The remaining ones, grouped after them in colored cells, are standard (have the same names and purpose) in all atomic boxes. Additionally, for all boxes but the atomic ones (i.e. for all boxes defined in \bbs script language), the corresponding script is available via [\texttt{source}] link. Actually, by clicking on this link, one loads the script into the \texttt{Files} area where it can be analyzed, edited and executed.
441 % ==========================================
442 \subsubsection{The Package Browser}
443 \label{Package_Browser}
444 % ==========================================
446 The package browser is a standalone application \texttt{bbPackageBrowser}, which
447 dynamically loads and queries the available packages.
448 It is thus a smarter tool than the static html documentation.
449 You can run it independently or from \bbStudio using either the button labeled \texttt{Start Package Browser} of the 'Command' part or the corresponding entry in the menu 'Windows'.
450 Note that it may take some time to start because it loads all available
452 Its appearance is reproduced in figure \ref{imPackage_Browser}.
455 \caption{The Package Browser}
457 \includegraphics[width=0.6\textwidth]{Package_Browser.png}
459 \label{imPackage_Browser}
462 It allows you to find boxes by use of a multi-criteria filtering principle:
463 the boxes listed are the ones the attributes of which match \emph{all} the
464 words entered in the 'Filter' part.
465 You can get the whole description of a given box by clicking on its name.
470 \item It is case sensitive, i.e '\texttt{Button}'
471 will give different results than '\texttt{button}'.
472 \item After typing a filtering string, you have to validate it by pressing the 'Enter' key, in order to update the display of the boxes list.
473 \item A filtering string only needs to match a subpart of the related attribute of a box.
474 For example, entering 'utt' in the 'Name' attribute will match a box called 'Button'.
480 \item \texttt{Package}: The name of the package to which the box belongs (e.g. \texttt{wxvtk}, \texttt{std}).
481 \item \texttt{Name}: The name of a box or an application (e.g. \texttt{Reader}, \texttt{example}).
482 \item \texttt{Description}: A part of the description of a box (e.g. \texttt{3D}, \texttt{image}).
483 \item \texttt{Category}: The categories of the box (e.g. \texttt{demo}).
484 \item \texttt{Input/Output Type}: The \CPP type of an input or output (e.g. \texttt{vtkImageData*}, \texttt{std::string}).
485 \item \texttt{Input/Output Nature}: The \texttt{nature} of an input or output (e.g. \texttt{file name}, \texttt{signal}).
488 %If 'Show widgets' is selected then
495 % ==========================================
499 % ==============================================
500 \subsection{Running Demos and Examples}
501 \label{sec:demos_examples}
502 % ==============================================
504 As previously mentioned, the links \texttt{Demos} and \texttt{Examples} in the 'Help' part (See figure \ref{HelpContents}), give access to special complex boxes from the respective categories. Here, we use an example, both to illustrate the use of this help and to explain a short \bbs script.\\
507 \caption{\bbStudio 'Help' panel}
509 \includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth]{HelpContents.png}
515 Select \texttt{Examples} link. You will get a list of examples (See figure \ref{example}).
517 Note: due to an unfixed bug in Linux, you have to click on 'reload' to get it. \\
521 \caption{Examples list}
523 \includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth]{example.png}
530 %\caption{\label{BoxCategories}Box Categories}
532 %\includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth]{BoxCategories.png}
537 Select \texttt{wx::exampleSlider}.
540 \caption{Html documentation of example 'exampleSlider'}
542 \includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth]{exampleSlider.png}
544 \label{exampleSlider}
547 You can see information about the example and
548 the graphical representation of the workflow defined by the script
549 (the elementary boxes that compose it, and their connections, see figure \ref{exampleSlider}).
551 Click on \texttt{[source]}, it will be loaded
552 in the 'Files' part, within the script editor (See figure \ref{exampleSliderSource});
555 \caption{Source code of 'exampleSlider'}
557 \includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth]{exampleSliderSource.png}
559 \label{exampleSliderSource}
562 Run it, using the 'Files' toolbar (see figure \ref{lowertoolbar})
564 You'll get something like in figure \ref{execSliderSource}.
567 \caption{\label{execSliderSource}Execution of 'exampleSlider'}
569 \includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth]{execSliderSource.png}
573 Feel free to move the slider, to check whether it actually works...
577 Just a few words on what you saw:
579 \item{In the source code of the script}:
584 These \bbs commands load the packages \texttt{std} and \texttt{wx}
587 set slider.ReactiveOnTrack 1
589 We create a \texttt{Slider} box called \emph{slider}.
591 We tell it to inform anybody that's interested in, that the cursor moved, each time it moved.
592 The default behaviour is to inform only when cursor is released.
596 We create an \texttt{OutputText} box called \emph{text}
597 (in which slider value will be displayed)
600 new LayoutLine layout
602 We create a \texttt{LayoutLine} box called \emph{layout},
603 a widget box designed to embed other widgets (say, a main window)
605 connect slider.Widget layout.Widget1
606 connect text.Widget layout.Widget2
608 We embed \emph{slider} and \emph{text} into \emph{layout}.
610 connect slider.BoxChange text.BoxExecute
611 connect slider.Out text.In
613 We tell \emph{slider} to inform \emph{text} every time it's modified.
615 We tell \emph{slider} to pass its output value (\texttt{Out})
616 to \emph{text} input value (\texttt{In})
620 We tell \emph{layout} to process itself.
621 This also produces the execution of the boxes connected to it (the slider, the text).
623 \item{In the Help part}
625 You can see the graphical representation of the workflow (pipeline) created by the script,
626 as in figure \ref{SmallGraph}.
630 \caption{Graphical representation of a pipeline}
632 \includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth]{SmallGraph.png}
637 The representation includes
638 both the graphical interface-related pipeline
639 (\emph{slider} and \emph{text} are embedded into \emph{layout})
640 and the data processing-related pipeline
641 (\emph{slider} warns \emph{text} immediately when it's modified,
642 \emph{slider} passes \emph{text} its output value)\footnote{Yes, we know : all the arrows (graphical interface pipeline arrows and data processing arrows)
643 are blue; using different colors is planned for next release...}.
645 You can get a much more detailed graph,
646 like in figure \ref{LargeGraph},
647 just clicking on the button
648 '\texttt{graph (detailed)}' in the toolbar of the \texttt{Command} part.
652 \caption{Detailed graphical representation of a pipeline}
654 \includegraphics[width=0.75\textwidth]{LargeGraph.png}
662 % ==============================================
663 \subsection{The Menu}
664 % ==============================================
666 At last, let us have a look at \bbStudio menu (see figure \ref{themenu}).
669 \caption{The bbStudio menu}
671 \includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth]{themenu.png}
679 \item{\texttt{Open the bbtk configuration file}}
682 \item{\texttt{Tools}}
684 \item{\texttt{Create package}}:
685 Provides a graphical interface to help package developers to create a new empty package.
686 \item{\texttt{Create black box}}:
687 Provides a graphical interface to help package developers to create a new empty black box, and add it to an already existing package.
688 \item{\texttt{Plug Package}}:
689 Incorporates a package into the list of known packages. Updates the html documentation.
690 \item{\texttt{Regenerate package doc}}:
691 If a package has changed (e.g. new boxes) this updates the package html documentation.
692 \item{\texttt{Regenerate boxes list}}:
693 Updates the boxes lists (alphabetical, by package, ...)
694 \item{\texttt{Regenerate all}}:
695 Regenerates all the packages documentations and the boxes lists (may be long...).
696 \item{\texttt{Show last graph}}:
697 Shows the last pipeline graph that was generated
699 \item{\texttt{Options}}
701 \item{\texttt{Reset before running}}: Before running a script, all the already created boxes are destroyed,
702 all the already loaded packages are unloaded (this is the recommended option).
704 \item{\texttt{Windows}}
705 User may decide, for any reason of his own, to hide one or more panels:
707 \item{\texttt{Show 'Files' panel}}
708 \item{\texttt{Show 'Help' panel}}
709 \item{\texttt{Show 'Command' panel}}
710 \item{\texttt{Show 'Messages' panel}}
711 \item{\texttt{Start Package browser}}: starts the package browser (see \ref{Package_Browser}).
713 \item{\texttt{About}}
715 \item{\texttt{About}}: Info about \texttt{bbStudio}.
722 % ==========================================
723 % ==========================================
724 % ==========================================
725 % ==========================================
728 \section{Writing black box scripts (\bbsns)}
730 % ==========================================
731 % ==========================================
732 % ==========================================
734 This section introduces how to write down black box scripts (\bbsns)
735 to create and execute pipelines.
737 % ==========================================
738 \subsection{The commands}
739 % ==========================================
740 In the sequel the commands entered by the user will be preceded by a prompt (\texttt{>}).
741 To get started, type in the \texttt{Command} area:
746 you get the following list of the commands recognized by the interpreter:
779 To get the help on a particular command, type \texttt{help <command name>}, e.g.:
786 usage : author <string>
787 Adds the string <string> to the author information
788 of the black box being defined
791 The \texttt{help} command has multiple usages.
792 It is used to get help about almost anything in the interpreter, including the \texttt{help} command itself! Indeed:
801 (2) help <command name>
802 (3) help packages [all]
803 (4) help <package name> [all]
804 (5) help <black box type>
805 (6) help <black box name>
807 (1) Lists all available commands;
808 (2) Prints help on a particular command;
809 (3) Lists the packages loaded and their black boxes.
810 Add 'all' to list adaptors;
811 (4) Prints short help on the black boxes of a package.
812 Add 'all' to include adaptors;
813 (5) Prints full help on a black box type;
814 (6) Prints information on the inputs, outputs and connections
815 of a black box instance.
818 %More information about what is a 'box' will be given in the 'Scripting' part of this manual.
821 % ==========================================
822 \subsection{Creating and executing black boxes}
823 % ==========================================
825 At start the interpreter does not know any black box.
826 If you type \texttt{'help packages'}, which is
827 the third form of the \texttt{help} command, you get:
834 which means that the interpreter only knows one package
835 (library of black boxes) called \texttt{user}
836 and which contains a black box called \texttt{workspace}.
837 The \texttt{user} package is an internal package of the interpreter,
838 which stores user-defined black box types.
839 At start, it already contains
840 one box, called \texttt{workspace},
841 which is a special type of black box,
842 called complex black box, the purpose of which is
843 to store other black boxes.
844 Any black box you create in \bbStudio is stored
845 in \texttt{workspace}
846 (see also section \ref{bbi-command-line-app}).
848 If you type \texttt{'help workspace'}, you get:
851 Complex Black Box <user::workspace>
854 Category(s): complex box;
860 In the text displayed,
861 the \texttt{user::} prepended to the name \texttt{workspace}
862 means that the box \texttt{workspace}
863 belongs to the \texttt{user} package.
864 Then comes a description and three lines which
865 tell that \texttt{workspace} does not have any input
866 nor output nor boxes yet.
868 In order to let the interpreter know of some black boxes,
869 you must load another package.
870 The \texttt{std} package is the ``standard'' package,
871 which contains basic useful black boxes.
883 you get something like:
906 Now the interpreter knows the package \texttt{std} and the black boxes it provides,
907 such as the \texttt{Add} box, the \texttt{ConcatStrings} box, and so on. Remark that the
908 content of \texttt{std} may vary from one version to another
909 as new black boxes might be added to it. Note that you will get a more detailed information about the package loaded (here \texttt{std}) if you type:
914 Indeed, each of the items listed is followed by its short description:
916 Package std v1.0.0- laurent.guigues at creatis.insa-lyon.fr
919 ASCII : ascii codes sequence to string - ...
920 Add : Adds its inputs
921 ConcatStrings : String concatenation
922 Configuration : Gets configuration informations
925 Additionally, in the right part of the screen ('Help' zone) the corresponding html page is displayed.
932 \bbStudio displays the appropriate html page in the 'Help' part (see figure : \ref{HelpAdd}), and the following text in the 'Message' part:
936 By : laurent.guigues@creatis.insa-lyon.fr
937 Categories : atomic box;math;
939 'BoxExecute' <bbtk::Void> [signal] : Any signal received...
941 'BoxProcessMode' <String> [] : Sets the processing mode...
942 (Pipeline | Always |...
943 'In1' <Double> [] : First number to add
944 'In2' <Double> [] : Second number to add
946 'BoxChange' <bbtk::VoidS> [signal]: Signals modifications...
947 'Out' <Double> [] : Result
951 \caption{The html Help}
953 \includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth]{HelpAdd.png}
959 (provided by the author of the box) include:
960 the author(s) of the box (usually e-mail address(es)) and
961 the categories to which the box belongs,
962 the lists of inputs and outputs of the box.
963 For each input or output, the help provides
965 its \emph{type} (between \texttt{<} and \texttt{>}, e.g. \texttt{<Int>})
967 Remark that the box \texttt{Add} is not a 'complex' black box
968 but an 'atomic' box, hence its help does not
969 include a pipeline graph.
971 You can see that \texttt{Add} boxes have two inputs,
972 with name \texttt{In1} and \texttt{In2},
973 and an output, named \texttt{Out}.
975 After loading the package it belongs to, you can create an \emph{instance} of an \texttt{Add} box, by use of the command \texttt{new}:
981 Here \texttt{'a'} is the \emph{name} of the instance,
982 which will be used to reference it later.
983 It is important to distinguish a box \emph{type}
984 and an \emph{instance} of a box type.
985 The \texttt{Add} box of the package \texttt{std} is actually
986 a \emph{box type}, like \texttt{int} is a data type
987 in \texttt{C} language. The \texttt{new} command allows to create
988 an instance of a box type, exactly like \texttt{int i;} in
989 a \texttt{C} code declares a variable of type \texttt{int}, the
990 name of which is \texttt{i}.
991 Of course, like in \texttt{C} Language, you can declare multiple boxes of the
994 After the creation of the box \texttt{a}, type:
1001 Complex Black Box <user::workspace>
1004 Category(s): complex box;
1011 This means that the user's workspace now contains a black box named \texttt{a},
1012 of type \texttt{std::Add}. If you type:
1017 You get information about the actual instance \texttt{a} of the box type \texttt{std::Add}. It gives something like this:
1020 Black Box 'a' <std::Add>
1022 'BoxExecute' = '? (no adaptor found)' [Modified]
1023 'BoxProcessMode' = 'Pipeline' [Modified]
1024 'In1' = '0' [Modified]
1025 'In2' = '0' [Modified]
1027 'BoxChange' = '? (no adaptor found)' [Out-of-date]
1028 'Out' = '0' [Out-of-date]
1030 Note that the inputs appear as \texttt{[Modified]}, since the code defining the box type includes an initialization of the inputs. On the other hand, the outputs appear as \texttt{[Out-of-date]}, as the box has not yet been executed and therefore its outputs have not been updated. See the second part of this section to learn more about the updating. For a moment, just note that one way to process the box \texttt{a} is to use the command:
1035 This command does not display anything (except if the
1036 box itself displays something in its processing).
1037 It just processes the box if needed. In our case, the result can be seen as follows:
1041 Black Box 'a' <std::Add>
1043 'BoxExecute' = '? (no adaptor found)' [Up-to-date]
1044 'BoxProcessMode' = 'Pipeline' [Up-to-date]
1045 'In1' = '0' [Up-to-date]
1046 'In2' = '0' [Up-to-date]
1048 'BoxChange' = '? (no adaptor found)' [Up-to-date]
1049 'Out' = '0' [Up-to-date]
1051 Note the change of status of all the inputs and outputs (\texttt{[Up-to-date]}).
1052 In practice, the command \texttt{exec} is useful to execute boxes that do not have any output,
1053 such as boxes that write something to a file or, display a
1054 graphical interface, and so on.
1056 Now, let us set the input \texttt{In1}
1057 of the \texttt{Add} box \texttt{a} to the value $3.5$
1063 Similarly, setting the input \texttt{In2} of \texttt{a} to the value $4.3$
1069 And you print the output \texttt{Out} of the box \texttt{a} with:
1071 > print "result=$a.Out$"
1075 In the string passed to the \texttt{print} command,
1076 each substring enclosed between a couple of \$ is considered
1077 as the name of an output of a box.
1078 To process these special substrings, the interpreter:
1080 \item Processes the box if needed (see below)
1081 \item Converts the output of the box to a string if possible
1083 \item Substitutes the result in the string to print
1084 \item Postpones an implicit 'new line' character to the string
1089 Box processing is needed if:
1092 \item either at least one input has changed since last processing
1093 \item or the input \texttt{'BoxProcessMode'} of the box is set to
1094 \texttt{'Always'}, which forces box reprocessing.
1097 Note that all boxes have an input named \texttt{'BoxProcessMode'}. \newline
1099 %To exit \bbi, type :
1107 % ==========================================
1113 \item The \texttt{include} command allows to load a package, and the complex black boxes that come with it.
1114 \item \texttt{help} gives help on:
1116 \item Available commands if you just type \texttt{help}.
1117 \item A particular command if you type \texttt{help <command-name>}.
1118 \item All available packages and their boxes (without description) if you type \texttt{help packages}.
1119 \item A particular package and its boxes (with brief description) if you type \texttt{help <package-name>}.
1120 \item A particular black box type (with full description) if you type \texttt{help <box-type-name>}. In particular, \texttt{help workspace} displays information on the content of the \texttt{'workspace'} black box, which stores the boxes created by the user (by \texttt{new}).
1121 \item A particular black box instance (with full description, as well as the values and the status of the inputs/outputs) if you type \texttt{help <box-name>}.
1123 %\item \texttt{list} displays the list of black box instances created so far (by \texttt{new}).
1124 \item \texttt{new}: creates an instance of a black box.
1125 \item \texttt{set}: sets the value of an input of a black box.
1126 \item Under any component of \bbStudions, to reference the input called \texttt{i}
1127 of a black box called \texttt{b} you must type \texttt{'b.i'}.
1128 The same syntax holds for outputs.
1129 \item \texttt{print}: prints a string, substituting each substring of the form \$b.o\$ by the value of the output \texttt{o} of the black box \texttt{b}. Note that an
1130 implicit trailing 'new line character' is added at the final string.
1131 \item \texttt{exec}: runs, if needed, the process of a box.
1132 %\item \texttt{quit}: quits \bbi.
1137 %A more 'modern' way to proceed is to run \texttt{bbStudio}, drag and drop the \texttt{Command} bookmark to the lower \texttt{Welcome to bbStudio!} bar.
1138 %Wou'll get something like in figure \ref{bbCommandPlusHelp}:
1140 %\begin{figure}[!ht]
1141 %\caption{\label{bbCommandPlusHelp}
1142 %An other way to run the command interpreter}
1144 %\includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{bbCommandPlusHelp.png}
1148 % ==========================================
1150 % ==========================================
1151 \subsection{Connecting black boxes}
1152 \label{bbi-connecting-black-boxes}
1153 % ==========================================
1155 \BBTK allows to create
1156 and execute processing chains,
1157 also called \emph{pipelines},
1158 by connecting black boxes.
1159 This section explains how to do it with examples.
1160 Read section \ref{bbi-deep-box} to get
1161 more information on pipeline processing.
1163 First start \bbStudio and load the package \texttt{std}, i.e. type in the 'Command' part the following command:
1168 Assume you want to compute a sum of three numbers (e.g. $1+2+3$). You can do it by
1169 chaining two \texttt{Add} boxes, as shown in figure
1170 \ref{bbi-fig-connecting-black-boxes-1}.
1173 \caption{ A simple pipeline that adds 3 numbers}
1175 \includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{1plus2plus3.png}
1177 \label{bbi-fig-connecting-black-boxes-1}
1180 The \bbs instructions to create and execute this pipeline are :
1184 > connect a.Out b.In1
1191 The first three commands build the pipeline,
1192 the next three set \texttt{a} and \texttt{b} black boxes' inputs and the last one
1193 prints the output of the black box \texttt{b}. The pipeline is executed before printing, because the interpreter 'knows' that the box \texttt{b}, the output of which is requested, is not up to date.
1195 The command \texttt{'connect a.Out b.In1'} ``plugs'' the output
1196 \texttt{Out} of the box \texttt{a} into the input \texttt{In1} of the
1198 Once the boxes are connected, the processings of the two boxes are chained:
1199 getting the output of \texttt{b} requires getting its inputs,
1200 hence getting the output of \texttt{a} which is connected to it.
1201 This pipeline mechanism can recurse into arbitrarily long
1202 chains of boxes (see \ref{bbi-deep-box}
1205 Let us consider another, more image-oriented, example :
1214 > new FileSelector fileDialog
1215 > new ImageReader reader
1216 > new Viewer2D viewer
1218 > connect fileDialog.Out reader.In
1219 > connect reader.Out viewer.In
1226 \item The \texttt{include} instructions load the necessary packages.
1227 \item \texttt{FileSelector} will pop, at run time, a File Selector dialog box that will output the user-selected file name.
1228 \item \texttt{ImageReader} will read any itk readable file, the name of which is passed as a std::string, and return a pointer on an itk image.
1229 \item \texttt{Viewer2D} will display a two-dimensional image.
1230 \item \texttt{connect fileDialog.Out reader.In} plugs the output of the File Selector (a \texttt{std::string}) to the input of the Image Reader (a \texttt{std::string}, too).
1231 \item \texttt{connect reader.Out viewer.In} plugs the output of the Image Reader \\(a \texttt{bbtk::any<bbitk::ImagePointer>} which is a type defined by the
1232 itk package, and which can hold any itk image pointer) to the input of the Viewer (a \texttt{vtkImageData *})
1233 \item \texttt{exec viewer} processes the Viewer.
1236 This would correspond to the graph in figure \ref{bbi-verysimplegraph}.
1239 \caption{\label{bbi-verysimplegraph}(Very) simple Graph of a (very) simple pipeline}
1241 \includegraphics[width=0.8\textwidth]{bbi-verysimplegraph.png}
1245 Of course, to be able to connect two boxes,
1246 the output and the input must be compatible.
1247 You can always connect an output to an input of the \emph{same} type,
1248 but you can do more, thanks to particular (hidden) black boxes called {\bf adaptors}.
1250 An adaptor is a black box that has at least one input, called \texttt{In},
1251 and at least one output called \texttt{Out} and the role of which is to convert
1252 a data of the type of \texttt{In}
1253 into a data of the type of \texttt{Out} (other inputs or outputs may serve
1254 to parameter the adaptor or retrieve other useful information). In the example above the appropriate adaptor that converts \texttt{bbtk::any<bbitk::ImagePointer>} into \texttt{vtkImageData *} is provided in the package \texttt{itkvtk}.
1256 Most of the useful standard adaptors are provided in the package \texttt{std}. Under \bbStudions, if you type :
1263 Package std v1.0.0 - laurent.guigues@creatis.insa-lyon.fr
1264 Basic useful black boxes
1266 ASCII : ascii codes sequence to string - ...
1267 Add : Adds its inputs
1268 BoolToString [DA] : Converts a Bool (bool) into a string
1269 CastBoolToChar [DA] : Static cast from Bool (bool) to ...
1270 CastBoolToDouble [DA] : Static cast from Bool (bool) to ...
1272 CastBoolToUChar [DA] : Static cast from Bool (bool) to ...
1273 CastBoolToUInt [DA] : Static cast from Bool (bool) to ...
1275 CastUIntToBool [DA] : Static cast from UInt (unsigned ...
1276 CastUIntToChar [DA] : Static cast from UInt (unsigned ...
1277 CastUIntToDouble [DA] : Static cast from UInt (unsigned ...
1282 In this long list you find many items marked \texttt{[DA]}, which stands for \emph{default adaptor}.
1284 Once you have loaded the package \texttt{std}, you can
1285 plug an output of type \texttt{char} into an input of type \texttt{double}.
1286 When the interpreter encounters the \texttt{connect} command,
1287 it looks for an adequate \emph{adaptor} in the loaded packages.
1288 In our case, as the package \texttt{std} provides the
1289 \texttt{CastUCharToDouble} adaptor, the interpreter automatically creates an
1290 instance of this adaptor and places it \emph{between}
1291 the output and the input you want to connect
1292 (however this adaptor is hidden to you,
1293 it is embedded into the created connection and does not appear
1294 as an existing black box).
1295 When the pipeline is processed the
1296 adaptor converts the output data into the required input type,
1297 in a totally transparent way.
1298 In our example, the \texttt{CastUCharToDouble} adaptor
1299 would simply cast the value of the \texttt{char} into a \texttt{double},
1300 however arbitrarily complex type conversion may be done.\\
1301 \texttt{WARNING}: these adaptors are \texttt{C++ static cast}, i.e., there is, right now,
1302 no 'intelligent' conversion (only truncation) e.g. think of \texttt{CastDoubleToUChar}!
1305 %Question (for info-dev):
1306 %if two adaptors with the same input and output types exist
1307 %in two different packages, currenly loaded,
1308 %which one is chosen by the interpreter at connection time?
1309 %A feature is missing to specify explicitely which one user wants to choose
1310 %(use a namespace notation ?)
1312 %-> Role of default adaptors
1315 Note that the \texttt{set} and \texttt{print} commands of interpreter
1316 work with adaptors from \texttt{string} to the type of the input to set
1317 or from the type of the output to print to \texttt{string}.
1318 Hence in order to \texttt{set} or \texttt{print} values the adequate
1319 adaptors must be available in the packages currently loaded. \\
1322 % ==========================================
1327 \item The \texttt{connect} command allows to connect two black boxes
1328 \item You can connect two black boxes if (and only if):
1330 \item The output and the input are of the same type, or
1331 \item There is an adaptor black box in the packages loaded which
1332 converts data of the output type into data of the input type
1334 \item \texttt{help <package name>} does not display the adaptors of the package. To see them use: \texttt{help <package name> all}
1338 % ==========================================
1340 % ==========================================
1341 \subsection{Writing scripts files}
1342 \label{bbi-writing-scripts}
1343 % ==========================================
1345 Now that you know how to connect the existing black boxes, you will soon realize that you want to save and reuse some sequences of commands that you are particularly glad of. In the following subsections you will learn how to write ``simple'' pipeline applications and new complex black boxes built of existing black boxes.
1347 % ==========================================
1348 \subsubsection{Stand-alone pipeline applications}
1349 \label{sec:pipeline-appli}
1350 % ==========================================
1352 Let us take an example similar to that from section \ref{bbi-connecting-black-boxes}:
1361 > new DirectorySelector dirSelect
1362 > new DICOMDirReader reader
1364 > new Viewer2D viewer
1366 > connect dirSelect.Out reader.In
1367 > connect reader.Out viewer.In
1368 > connect slider.Out viewer.Slice
1369 > connect slider.BoxChange viewer.BoxExecute
1370 > set slider.ReactiveOnTrack 1
1375 This is an elementary DICOM-image slicer (fig.~\ref{fig:simpleslicer}) designed to view 3D medical images slice-by-slice. The image is to be composed of a series of DICOM files contained in a separate directory. The index of the slice to be displayed is selected by means of a slider. The command \texttt{connect slider.BoxChange viewer.BoxExecute} permits the Viewer to update the display every time the output of the Slider changes. The command \texttt{set slider.ReactiveOnTrack 1} on its turn makes that the output of the Slider changes every time its cursor is moved, while the default behavior is to change only when the mouse-button is released after moving the cursor.\\
1378 \caption{ Graph of a (very) simple 3D slicer}
1380 \includegraphics[width=0.8\textwidth]{bbi-simplegraph.png}
1382 \label{fig:simpleslicer}
1385 Despite its simplicity, this application may already be useful. If you want to reuse it, you have to save the \bbs commands in a text file. The conventional (and mandatory) extension for such script files is \texttt{bbs}
1386 (black box script). For example, our elementary 3D DICOM-image slicer
1387 can be defined in the following file:
1389 \begin{file}{my\_slicer.bbs}
1391 # my_slicer.bbs: elementary 3D image slicer"
1393 the 3D image has to be stored in a separate directory
1394 as a series of DICOM files representing the 2D slices
1403 new DirectorySelector dirSelect
1404 new DICOMDirReader reader
1408 connect dirSelect.Out reader.In
1409 connect reader.Out viewer.In
1410 connect slider.Out viewer.Slice
1411 connect slider.BoxChange viewer.BoxExecute
1412 set slider.ReactiveOnTrack 1
1418 Lines starting with a \texttt{\#} character or with double slash (\texttt{\//\//}) are ignored, they
1419 are considered as comments by the interpreter. A longer comment can be placed between the marks \texttt{\//*} and \texttt{*\//}. Each of this mark is to be placed alone in a separate line, like in the example.\par
1421 To use this file in \bbStudions, click on the \texttt{include} button, and browse your filestore to find the file. You can also type the command:
1424 > include my_slicer.bbs
1427 provided that \bbStudio knows the path to the desired \texttt{bbs} file.
1428 See the section \ref{The_configuration_file} to learn about the configuration file and the way to add a new path to it. Note that, if you modify the configuration file, you will have to close \bbStudio and run it again, so that the new configuration be taken into account.
1430 Actually, since the file has the \texttt{bbs} extension, you can omit it and just type:
1435 % ==========================================
1441 \item The \texttt{include} command tells the interpreter to include a script file.
1442 \item Lines starting with \texttt{\#} or \texttt{\//\//} are considered as comments by the interpreter.
1443 \item A longer comment can be written between a line marked \texttt{\//*} and a line marked \texttt{*\//}.
1447 % ==========================================
1449 % ==========================================
1450 \subsubsection{Creating complex black boxes}
1451 \label{bbi-complex-black-boxes}
1452 % ==========================================
1454 Remind the pipeline of figure
1455 \ref{bbi-fig-connecting-black-boxes-1}, which
1456 computed the sum of three doubles.
1457 You can consider it as a whole and define
1458 a new black box type, which will be a \emph{complex black box},
1459 having three inputs and one output,
1460 as shown in figure \ref{bbi-fig-complex-black-box-1}.
1463 \caption{\label{bbi-fig-complex-black-box-1} Creating the complex black box \texttt{Add3}}
1465 \includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{Add3.png}
1469 The \bbs script file defining this complex black box will be as follows:
1472 # bbAdd3.bbs: defines the Add3 black box which adds 3 doubles
1477 description "adds 3 doubles"
1485 input x a.In1 "first double to add
1486 input y a.In2 "second double to add
1487 input z b.In2 "third double to add"
1489 output result b.Out "output"
1495 \item As we will use \texttt{Add} boxes, we need to load the package \texttt{std}, which is done in the first line.
1496 \item The command \texttt{define} then starts the definition
1497 of the complex box type that will be called \texttt{Add3}.
1498 \item The next three lines define the pipeline,
1499 exactly in the same way as outside of a complex box definition.
1500 \item The commands \texttt{author}, \texttt{description}, \texttt{input}
1501 and \texttt{output} are specific to complex boxes definition:
1503 \item \texttt{author} and \texttt{description} are used for the documentation
1504 of the new box. You can provide multiple \texttt{author} or
1505 \texttt{description} commands, the arguments of the commands will
1506 be concatenated to produce the final author and description strings.
1507 \item \texttt{input} and \texttt{output} are used to define the inputs and outputs
1508 of the new complex box. Their syntax is the same: for each new input/output you need to say
1509 to which internal input/output it corresponds and to provide
1510 a help string documenting the input/output.
1511 In our example, we define that the box \texttt{Add3} has
1512 three inputs: \texttt{x}, \texttt{y} and \texttt{z}.
1513 The input \texttt{x} corresponds to the input \texttt{In1} of the
1514 internal box \texttt{a}.
1515 In the same way, the external input \texttt{y}
1516 corresponds to the internal input \texttt{a.In2}, and
1517 the external input \texttt{In3} to \texttt{b.In2}.
1518 The only output of the new box is called \texttt{result}
1519 and corresponds to \texttt{b.Out}.
1520 The figure \ref{bbi-fig-complex-black-box-1}
1521 illustrates the external to internal
1522 input/output correspondence.
1524 \item Finally, the \texttt{endefine} command ends the definition of the
1528 If you type the command \texttt{include bbAdd3} and then you ask for help
1529 on the contens of the \texttt{user} package, you get:
1533 Package user - internal
1534 User defined black boxes
1536 Add3 : adds three numbers
1537 workspace : User's workspace
1540 The \texttt{user} package now contains a new black box type, called
1541 \texttt{Add3}. If you ask for help on this type of box, you get:
1544 Complex Black Box <user::Add3>
1548 'x' <double> [] : first double to add
1549 'y' <double> [] : second double to add
1550 'z' <double> [] : third double to add
1552 'result' <double> [] : output
1558 and you can use it like any other box, for example:
1569 As a side note, we can say that, for consistency reasons, it would have been better to name
1570 \texttt{In1}, \texttt{In2} and \texttt{In3} the inputs of the black box \texttt{Add3}. Indeed,
1571 by convention all the 'natural entries' of a box are named \texttt{In}, or \texttt{In}\emph{x} if there is more than one 'natural entry'.
1573 % ==========================================
1578 \item The \texttt{define/endefine} commands allow to define complex black box types, i.e. types of black boxes made up of other black boxes.
1579 Inside a \texttt{define/endefine} block :
1581 \item The \texttt{author} and \texttt{description} commands allow to document the new type of box
1582 \item The \texttt{input} and \texttt{output} commands allow to define the inputs and outputs of the new type of box, that is to which inputs and outputs
1583 of internal boxes they correspond.
1587 % ==========================================
1589 % ==========================================
1590 \subsubsection{Creating complex black boxes that use complex black boxes}
1591 \label{bbi-complex-complex-black-boxes}
1592 % ==========================================
1594 Of course, you can include script files in other script files,
1595 like in the following example:
1597 \begin{file}{bbAdd4.bbs}
1599 # Defines the Add4 black box which adds 4 doubles
1604 description "adds 4 doubles"
1607 connect a.result b.In1
1608 input In1 a.x "first double to add
1609 input In2 a.y "second double to add
1610 input In3 a.z "third double to add"
1611 input In4 b.In2 "fourth double to add"
1612 output Out b.Out "output"
1617 Here we kept the \texttt{bbAdd3.bbs} file unchanged, so the inner box of type \texttt{Add3} \texttt{a} has the entries \texttt{x, y, z}, while the entries of the inner box \texttt{b} of type \texttt{Add} are \texttt{In1, In2}.\\
1618 Only the inputs \texttt{x, y, z} of box the \texttt{a} and the input \texttt{In2} of the box \texttt{b} are of interest for the end user, but he/she does not need to care neither about the inner boxes name, nor about the names of their inputs.\\
1619 The author of the complex box has the ability to give these inputs meaningful names (here \texttt{In1, In2, In3, In4}) and to properly document them.
1621 \subsubsection{Naming Conventions}
1622 \label{bbi-Naming Conventions}
1625 % ==========================================
1627 %\paragraph{Naming Conventions}
1631 % ==========================================
1635 For consistency reasons, you are requested to prepend \texttt{bb}, and postpone an extention \texttt{.bbs},
1636 to the names of the files that hold a \texttt{complex black box} definition.
1638 For example, the \texttt{Add3} complex box we previously worked on
1639 can be defined in the \texttt{bbAdd3.bbs} file.
1642 For consistency reasons, the names of dynamic libraries holding the packages start by \texttt{bb}.
1643 For instance, the package \texttt{wx} will be in the library \texttt{bbwx.dll} (Windows) or \texttt{libbbwx.so}
1648 % ==========================================
1654 \item The \texttt{include} command tells the interpreter to include a script file.
1655 \item Lines starting with a \texttt{\#} or with a \texttt{\//\//} are considered as comments by the interpreter.
1656 \item Lines between a line starting with a \texttt{\//*} an a line ending with a \texttt{*\//} are considered as comments by the interpreter.
1660 % ==========================================
1662 % ==========================================
1663 \subsubsection{Creating and using command-line applications}
1664 \label{bbi-command-line-app}
1665 % ==========================================
1667 Command-line applications are those that can be executed by typing, in a console, the name of the application and the values of its parameters. The Linux users are very familiar with this way of working, while the Windows users are not, since they are used to execute the applications by clicking on the corresponding icons. Nevertheless, the command-line execution of the applications is feasible (although not very useful) in Windows. You just need to invoke the black ``console'' available either via \texttt{Start > Execute > cmd}, or via \texttt{Start > Programs > Accessories > Invoke commands}. Furthermore, command-line execution of applications is very useful in both environments in such cases as batches.
1669 So, you already know how to write script files that define complex black boxes
1670 (with \texttt{define/endefine}), and how to include them in (more) complex black boxes. You can imagine these definitions as though they were a kind of ``functions'' that can be ``called'' by a program (actually, these are rather ``classes'' that can be instanciated, according to the object-oriented programming concepts). The question now is how to write the ``main program'' to be executed directly from the console by typing:
1672 > bbi <application-name>
1674 Note that this execution mode invokes the interpreter \texttt{bbi} and passes the name of the application to the interpreter.
1676 Let us think back of the \texttt{workspace} object.
1677 Remember that it is also
1678 a \texttt{complex black box}.
1679 Actually, when you write \bbs commands
1680 outside of a \texttt{define/}\texttt{endefine} block,
1681 you progressively define the \texttt{workspace}
1683 You can think of it as though at start the interpreter
1684 was issuing a command \texttt{'define workspace'}
1685 and then letting you define the interior of the box
1688 Remember that the command \texttt{input}
1689 allows to define an input of a complex box.
1690 Now, if you use the command \texttt{input}
1691 outside a \texttt{define/endefine} block then
1692 it defines an input of the \texttt{workspace} box,
1693 that is an input of the \emph{main program}.
1694 This input will then be connected to the
1695 parameters that the user passes to the command line.
1697 For example, consider the script:
1699 \begin{file}{add.bbs}
1703 input x a.In1 "first number to add"
1704 input y a.In2 "second number to add"
1709 The third and fourth lines define two inputs \texttt{x}
1710 and \texttt{y}. When you execute this script,
1711 you can pass these two arguments in the command-line,
1719 You can also note that, in the command-line context, you can invoke \bbi with the option \texttt{-h},
1720 which gives help on the \texttt{workspace} box:
1727 'x' <double> : first number to add
1728 'y' <double> : second number to add
1731 This is particularly useful to learn about the usage of the application, namely about the inputs that are to be set at execution. To improve the help provided, use the \texttt{description}
1732 and \texttt{author} commands in the script file defining the application:
1735 \begin{file}{add.bbs}
1737 description "Adds two numbers"
1738 author "foo@bar.com"
1741 input x a.In1 "first number to add"
1742 input y a.In2 "second number to add"
1747 Now if you ask for help on the \texttt{add} script, you get :
1754 'x' <double> : first number to add
1755 'y' <double> : second number to add
1758 Rather than getting the inputs of a script
1759 from the command line, you can ask \bbi to
1760 prompt the user for the values, using the \texttt{-t}
1765 x=[the program waits for user answer]2
1766 y=[the program waits for user answer]5
1770 You can also use the \texttt{-g} commutator.
1771 \bbi then prompts the user in graphical mode,
1772 displaying a dialog box for each input,
1773 like in fig. \ref{bb-input-dialog-box}.
1776 \caption{\label{bb-input-dialog-box}Input dialog box}
1778 \includegraphics[width=0.6\textwidth]{enter-the-value-of-x.png}
1782 Note that for both \texttt{-t} and \texttt{-g} options,
1783 the input from the user is a \texttt{string} and
1784 \bbi converts it to the right input type using
1785 an \texttt{adaptor}, hence the right adaptors must be previously loaded.
1787 % ==========================================
1792 \item The \texttt{input}, \texttt{description} and \texttt{author} commands,
1793 when they are used outside a \texttt{define/endefine} block allow
1794 to define the inputs, description and author of the main program.
1795 \item Inputs of the main program can be passed on the command line
1796 using the syntax \texttt{<input-name>=<value>}.
1797 No white space is allowed, if the value or the input name
1798 contains white spaces, enclose them
1799 between double quotes, e.g. \texttt{"parameter with white spaces = gnu's not unix"}.
1800 \item The \texttt{-h} option of \bbi prints help on the main program.
1801 \item The \texttt{-t} option of \bbi orders the program to prompt for its inputs in text mode.
1802 \item The \texttt{-g} option of \bbi orders the program to prompt for its inputs in graphical mode.
1805 % ==========================================
1807 % ==========================================
1808 \subsection{Using graphical interface boxes (widget boxes)}
1810 % ==========================================
1812 % ==========================================
1813 %\subsubsection{Overview}
1814 %\label{bbi-overview}
1815 % ==========================================
1817 Basic graphical interface components are provided in the package \texttt{wx},
1818 such as buttons, sliders, file open/save dialogs, etc.
1820 As first example, type the following commands in \bbStudio :
1823 > new DirectorySelector d
1827 When you hit the \texttt{enter} key after the last line,
1828 the usual directory-selection window pops up.
1829 When you validate your selection, the directory name you selected, preceded by the corresponding path, is printed by
1830 the \texttt{print} command.
1831 Note that you can determine a default directory by setting the appropriate input as follows:
1833 > set d.DefaultDir <directory-name>
1836 Now, type \texttt{help wx}, you get something like:
1838 Package wx v1.0.0- info-dev@creatis.insa-lyon.fr
1839 Basic graphical interface elements (sliders, buttons ...) based ...
1841 ColourSelector : Colour Selector dialog (bbfication of ...
1842 ColourSelectorButton : A button which displays a colour picke...
1843 CommandButton : Button which executes bbi commands
1844 DirectorySelector : Pops up a directory selection dialog (...
1845 FileSelector : Pops up a file selection dialog for re...
1846 InputText : A zone in which the user can enter a t...
1847 LayoutLine : LayoutLine widget (wxBoxSizer)
1848 LayoutSplit : Widget which splits a window in two fi...
1849 LayoutTab : LayoutTab widget (wxNotebook)
1850 OutputText : Text zone to be inserted into a window...
1851 RadioButton : RadioButton group widget 0-9 entries
1852 Slider : Slider widget (wxSlider)
1855 You can reproduce the same experiment as above using for example
1856 a \texttt{FileDialog} rather than a \texttt{DirectorySelector}.
1858 If you choose to reproduce the experiment with:\\
1859 \texttt{> new InputText t} (or \texttt{new Slider s}),
1861 you will have to precede the command:\\
1862 \texttt{> print \$t.Out\$} (or \texttt{print \$s.Out\$})
1864 by the following command:\\
1865 \texttt{> set t.WinDialog true} (or \texttt{set s.WinDialog true} respectively).
1867 This blocks the pipeline until the widget is closed. Also note that the corresponding widgets do not have a validation button. Therefore, you will have to close them by clicking in the appropriate corner.
1869 %There are two kinds of widgets : ``terminal'' widgets and ``container'' widgets.
1870 %The \texttt{InputText}, \texttt{FileDialog} or \texttt{Slider} widgets
1871 %are ``terminal'' widgets.
1872 %``container'' widgets are of another kind : they are
1873 % ==========================================
1874 %\subsubsection{Layout widgets}
1875 %\label{bbi-layout-widgets}
1876 % ==========================================
1878 There is a special kind of widget, called '\texttt{Layout}', designed to
1879 contain other widgets in order to build larger dialog boxes.
1881 For example, the \texttt{LayoutSplit} widget is a container which
1882 ``splits'' a window into two parts, either horizontally or vertically,
1883 each part including another widget.
1884 The initial size of the two parts can be fixed by the input 'Proportion'
1885 and be adjusted by the user thanks to a ``handle''.
1887 The example \texttt{exampleLayoutSplit} demonstrates its use.
1888 Run it: it displays a window with two sliders.
1889 Move the sliders and close the window.
1890 Now look at the source file to see how this is done:
1892 \begin{file}{scripts/test/testSplit.bbs}
1900 connect s1.Widget s.Widget1
1901 connect s2.Widget s.Widget2
1907 First, the two sliders \texttt{s1} and \texttt{s2} are created.
1908 A \texttt{LayoutSplit} box \texttt{s} is also created.
1909 The \texttt{connect} commands then ``include'' the sliders in the
1911 The input \texttt{Widget} is common to all widget boxes:
1912 every widget can be inserted into another widget.
1913 The outputs \texttt{Widget1}, \texttt{Widget2} are specific of \emph{layout}
1915 (in \bbStudio type \texttt{help Slider}:
1916 you will see the output \texttt{Widget};
1917 type \texttt{help LayoutSplit}:
1918 you will see the inputs \texttt{Widget1} and \texttt{Widget2}
1919 and the output \texttt{Widget}).
1920 When you connect the \texttt{Widget} output of a box
1921 to the \texttt{Widget}i input of a layout widget,
1922 you order to include the widget in the layout.
1923 Of course, the order of connection is important.
1924 In our case, the slider \texttt{s1} is included first,
1925 then the slider \texttt{s2}: \texttt{s1} will be placed
1926 on top of \texttt{s2} (the \texttt{LayoutSplit} box is
1927 implemented that way, but this is arbitrary choice).
1929 Right now, there are only \emph{three} layout widgets in the \texttt{wx} package :
1931 \item {the \texttt{LayoutSplit} widget} we just described
1933 \item {the \texttt{LayoutLine} widget} can have multiple children
1934 (\texttt{Widget1}, \texttt{Widget2},\dots \texttt{Widget9} inputs) and
1935 divides its window into as much parts as children,
1936 each part of equal size.
1937 The orientation of the \texttt{LayoutSplit} or of the \texttt{LayoutLine} can be changed by the input \texttt{Orientation}.
1938 With only those two layout widgets you can already create
1939 complex dialog boxes
1940 (of course layouts can be nested, which leads to tree-like
1941 structures of widgets). \\
1942 See the script \texttt{exampleComplexLayoutSplit\_In\_LayoutSplit} for an example.
1944 \item {The \texttt{LayoutTab} widget} arranges its children
1945 in different pages or 'tabs' (\texttt{wxNotebook}-based).
1946 The label of each page is the name of the widget it contains.
1954 %One word about a special widget in the package \texttt{wx}:
1955 %the \texttt{Button}... to be continued.
1957 % ==========================================
1958 \subsection{Deeper in the boxes}
1959 \label{bbi-deep-box}
1960 % ==========================================
1962 \subsubsection{Default and mandatory inputs and outputs}
1964 \item Any \texttt{atomic} black box has two default Inputs, which are created by the system :
1966 \item {\bf\emph{BoxExecute}} : Any signal received by this input executes the box
1967 \item {\bf\emph{BoxProcessMode}}: Sets the processing mode of the box :
1969 \item {\bf\emph{Pipeline}}:% bbBackwardUpdate() calls Process() only if Status == MODIFIED \\
1970 The box executes itself only when an input was changed (normal pipeline processing).
1971 \item {\bf\emph{Reactive}}: %bbSetModifiedStatus() calls bbUpdate() \\
1972 Re-processes immediately when \emph{any input} changes.\\
1973 To be more selective, better use
1974 '\texttt{connect A.BoxChange B.BoxExecute}'.
1975 \item {\bf\emph{Always}} :% bbUpdate() always calls Process. \\
1976 Usefull for 'sources', that must be processed, even when no input changed (e.g.: FileSelector, ColorSelector)\\
1977 This one is not end user intended (for Package developer only)
1980 \item And one default output :
1982 \item {\bf\emph{BoxChange}} : Signals any modification of the box. This output may be connected if necessary to the \emph{BoxExecute}
1983 input of an other box : each time the boxes changes (e.g. a Slider is moved) the box it is connected to will be forced to update.
1986 If you create complex boxes, it is a good idea to define those inputs and outputs to be able
1987 to force the execution of your complex box or be aware of its changes...
1989 \item Any {\bf widget} box has five Inputs, that will be dealt with only if the box is not connected to the \emph{Widget}i of any \emph{Layout} box :
1991 \item {\bf\emph{WinHeight}}: Height of the window
1992 \item {\bf\emph{WinWidth}} : Width of the window
1993 \item {\bf\emph{WinTitle}} : Title of the window
1994 \item {\bf\emph{WinClose}} : Any received signal closes the window
1995 \item {\bf\emph{WinHide}} : Any received signal hides the window
1996 \item {\bf\emph{WinDialog}}: When set to 'true', creates a \emph{dialog window}, that blocks the pipeline until it is closed (\emph{modal})
1999 If you define a complex widget box, it is a good idea to define these inputs to be able
2000 to customize your window settings.
2002 \item Any {\bf widget} box has one mandatory Output :
2005 \item {\bf\emph{Widget}}: that is the \texttt{wxWindow} itself. If it's not connected to the \texttt{Widget}\emph{i} of any \emph{Layout box}, then the box will create its own window (frame or dialog) on execution. If it's connected to the \texttt{Widget}\texttt{\emph{i}} of a \texttt{Layout box},
2006 it will be embedded in its parent window.
2009 If you define a complex widget box, it is a good idea to use this standard name for your window output
2011 \item Any {\bf Layout} box (i.e. \emph{LayoutLine}, \emph{LayoutSplit} or \emph{LayoutTab}) has one or more mandatory Inputs :
2013 \item {\bf\emph{Widget}}\texttt{i}: e.g. a \emph{LayoutSplit} box (Widget which splits a window in two resizeable parts)
2014 has two Input parameters \emph{Widget1} and \emph{Widget2}, used to embed the child windows.\\
2015 e.g. a \emph{LayoutLine} divides the window in up to 9 (depending on the number of inputs \emph{Widget}i) fixed size parts.
2018 If you define a complex layout box, it is a good idea to use these standard names for your
2024 % ==========================================
2025 %\subsection{More on ...}
2026 %\label{bbi-more-on}
2027 % ==========================================
2029 % ==========================================
2030 %\subsubsection{Black box packages}
2031 %\label{bbi-more-on-packages}
2032 % ==========================================
2033 %There are various others user-intended packages :
2036 %---> Were moved in a 'Reference Manual' ?\\
2037 %---> Any suggestion welcome!
2045 % ==========================================
2046 %\subsubsection{Pipeline processing}
2047 %\label{bbi-more-on-pipeline-processing}
2048 % ==========================================
2050 %\item the ``control'' mechanism in bbi.
2052 %When a box is requested to update itself, it asks (recursively) each one of its inputs if it was modified.\\
2053 %In normal pipe-line mode, it will be re-processed if at least one of its imputs was actually modified, as the output of a previous box.
2055 %(switch exec commands, e.g. Button)
2056 %\item the role of ProcessMode to update widgets.
2059 %\subsubsection{Advanced issues}
2060 %\paragraph{Reducing the number of inputs of a box}
2062 % ==========================================
2063 %\subsubsection{Errors}
2064 %\label{bbi-more-on-errors}
2066 % ==========================================
2069 % ==========================================
2073 \section{Using third party Package}
2074 \label{Third_Party_Package}
2075 % ==========================================
2076 % ==========================================
2077 \subsection{Installing a Package}
2078 \label{Installing_a_Package}
2080 % ==========================================
2081 \subsubsection{Linux users}
2082 \label{Installing_a_Package_for_Linux_users}
2084 After compiling a Package, at install time, think of using :
2101 otherwise package documentation will not be generated. \\
2103 Think of updating your environment variable LD\_LIBRARY\_PATH (in .bashrc in
2104 you're using bash), to add the path to the shared library
2105 libbb\emph{YourNewPackageName}.so
2108 % ==========================================
2109 \subsubsection{Windows users}
2110 \label{Installing_a_Package_for_Windows_users}
2111 % ==========================================
2112 Think of updating your environment variable LD\_LIBRARY\_PATH to add the path to the dynamic library
2113 bb\emph{YourNewPackageName}.dll
2115 % ==========================================
2116 \subsection{Plugging in a Package}
2117 \label{Plugging_in_a_Package}
2118 % ==========================================
2120 \bbStudio makes it easy for you : in the menu \texttt{Tools} just click on the
2121 option \texttt{Plug Package}. You will be asked to '\texttt{Select
2122 package directory}'. Browse untill you find the install or the build directory,
2123 depending whether you installed the package or not.
2125 \bbStudio will update the configuration file, generate the 'Package
2126 documentation', and update the 'Boxes Lists'.
2128 You will be able to use the new package just as you did for any other \bbtk
2131 % ==========================================
2132 \subsection{Hard incorporating of a Package}
2133 \label{Hard_incorporating_of_a_Package}
2134 % ==========================================
2136 If the Package you want to use is supplied in a non standard way (e.g.: you
2137 where given one ore more dynamic libraries (\texttt{.dll} or \texttt{.so}), and/or
2138 one or more directories containing \bbtk scripts (\texttt{.bbs})
2139 you can edit your \bbtk configuration and add the appropriate
2140 paths, see \ref{The_configuration_file}.
2143 % ==========================================
2144 \subsection{Updating the documentation}
2145 \label{Updating_the_documentation}
2146 % ==========================================
2147 You may add your own boxes (simple boxes, if you are aware enough in \CPP
2148 language, or complex boxes if you are aware enough in bbtk scripting).
2150 To update the html help of this package,
2151 use the option \texttt{Regenerate package doc}
2152 in the menu \texttt{Tools} of \texttt{bbStudio}.
2153 You'll be prompted for the Package name.
2154 Avoid using the \texttt{-a} option (Regenerate all), since it's time consumming.
2156 To update html boxes lists with the new boxes,
2157 use the option \texttt{Regenerate Boxes Lists}
2158 in the menu \texttt{Tools} of \texttt{bbStudio}.
2160 % ==========================================
2161 \subsection{Using the package}
2162 \label{Using_the_package}
2163 % ==========================================
2165 The only thing you have to do is to \texttt{include} or \texttt{load} the package,
2166 within a script, or from the \texttt{Command} part,
2167 and enjoy the black boxes it contains.
2169 % ==========================================%\subsection{Packages you'll probably want to use }
2170 %\label{Packages_you_ll_want_to_use}
2171 % ==========================================
2173 %\item{\texttt{creaLib}} \\
2174 %a.k.a \texttt{crea}. It's a set of 'low level' utilities, needed by other
2175 %packages (an, sure, useful as well for people that doesn't use bbtkns.
2176 %\item{\texttt{creaContours}} \\
2177 %Provides sophisticated widgets for managing 3D R.O.I. (Regions of interest)
2178 %\item{\texttt{creaImageIO}} \\
2179 %Allows browsing, selectionning, ordering directories containing images of almost any type
2184 % ==========================================
2188 \section{Using black boxes in \CPP programs}
2190 % ==========================================
2192 A very useful feature is that you may use any widget
2193 black box within a \CPP program
2194 without worrying about writing a \wx main application.\\
2196 Let's look a the following bbs script :
2203 # Create the Objects
2206 new LayoutLine layout
2208 # Graphical pipeline
2209 connect slider.Widget layout.Widget1
2210 connect text.Widget layout.Widget2
2212 # Execution pipeline
2213 connect slider.BoxChange text.BoxExecute
2214 connect slider.Out text.In
2220 User wants to create a slider and an output text, within a LayoutLine,
2221 and display the slider value in the output text.
2222 Think about the (little!) nightmare to code the same, in 'raw C++', using wxWidgets.
2224 The following \CPP code does the same :
2227 #include <bbtkFactory.h>
2228 #include <bbwxSlider.h>
2229 #include <bbwxOutputText.h>
2230 #include <bbwxLayoutLine.h>
2232 int main(int argv, char* argc[])
2236 // we need to intanciate a bbtk::Factory to be aware of the adaptors
2237 bbtk::Factory::Pointer factory = bbtk::Factory::New();
2239 // Load the packages
2241 factory->LoadPackage("std");
2242 factory->LoadPackage("wx");
2244 // Create the Objects
2245 // ------------------
2246 bbwx::Slider::Pointer slider = bbwx::Slider::New("slider");
2247 bbwx::OutputText::Pointer text = bbwx::OutputText::New("text");
2248 bbwx::LayoutLine::Pointer layout = bbwx::LayoutLine::New("layout");
2250 // Graphical pipeline
2251 bbtk::Connection::Pointer c1 = bbtk::Connection::New(slider,"Widget",
2254 bbtk::Connection::Pointer c2 = bbtk::Connection::New(text,"Widget",
2257 // Execution pipeline
2258 // ------------------
2260 // We have to pass the 'factory', in order to call automatically an adaptor,
2262 bbtk::Connection::Pointer s2t = bbtk::Connection::New(slider,"Out",
2265 bbtk::Connection::Pointer c3 = bbtk::Connection::New(slider,"BoxChange",
2267 layout->bbSetInputWinDialog(true);
2271 layout->bbExecute();
2274 catch (bbtk::Exception e)
2276 bbtk::MessageManager::SetMessageLevel("Error",1);
2281 In this code, we use the headers of the \texttt{bbwx} \CPP library,
2282 which define the black boxes of the \texttt{wx} package.
2288 % ==========================================
2291 \section{\bbs language reference}
2292 \label{bbi-reference}
2293 % ==========================================
2295 % ==========================================
2296 \subsection{Pipeline creation and execution related commands}
2297 \label{bbi-reference-creation-execution}
2298 % ==========================================
2299 % See table \ref{bbi-reference-box}
2301 % ==========================================
2303 \caption{\label{bbi-reference-box} \bbs pipeline creation and execution related commands.}
2305 \begin{tabular}{|lcm{6cm}|}
2307 Command & Parameters & Effect \\ \hline
2309 \texttt{new} & \texttt{<box-type>} \texttt{<box-name>}&
2310 Creates a box of type \texttt{box-type} and name
2311 \texttt{box-name}.\\ \hline
2313 \texttt{newgui} & \texttt{<box-name>} \texttt{<gui-box-name>} &
2314 Automatically creates a graphical user interface with name \texttt{gui-box-name}
2315 for the black box \texttt{box-name} and connects it to the box inputs\\ \hline
2317 \texttt{delete} & \texttt{<box-name>} &
2318 Destroys the box named \texttt{box-name}\\ \hline
2320 \texttt{connect} & \texttt{<box1.output>} \texttt{<box2.input>} &
2322 \texttt{output} of the box named \texttt{box1}
2323 to the input \texttt{input} of the box named \texttt{box2} \\ \hline
2325 \texttt{set} & \texttt{<box.input>} \texttt{<value>} &
2326 Sets the input \texttt{input} of
2327 the box named \texttt{box} to the value \texttt{value}.
2328 An \texttt{adaptor} must exist
2329 in the packages loaded which converts a \texttt{std::string}
2330 to the type of the input \texttt{input}. \\ \hline
2332 \texttt{exec} & \texttt{<box-name>} &
2333 Executes the box named \texttt{box-name}.
2335 connected to its inputs
2336 are also processed recursively (pipeline processing).\\ \hline
2338 Allows to block execution commands while keeping definition commands active (this one is not for end user)\\ \hline
2339 & \texttt{unfreeze} &
2340 Turns back to 'normal' mode (this one is not for end user).\\ \hline
2343 % ==========================================
2347 % ==========================================
2348 \subsection{Package related commands}
2349 \label{bbi-reference-package}
2352 \caption{\label{tabbbi-reference-interpreter_1}\bbs package related commands. }% (part 1).}
2354 \begin{tabular}{|lcm{6cm}|}
2356 Command & Parameters & Effect \\ \hline
2359 \texttt{include} & \texttt{<package-name>} &
2360 Loads the package \texttt{package-name} and includes all its complex box definition scripts. \\ \hline
2362 \texttt{load} & \texttt{<package-name>} &
2363 Loads the atomic black boxes of package \texttt{package-name}.
2364 Loads the dynamic library but not the complex boxes defined in the scripts shipped with the package.
2365 Use it only if you know that you won't work with its complex black boxes \\ \hline
2367 \texttt{unload} & \texttt{<package-name>}&
2368 Unloads the package \texttt{package-name}.
2369 The package must have been previously loaded.
2370 No box of a type defined in this package must still exist.\\ \hline
2372 \texttt{reset} & - & Deletes all boxes and unloads all packages so
2373 that the interpreter gets back to its initial state \\ \hline
2376 \texttt{package} & \texttt{<package-name>} &
2377 All complex black boxes definitions until the next \texttt{endpackage}
2378 will be stored into the package \texttt{package-name} \\ \hline
2380 \texttt{endpackage} & - &
2381 Closes a \texttt{package} command \\ \hline
2388 % ==========================================
2389 \subsection{Interpreter related commands}
2390 \label{bbi-reference-interpreter}
2391 % ==========================================
2392 %See table \ref{tabbbi-reference-interpreter_1} and \ref{tabbbi-reference-interpreter_2}
2393 % ==========================================
2395 \caption{\label{tabbbi-reference-interpreter_1}\bbs intepreter related commands. }% (part 1).}
2397 \begin{tabular}{|lcm{6cm}|}
2399 Command & Parameters & Effect \\ \hline
2403 Prints help on available commands \\ \hline
2405 & \texttt{<command-name>} &
2406 Prints help on the command \texttt{command-name} \\ \hline
2408 & \texttt{packages} &
2409 Prints help on available packages and their box types
2410 (without description)\\ \hline
2412 & \texttt{<package-name>} &
2413 Prints help on the package \texttt{package-name} and its boxes
2414 (with brief description).
2415 The package must have been previously loaded \\ \hline
2417 & \texttt{<box-type>} &
2418 Prints help (with full description) on the type of box
2420 The box type must belong to a package which has been previously loaded \\ \hline
2424 Prints information on available kinds of messages and their current level\\ \hline
2426 & \texttt{<kind>} \texttt{<level>} &
2427 Sets the level of verbosity of the interpreter for the kind of messages
2428 \texttt{kind} to \texttt{level}.\\ \hline
2431 \texttt{include} & \texttt{<file-name>} &
2432 Includes and executes the content of the file named \texttt{file-name}
2433 exactly like if you were typing its content at the place were the
2434 \texttt{include} command is. \\ \hline
2436 \texttt{print} & \texttt{<string>} &
2437 Prints the string after substituting each token of the form \texttt{\$box.output\$} by the adaptation to string of the value of the
2438 output \texttt{output} of the box named \texttt{box}.
2439 An \texttt{adaptor} must exist
2440 in the packages loaded which converts
2441 the type of the output \texttt{output}
2442 to a \texttt{std::string}.
2445 \texttt{graph} & ... &
2446 Generates the html doc including the pipeline graph for a given complex box \\ \hline
2448 \texttt{index} & ... &
2449 Generates the html index of currently loaded boxes types \\ \hline
2451 \texttt{config} & - & Displays the configuration parameters\\ \hline
2454 \texttt{debug} & \texttt{<debug-directive>} &
2456 Prints debug info on living bbtk objects containing the string \texttt{expr} (default expr='').
2457 \texttt{-C} checks the factory integrity.
2458 \texttt{-D} turns on objects debug info after main ends\\ \hline
2460 \texttt{quit} & - & Stops the interpretation of the current script\\ \hline
2464 % ==========================================
2468 % ==========================================
2469 \subsection{Complex black box definition related commands}
2470 \label{bbi-reference-black-box-definition}
2471 % ==========================================
2473 %See table \ref{bbi-reference-complex-box}
2474 % ==========================================
2476 \caption{\label{bbi-reference-complex-box} \bbs complex black box definition related commands.}
2478 \begin{tabular}{|lcm{6cm}|}
2480 Command & Parameters & Effect \\ \hline
2483 \texttt{define} & \texttt{<box-type>} [\texttt{<package-name>}] &
2484 Starts the definition of a complex black box of type
2485 \texttt{box-type}. If \texttt{<package-name>} is provided then includes the
2486 box in the given package (otherwise it is defined in the current package,
2487 i.e. \texttt{user} if outside a \texttt{package/endpackage} block). \\ \hline
2489 \texttt{endefine} & - &
2490 Ends the definition of a complex black box type\\ \hline
2492 \texttt{author} & \texttt{<string>} &
2493 Concatenate the string to the author string
2494 of the current complex black box.\\ \hline
2496 \texttt{description} & \texttt{<string>} &
2497 Concatenate the string to the description of the current complex black box.
2500 \texttt{category} & \texttt{<string>} &
2501 Specifies the \texttt{categories} of the current complex black box.
2502 The categories must be separated by semicolons, e.g. "\texttt{widget;image}"\\ \hline
2504 \texttt{kind} & \texttt{<box kind>} &
2505 Specifies the \texttt{kind} of the current complex black box
2506 ( ADAPTOR, DEFAULT\_ADAPTOR, WIDGET\_ADAPTOR, DEFAULT\_WIDGET\_ADAPTOR )\\ \hline
2508 \texttt{input} & \texttt{<name>} \texttt{<box.input>} \texttt{<help>} &
2509 Defines a new input for the current complex black box,
2510 named \texttt{name}.
2511 It is defined as corresponding to
2512 the input \texttt{input} of the box \texttt{box}.
2514 \texttt{<help>} is the help string for the new input.
2515 The box \texttt{box} must already have been created in the complex box
2516 and of course have an input named \texttt{input}.\\ \hline
2518 \texttt{output} & \texttt{<name>} \texttt{<box.output>} \texttt{<help>} &
2519 Defines a new output for the current complex black box,
2520 named \texttt{name}.
2521 It is defined as corresponding to
2522 the output \texttt{output} of the box \texttt{box}.
2523 \texttt{<help>} is the help string for the new output.
2524 The box \texttt{box} must already have been created in the complex box and of course have an output named \texttt{output}. \\ \hline
2530 Note : if outside a \texttt{define/endefine} block then the current complex black box
2531 is '\texttt{user::workspace}', that is the main program equivalent
2532 (this is how applications are documented).
2533 This remark holds for all complex black box related commands.
2542 % ==========================================
2543 % ==========================================
2544 % ==========================================
2545 % ==========================================
2546 % ==========================================
2547 % ==========================================
2548 % ==========================================
2549 % ==========================================
2550 % ==========================================
2551 % ==========================================
2554 \section{Install and run time issues}
2555 % ==========================================
2560 %%==============================================================================================
2561 %%==============================================================================================
2562 \subsection{\bbtk configuration file}
2563 \label{The_configuration_file}
2564 %%==============================================================================================
2565 %%==============================================================================================
2567 At start, \bbtk applications (\bbStudio, \bbi) try
2568 to open an \texttt{xml}
2569 configuration file named \texttt{bbtk\_config.xml}.
2572 \item The current directory
2573 \item The subdir \texttt{.bbtk} of the user's home directory.
2575 \item On \texttt{Unix}, the home directory is the
2576 one stored by the environnement variable \texttt{HOME},
2577 typically \texttt{/home/username}.
2578 \item On \texttt{Windows}, the home directory is
2579 the user's profile directory stored by the environnement
2580 variable \texttt{USERPROFILE},
2581 typically \texttt{C:$\backslash$ Documents and Settings$\backslash$ username}.
2583 \item If none of these two paths contains the file then it creates
2584 a new one in the \texttt{.bbtk} directory.
2588 Information on \bbtk configuration is
2589 obtained in \bbStudio by clicking on the
2590 \texttt{Config} button of the \texttt{Command} part toolbar.
2592 If you did not installed other packages than the ones
2593 provided by \bbtk, you get something like :
2599 bbtk_config.xml : [/home/guigues/.bbtk/bbtk_config.xml]
2600 Documentation Path : [/usr/local/bin/../share/bbtk/doc]
2601 Data Path : [/usr/local/bin/../share/bbtk/data]
2603 File Separator : [/]
2606 --- [/usr/local/bin/../share/bbtk/bbs]
2609 --- [/usr/local/bin/../lib]
2612 The first line let you know which configuration file is currently used.
2614 You can open this file using \bbStudio menu \texttt{Files$>$Open bbtk Config file}.
2616 You will get something like :
2619 <?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"iso-8859-1\"?>
2621 <bbs_path> </bbs_path>
2622 <package_path> </package_path>
2623 <default_temp_dir> $ </default_temp_dir>
2627 The \texttt{xml} tags \texttt{bbs\_path} and \texttt{package\_path}
2628 allow to set additionnal directories in which to search
2629 for \bbs files and packages dynamic libraries.
2631 For example, if you add the line :
2633 <bbs_path> /home/guigues/bbs </bbs_path>
2636 Then the interpreter will search for \bbs in the folder \texttt{/home/guigues/bbs},
2637 which allows a command like \texttt{'include bbMyBox.bbs'} to work if
2638 the folder \texttt{/home/guigues/bbs} contains the file \texttt{bbMyBox.bbs}.
2640 The same, the \texttt{xml} tag \texttt{<package\_path>} let you
2641 set additional path in which to find a package dynamic library,
2642 hence allowing to load additionnal packages with the \texttt{'load'} command.
2644 All \bbs and package paths are summmarized in the
2645 information output when pressing 'Config' in \bbStudio.
2646 You can see that two \bbs paths are always set :
2648 \item The current directory (\texttt{.})
2649 \item The \bbs folder of \bbtk
2651 Also, two package paths are always set :
2653 \item The current directory (\texttt{.})
2654 \item The libraries folder of \bbtk
2657 Additional paths set in your \texttt{bbtk\_config.xml} are added after those standard paths.
2658 Note that the order displayed is the one in which the folders are searched when
2659 \texttt{include} or \texttt{load} commands are issued.
2662 %%==============================================================================================
2667 %For some strange reasons (?!?), at \texttt{cmake} time,
2668 %you may be warned that an error occured while documentation generation.\\
2669 %Take it easy, \texttt{make} again!\\
2671 \item{\bbStudio} is written using the Advanced User Interface library of wxWidgets.
2672 If, after some hazardous floating/docking operations onto the frame, you feel
2673 very unhappy with the result, just remove from the hidden directory
2674 \texttt{.bbtk} the file named \texttt{bbStudio.aui}. \\