Manually Packaging and Publishing the Datatype

A datatype is ultimately packaged as a single jar file containing all the appropriate class files (including the Value, Editor, and Renderer), Descriptor, and any other supporting files. This jar file must be created and published to the Isight Library manually as described in this section. The SDK Generator does not support the creation of datatypes.

To use the datatype in the Isight environment, it must be published to the Isight Library. Datatypes can be published either using the Isight Library interface or by using the Command Line Client.

This page discusses:

Organizing the Files

Organize your files in your directory system in a structure corresponding to any package structure used in your java classes, and any organization of files desired. This must also correspond to the file paths specified in the Datatype Descriptor.

The root of the relevant directory structure is considered the source directory (sourcedir) in the command below. For example, if your java package name is com.engineous.datatype.material, and the com directory resides at some location in your directory system c:\…\com, the source directory should be c:\…\

Jarring the Files

The jar file requires a manifest file that specifies summary information of the contents of the jar file.

Use the following format for the manifest file:

Manifest-Version: 1.0

Name: com/engineous/datatype/material/material.xml
Meta-Model: true

Replace the values of any item as necessary, specifically making sure to replace the Name item with the path to the XML descriptor file for this datatype (starting at the source directory as defined above). Place this manifest file directly at the top level of the source directory.

Type jar at a command prompt to provide usage instructions for the jar command. If the jar command is not found, locate it in your jdk1.6\bin directory, and either add it to your PATH environment variable or type the full path to it when using it.

From a command prompt, execute the command

jar -cvfm MyNewJar.jar MyManifest.mf -C sourcedir
replacing the desired jar file name, manifest file name, and source directory with the appropriate names.

This example creates a jar file MyNewJar.jar with the given manifest, and includes all the files in the sourcedir directory and all of its subdirectories.

Publishing Using the Library Interface

To publish the component using the Library interface:

  1. Launch the Library interface using one of the following methods:

    • Execute the library file in your <Isight_install_directory>\<operating_system>\code\bin directory.

    • Click Library on the Design Gateway toolbar.

  2. Click Publish on the Library toolbar to initiate the publishing process.

For more information on the Library, see Using the Isight Library in the Isight User’s Guide.

Publishing Using the Command Line Client

To publish the component using the Command Line Client, type the following command into a Command Line Interface (on one line, with a space after MyNewJar.jar):

fipercmd publish file:MyNewJar.jar type:metamodel

You can also type fipercmd to start the Command Line Client in interactive mode. You can then issue the publish command directly.

For more information on the Command Line Client, see Using the Command Line Client in the Isight User’s Guide.