Visual DCT for IRMIS and pvData (Version 3)

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Visual DCT for IRMIS and pvData(Version 3)
Janez Golob, Jernej Kamenik, Rok Šabjan, Matej
Šekoranja rok.sabjan_at_cosylab.com EPICS Meeting,
Aix-en-Provence, 2010-06-02
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VDCT a complete rewrite

• Motivation and Goals
• Architecture
• Technology Choices
• Current Status

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Motivation

• Dramatic changes in EPICS
• More options for persistence (IRMIS)
• Different data model (pvData)

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Nobody wants to edit this!
ltstructure structureName "pulseScheduleType"gt
ltscalar name "ID" scalarType "string"/gt
ltscalar name "formatVersion" scalarType
"string"/gt ltscalar name "packageType"
scalarType "string"/gt ltstructure name
"pulseFeature" extends "pulseFeatureType"/gt
ltstructure name "generalParameters" extends
"generalParametersType"/gt ltstructure name
"plantSystemConfigurationParameters"
extends "plantSystemConfigurationParametersType"
/gt lt!-- TODO structure name
"segmentsSequence" extends "segmentsSequenceType
"/--gt lt/structuregt   ltstructure structureName
"pulseFeatureType"gt ltstructure name
"scheduleStatus" extends "pulseScheduleStatusTyp
e"/gt ltstructure name "authors" extends
"signatoryType"/gt lt!-- TODO not an array -
authorsType --gt ltstructure name "approvers"
extends "signatoryType"/gt lt!-- TODO not an
array - approversType --gt ltstructure name
"executionRecords" extends "executionRecordType"
/gt lt/structuregt
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Why re-write?

• 9-year old architecture does not allow big
  changes
• Spaghetti code to be avoided
• Future extensions or integrations possible
• IRMIS
• CSS?
• SDD (ITER)?

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Goals of VDCT rewrite

• Immediate (visible)
• Visual database configuration tool with full
  EPICS v4 compliance (pvData)
• Allow for/support other related IRMIS control
  system views (cabling, etc..)
• Retain if not enhance the existing functionality
  of VDCT for EPICS v3.
• CapFast styles and symbols
• Behind the stage
• Clean architecture (model and GUI more separated)
• Flexible graphics based on proven technologies

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Modular Architecture

• Engineer drawing style tool
• Spreadsheet editing tool
• Hierarchical Tree view
• Model (EPICS v3, pvData)
• defines editing, selection, structure rules,
  Actions
• contains Nodes, Edges, Primitives, Properties
• Persistence tool convertis the edited and created
  model designs into (and from) well defined
  formats (EPICS v3,4, IRMIS) and storing (reading)
  them into (from) local files or remote databases.
• Finally, the Application framework is responsible
  for interfacing the various aspects around the
  possibly multiple model designs (or aspects of
  one) together into a coherent stand-alone
  application.

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Technology choices

• Programming language Java 1.6.
• Drawing tool framework Netbeans Visual library
• (decided after a thorough comparison with Eclipse
  Graphical Editing Framework)

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Footnote VL vs. GEF

• If present, features are marked as
• Outstanding support is marked with

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Status of VDCT3 EPICS 3 Model
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Spreadsheet Editor for EPICS 3
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Status of VDCT3 EPICS 4 Model
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EPICS 4 Hierarchical View
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Status of VDCT3 (1/3)

• Editing
• Copy/Cut/Paste
• Mutliple Undo/Redo
• Drag Drop moving of (multiple) nodes
• Property inspector (grouping/editing by type)
• naming convention specification validation
• Keyboard accelerator key shortcuts

• General features
• Drawing view
• Spreadsheet view
• Hieararchy view
• Local configuration support
• Rendering
• Custom widgets per module, customize widget
  colors
• drawing of graphic primitives
• bird view magnification on cursor
• zoom all, select all
• auto de-cluttering of widgets on canvas
• snap-to-grid
• print canvas

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Status of VDCT3 (2/3)

• pvData support
• I/O
• open file
• import file into existing model
• save/save as file
• Editing
• static includes (edit, inspect)
• new record (by type)
• add/remove/set fields (scalar, structure)
• add/remove links
• view/edit substructures (hierarchy support)
• edit/inspect includes

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Status of VDCT3 (3/3)

• EPICSv3 and IRMIS support
• I/O
• open file
• import file into existing model
• save/save as file
• Rendering
• integration of CapFast epics symbol library
• Editing
• handling of dbd includes
• new record (by type)
• set/unset fields
• add/remove links
• record morphing support
• IRMIS integration
• open single IOC from remote db location

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VDCT3 future?

• Complete VDCT 2.6 feature set
• command-line capabilities
• plugin support
• DB template support still rudimentary
• Complete IRMIS integration
• browse available IOCs
• write modifications to remote PVs
• interface to other IRMIS layers (cabling, etc.)
• Support for editing pvData structure definitions
• Integration into CSS?
• Interface to other configuration data

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Conclusions

• VisualDCT (3.0-beta) is available for download on
  sourceforge
• Be careful how to start VisualDCT with
  appropriate model (see examples)
• Use it and send feedback!
• Use cases and best practices are yet to be
  defined (pvData)
• Thanks to Bob Dalesio and his NSLS2 team!

https//sourceforge.net/projects/visualdct/
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Model Design (1/2)

• Model (EPICS v3, pvData)
• defines editing, selection, structure rules,
  Actions
• contains Nodes, Edges, Primitives, Properties
• Node (Record, Structure)
• contains Pins, Properties
• Pin (Field)
• source/sink of Edges
• contains Properties
• Edge (Link)
• connects Pins
• contains Properties

Model
Node
Pin
Pin
Edge
Node
Pin
Pin
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Model Design (2/2)

• Primitive (text (html), geom. object)
• visual object with Properties
• Property
• container of meta information
• linked by type to editing rules, visual editors

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Visual Design

• ModelScene
• Synchronizes model and visualization
  (event-driven)
• Pin/NodeWidget
• specifies rendering rules of Node/Pin in Scene
  depending on state
• Widget Factory
• creates Widgets for Nodes/Pins/Edges
• specifies global rendering rules for Scene

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Application Design

• Module
• specifies Model Widget Factory Persistence
  layer
• determined by configuration
• 3rd party Module implementations can be
  seamlessly interfaced and included into the
  application at startup
• Model (Structure, Rules, Actions)
• Rendering (Widgets, Connection routing)
• Persistence (Filesystem, Remote, Database)

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Application Design Implementation Details

• Swing GUI support for applets, webstart, custom
  LF
• Java2D printing
• java.awt.datatransfer system-wide Copy/Paste
• Properties persistence of user configuration and
  settings
• Action chains unlimited Undo/Redo
• java.util.concurrent model/GUI concurrency

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Big Changes in EPICS DB Design

• Visual database creating and editing tool for
  EPICS v4 (pvData)
• Support for arbitrary hierarchies in both
  templates and primitive types
• Capability to interact with IRMIS RDB
• The information on encapsulation, cabling,
  housing is contained in a single descriptive
  database
• Enables linking of various control system aspects
  of the same component

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VisualDCT Today

• visual configuration tool for EPICS
• written in Java (platform independent)
• open source product
• designed for EPICS version 3
• simple electronic drawing style application

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Existing Features (VDCT 2.6)

• Hierarchies support
• Templates support
• Debug plugins (JCA/JIOC)
• CapFast conversion tool
• Channel Archiver /Alarm Handler configuration
  plugins
• Spreadsheet view (for large databases)