Quick start for developers
For developers here is a quick tutorial on how to set OpenSyllabus project into Eclipse
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Installation Guide
Installation and deployment of OpenSyllabus with Sakai 2.4/2.5 and GWT 1.5
1) First of all, a working installation of Sakai 2.4 or 2.5 is mandatory prior to install OpenSyllabus
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see http://confluence.sakaiproject.org/confluence/display/BOOT/Development+Environment+Setup+Walkthrough) |
In fact, Subversion, Maven, Eclipse and Tomcat should all be installed and configured properly.
2) Next, get the OpenSyllabus source-code
Using Subversion (SVN), perform a checkout of osyl (backend code) and osyl-core-gwt (frontend code) to the local Sakai repository.
Considering <SAKAI_HOME>, the path to the Sakai installation directory
(OpenSyllabus source-code will be available soon at the following repository address)
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svn://<coming soon>/opensyllabus/contrib/sakai/sakai-opensyllabus/trunk OR Unzip a special Sakai 2.5 archive ("le zip de Tom") and this OpenSyllabus archive in your local Sakai repository. |
3) You also need to install the Google Web Toolkit (GWT) library on your PC
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GWT library is available here:. |
4) Create an environment variable called GWT_HOME
The GWT_HOME environment variable must point to your GWT installation directory.
Considering <path>, the path to the GWT installation directory
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Windows: Via the Control Panel -> System -> Advanced -> Environment Variables -> System Variables -> New Linux (Bourne, Bash, and related shells): |
5) Next, get and install the google-web-toolkit-incubator library
In fact, OSYL uses some UI components (i.e. Calendar) from the GWT incubator library.
Look at this library to find some more cool GWT components.
This JAR is compatible with jvm 1.5+ and GWT version 1.5.1+ is mandatory.
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GWT incubator library can be download from here Put the gwt-incubator_1-4_final.jar into your GWT base directory (i.e. GWT_HOME) |
6) Install the Sakai's properties file into TOMCAT subdirectory
Considering <TOMCAT_HOME>, the path to the TOMCAT installation directory
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If you are installing Sakai 2.5 you must create a subdirectory <TOMCAT_HOME>/sakai |
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Make sure that the Sakai.properties file contains the right information |
7) Next, you have to compile the JCR module first
Considering <SAKAI_HOME>, the path to the Sakai installation directory
Use this MAVEN command from the Sakai's base directory (i.e. <SAKAI_HOME>)
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cd <SAKAI_HOME> |
8) Then compile and deploy Sakai for the first time with this command :
Considering <TOMCAT_HOME>, the path to the TOMCAT installation directory
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cd .. |
9) For subsequent compilations and deployment, you can use this command :
Considering <TOMCAT_HOME>, the path to the TOMCAT installation directory
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mvn install sakai:deploy -Dmaven.test.skip=true -Dmaven.tomcat.home=<TOMCAT_HOME> |
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Eclipse Configuration
Perhaps the greatest advantage of using GWT is having the capability to leverage advanced software engineering and use established Java integrated development environment (IDE).
We suggest to use the Eclipse IDE since it works very well and has support with GWT to help integration.
Create a configuration variable called GWT_HOME and pointing to your GWT installation directory.
Add a path to the gwt-incubator_1-4_final.jar library
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OpenSyllabus Code Structure
Let's have a look at the OpenSyllabus code structure.
- Code Structure
- Frontend project (GWT code)
- client
- public
- shared
- Backend project (Sakai's tool code)
- api dir
- impl dir
- tool dir
- Frontend project (GWT code)
To keep it simple, in our developpement we created two separate projects (we mean Eclipse/Maven projects) : One project for the client part where you will find al the GWT source code and one project for the backend part where stands the Sakai's tool code.
Frontend Code Structure
OpenSyllabus frontend is essentially organized around the recommended GWT project structure where we have replaced the server side code by a shared package and moved server RPC API definition (i.e. Interfaces files OsylEditorGwtService.java & OsylEditorGwtServiceAsync.java) into the rpc subpackage of the client.
- Frontend project (GWT code)
- client
- controller
- event
- OsylController.java
- OsylRPCController.java
- OsylViewContext.java
- OsylImageBundle
- rpc
- OsylEditorGwtService.java
- OsylEditorGwtServiceAsync.java
- view
- controller
- shared
- api
- events
- model
- public
- css
- img
- html
- client
Package | Purpose |
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org/sakaiquebec/opensyllabus/ | The project root package contains modules XML files (i.e OsylEditorEntryPoint.gwt.xml and shared.gwt.xml) |
org/sakaiquebec/opensyllabus/client/ | Client-side source files and subpackages |
org/sakaiquebec/opensyllabus/client/controller/ | GUI controller and RPC controller, plus GUI's event subpackage and ViewContext utility |
org/sakaiquebec/opensyllabus/client/OsylImageBundle/ | All the images resources to be compressed using the Image Bundles of GWT |
org/sakaiquebec/opensyllabus/client/rpc/ | The two Service Interfaces required by the GWT RPC mechanism |
org/sakaiquebec/opensyllabus/client/view/ | The main package of the OSYL Client containing all the GUI components: Composite views, panels, tree, toolbar, buttons, ... |
org/sakaiquebec/opensyllabus/shared/ | Server-side code, including Interfaces, Model update events, Model definition |
org/sakaiquebec/opensyllabus/public/ | Static resources that can be served publicly |
The project was initially created following the instruction of Creating an Application from Scratch (with Eclipse)
Backend Code Structure
OpenSyllabus backend is organized as a classical Sakai's tool following a File Structure based on classic Sakai's tool directories, such as : API (interfaces), Impl (implementations) and Tool (webapp) directory. In the Tool directory, there are RPC Servlets and RPC Interfaces for Remote Procedure Call exchanges in the src/Java folder. In addition, the Tool directory contains the Index.jsp and something new : the compiled GWT content (all the generated GWT stuff : pure JavaScript and HTML) in the src/webapp folder.
- Backend project (Sakai's tool code)
- api dir
- impl dir
- tool dir
- java
- client
- rpc
- OsylEditorGwtService.java (RPC Servlet)
- OsylEditorGwtServiceAsync.java (RPC Async Interface)
- server
- OsylBackingBean.java
- OsylEditorGwtServiceImpl.java
- rpc
- client
- webap
- index.jsp
- org.sakaiquebec.opensyllabus.OsylEditorEntryPoint (all generated JS code + HTML + images)
- osylcoconfigs (configuration files) I18N properties files, skin: images & css, rules.xml)
- java
Package | Purpose |
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tool/src/java/ | Server-side Java source-code of the Sakai's Tool Package |
tool/src/java/org/sakaiquebec/opensyllabus/client/rpc/ | The two Service Interfaces required by the GWT RPC mechanism |
tool/src/java/org/sakaiquebec/opensyllabus/server/ | The Java source-code of the Backing Bean and the Servlet Implementation of the Service required by the GWT RPC mechanism |
tool/src/webapp/ | Server-side webapp files: index.jsp, WEB-INF, tools config, osylconfigs files and compiled JS & HTML stuff |
tool/src/webapp/WEB-INF/ | Webapp configuration files: web.xml and applicationContext.xml |
tool/src/webapp/org.sakaiquebec.opensyllabus.OsylEditorEntryPoint | All the Client-side compiled JS & HTML stuff |
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Development Cycle
Thus, the developer can code and debug all in Java by working depending to his needs in the backend project or in the client project.
Since the server is not available, in the client project you have to plan to write into your code mockups of server. For instance, you can simulate the server by using static fake data code.
We've found 3 possible use cases:
Use case A - client update only
When you have made a client code update only.
Hosted Mode
During most of your development, your GWT code runs in "Hosted Mode" that lets you debug like a normal Java application from your Eclipse IDE.
In "Hosted Mode", a JVM executes the GWT code as Java bytecode inside a special embedded browser window (before your Java code having been translated into JavaScript).
Running GWT Webapp in "Hosted Mode" makes debugging easy following a standard edit-run-debug cycle
- Edit your source
- Refresh
- Check the results
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Your startup file is OsylEditorEntryPoint-shell.cmd (select it, right-click on it + Open With + Default Editor). |
Deployment in Web Mode
Once tested in "Hosted Mode", you can compile your Java source code to JavaScript the and deploy your Webapp. GWT Webapp that has been deployed is also said to be running in "Web Mode".
In this use case, you have to invoke the JavaScript compilation then move the compiled JavaScript to the backend code. To deploy your Webapp in production, you would move the files in your www/... directory to your web server, e.g. Tomcat Also if your backend code is already deployed in Tomcat, just replace the JavaScript code & HTML by the new one. When compiled the Client-side is now pure JavaScript and HTML.
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Just click on the Compile/Browse button in the embedded browser window |
Use case B - backend update only
Here, you only have to invoke Sakai Application Compilation and deployment with maven.
Use case C - full compilation
The full compilation process is necessary when for example you change the interfaces of the Remote Procedure Call (RPC).
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To save time, use "Hosted Mode" as much as possible for client code developments, because,it is faster than a GWT compilation. |