Adding Tools to HIPE

Tools are processing units that operate on specific data elements.
From the Java point of view, a tool is an implementation of the Tool interface.
The well-known Tasks are examples of tools within HIPE. In this case, TaskTool is used under the hoods.

If a data element is selected, a list of tools that can operate on that data should appear. Double clicking on the tool will open an associated view (for non-task tools) or a dialog for settings parameters (for task tools).

This section explains:

• how you can create a Tool and register it for being available for dedicated data
• how you can make HIPE aware of an existing Task,
• how your task can react better on an active data element,
• the default task dialog and how you implement and contribute a dedicated input dialog for your task,
• how you can implement and contribute a specific parameter editor

Adding a Task as a Tool

Task Registry

Up to now you have made you task globally available to the system by specifying an instance of that task within the __init__.py file of your sub-system, e.g.:

    # __init__.py file
    compute = ComputeTask()

To make your task appear in the "Tasks" view, you need to add the following lines:

    from herschel.ia.task.views import TaskToolRegistry
    toolRegistry = TaskToolRegistry.getInstance()
    toolRegistry.register(compute)

For PACS users, this __init__.py file is located at $install_dir/data/toolbox/your_sub_system.

You can also specify that your task belongs to one or more Category :

    from herschel.ia.gui.kernel.Tool import Category
    toolRegistry.register(compute, [Category.IMAGE, Category.PACS]))

Your task will now be enabled whenever a session variable is selected which matches the type of the first input parameter within your task!

Within your task, you can control which parameter signs-up to be the prime parameter (the one which reacts on a selected data variable) by the Task API:

    class ComputeTask extends Task {
       ComputeTask() {
          super("compute");
          prime = new TaskParameter("spectrum", SpecificProduct.class)
          :
          getSignature().setPrimeInput(prime)
       }
    }

Naming conventions for task when to be registered in Hipe should follow this example assuming that the task will perform the functionality named "reduce" :

     Name of the Class              : ReduceTask
     Name of the Task (getName())   : reduce
     Name of the variable in Jython : reduce
 

Prime input validation

The mechanism above makes you task to become a tool within the system and it appears whenever a variable of type SpecificProduct (i.e. the type of the value of the Parameter) is selected.

Sometimes this may not be enough, e.g. is certain situations your task will only run on a SpecificProduct if it contains certain contents. A typical situation would be when a SPIRE reduction operates on a ObservationContext: such a task should not be listed whenever a HIFI observation is selected...

You can write a ParameterValidator to do just that:

    prime = new TaskParameter("spectrum", SpecificProduct.class)
    prime.setParameterValidator(new ParameterValidatorAdapter() {
        public void validate(Object value) throws ParameterValidationException {
            SpecificProduct s = (SpecificProduct)value;
            if (! (logic that would validate the contents of the value...)) {
                throw new ParameterValidationException(reason);
            }
        }
    });

In other words, rather than writing this logic within the pre-amble or execution block of your task, we recommend you to move that logic into the parameter validation. This way we achieve two things:

• make the logic appear where it should be and therefore keeping the execution block of your task concentrated to the algorithm, and
• make your task appear as a tool within HIPE that can be ran against specific data.

Task Dialogs

Default Task Dialog

The system generates a default input dialog for all registered tasks within the software. As the system does not know the intent of your task, it can only provide a dry-listing of all requested parameters; such a dialog may not be suitable for your purposes.

The default dialog for the crop task:

As for instance you may want to have more control over how the input parameters are presented to the user:

• you may only want to provide a sub-set of parameters (and leave the full-set to expert users on the command-line)
• you may want to organize your parameters by grouping them in tabs, or putting a border around a group of parameters
• you may want to have more informative tooltips, labels or even input fields that are more suitable for your task.

To adapt to these scenarios and more, the system provides three ways for customizing you Task dialogs:

• Parameter Modifiers
• Signature Components
• Task Panels.

Parameter Modifiers

The system provides a default dialog displaying an input area for setting the values of the parameter based on a composition of Modifiers

The input area for the crop task:

The composition of Modifiers is created based on the types of the values of the Task Parameters of the Task Signature.

The Modifier for the first Parameter of the crop task:

Currently the system contains basic implementation for the simple types Integer, Float, Long, Double and few more, so there's still a lot of space for improvements and contribution.

The following behaviours and limitations are present in the provided modifiers:

• If the value is unfilled or invalid (red) the parameter will not used (but see D'n'D). This has been retrofitted in a consistent manner after 1.0
• While you can always in Console write "SomeTask(param = null)", with a Panel you will get "Task()": for GUIs "null is not allowed". The task machinery will take nulls as if the parameter has been ignored by the user.
• Modifiers have no notion of the optionality of parameters: if they have a valid value they will return it. The task machinery will not generate a parameter assignment if the value equals the default.
• All Modifiers accept D'n'D of variables and if a variable is D'n'Ded and stored it takes precedence over the filled value: currently only the default modifier has visual feedback about it's D'n'D state.
• Speciallized modifiers:
  • Will only store variables compatible with the type.
  • They do not seem to accept variables set to None (to check)
  • Once a variable has been accepted the value the user edits will forever be ignored
  • Cannot forget the variable (default can't either but has no editor).
• JDefaultModifier: (D'n'D can block some Drops, but basically accepts any type)
  • Initially they have no type
  • They accept the type of the first variable D'n'Ded and remember it (of any type!)
  • Now they only accept variables of the same type (or compatible)
  • You can erase the type D'n'Ding a None
• Current floating point modifiers are incapable of parsing some special values like NaN, +-Infinite and -0, as parsing/checking is done via pure numeric patterns.

If your Task Parameter isn't one of the mentioned types, you could:

• Implement a Modifier
• Register it to the system.

Alternatively, you could want to write your specific Modifier for one of the already available types. In that case, you could skip the registration, and just create your modifier in your Java code within a custom Signature Component.

In package herschel.ia.gui.apps.modifier you can find the general available modifiers.

Implement a Modifier

The Modifier interface consists of two explicit contracts:

• Support the drag and drop features (the set/getVariableSelection)
• Support the inspection for Object (the set/getObject)

and two implicit contracts:

• Be JComponent
• If it is registered in the Extension Registry, have an empty constructor

Register a Modifier

The registration of the Modifier is done again in the __init__.py via the Extension Registry with the usual syntax (please note the name of the factory: factory.modifier).

Be aware that the registration is system wise so the registration overrides any other registered modifier for that type.

 REGISTRY.register(COMPONENT,Extension(
        "MyModifier",
        "herschel.ia.mymodifier.MyModifier",
        "factory.modifier",
        "herschel.ia.MyClass")

In case the Modifier you have created is only applicable to a specific task or even to a specific parameter of a specific task you can simply assign it to the Task Parameter itself:

        // In your task constructor
        TaskParameter parameter = new TaskParameter("input", String.class);
        parameter.setModifier(new MyModifer());

If a modifier is associated to a task parameter in the task constructor, like in the example above, it is instantiated during initialization, when the task is created. This means that the JComponents used for your Modifier may not have the same GUI theme than the application, because the GUI theme is set just after the initialization of the registry. In that case, you may consider to write a custom Signature Component instead, which would be instantiated after the theme is set.

Signature Components

In case the default input area based on Modifiers doesn't fit your needs you can just replace it by your own implementation.

Rotate Alternative Signature:

If this is the case you need to:

• Implement a Task Signature Component
• Register it to the system.

Implement a Task Signature Component

The TaskSignatureComponent interface consists of four explicit contracts

• Support the setVariableSelection for initial assignment from the Tool Window
• Assign the Signature to display (setSignature)
• Return a map of parameters and assigned values (in Map<TaskParameter, VariableSelection> getParameters)
• Clear and check user inputs (used by the default buttons)

and the two implicit contracts inherited by the Extension Registry

• Be JComponent
• Have an empty constructor

An easy way of implementing TaskSignatureComponent is by extending JTaskSignatureComponent and providing your own implementation for the makeModifierMap() method.

For example, if you want to use a custom Signature Component that just wants to use JFilePathModifier for a parameter aimed for a file name, you could do it like this:

public class MySignatureComponent extends JTaskSignatureComponent {

    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

    protected Map<TaskParameter, Modifier> makeModifierMap() {

	SignatureApi signature = getSignature();
	Map<TaskParameter, Modifier> m = new LinkedHashMap<TaskParameter, Modifier>();

	m.put(signature.getTaskParameter("file"), new JFilePathModifier(SAVE));
	m.put(signature.getTaskParameter("number"), new JIntegerModifier());

	return m;
    }
}

Register a Task Signature Component

The registration of the Task Signature Component is done again in the __init__.py via the Extension Registry with the usual syntax (please note the name of the factory: factory.editor.tool.task.signature).

REGISTRY.register(COMPONENT,Extension(
        "Rotate Signature",
        "herschel.ia.task.example.RotateSignatureComponent",
        "factory.editor.tool.task.signature",
        "herschel.ia.image.Rotate"))

See also the Extension Registry documentation for more details.

Custom Task Dialogs

Eventually, if the above options still do not accommodate you needs you can replace the the default Task Panel with your own implementation

If this is the case you need to:

• Implement a Task Panel
• Register it to the system.

Implement a Task Panel

The TaskPanel interface consists of three explicit contracts

• Support the setVariableSelection for initial assignment from the Tool Window
• Assign the Task to display ( the setTask)
• Notify request of executions to the framework by
  • Allow for setting the Site Event handler for notifying request of execution (the setSiteEventHandler method )
  • Notify the execution requests calling the trigger method of SiteEventHandler passing a CommandExecutionRequestEvent.
    You can create this event through the TaskCommandExecutionEventFactory.

and the two implicit contracts inherited by the Extension Registry

• Be JComponent
• Have an empty constructor

The Rotate Panel example (herschel.ia.task.example.RotatePanel):

Register a Task Panel

The registration of the Task Panel Component is done again in the __init__.py via the Extension Registry with the usual syntax (please note the name of the factory: factory.editor.tool.task.signature).

REGISTRY.register(COMPONENT,Extension(
        "Rotate Task Panel",
        "herschel.ia.task.example.RotatePanel",
        "factory.editor.tool.task",
        "herschel.ia.image.Rotate"));

See also the Extension Registry documentation for more details.

Task compliance

• Write user documentation (jtags)! That will be automatically picked up whenever a user asks the system for help on your task.
• The name of the task should be a legal variable name in the global name-space. For example your instance of MyTask should report itself as e.g.: "myTask" and not "This is my task".
• If your prime parameter is not the first parameter in your task, specify the prime parameter using the setPrimeInput method in the signature
• Write a parameter validator for your prime parameter if your task should be listed not only on prime data type but on prime data contents as well.

Recommendations for simple tasks and limitations

• Use a function that fully initializes TaskParameters: you avoid working with partially initialized data or data with non obvious defaults.
• Please take care to register your task properly: otherwise it may half-work, which is much worse than not working at all!
• Capture exceptions and check your params before trying to properly execute, if you want to provide better error reporting than the one provided by default.
• You should not do user interaction after you have started execute() (not on EDT).
• Validators: you cannot compare multiple parameters, order of execution is not specified, will be executed several times. So, if you need to validate dependent parameters, it should be done later.
• Once you are in execute() console has already been updated with the command : Although you can change the value of TaskParameters, this will not be properly reflected on the UI, so don't do it. So once you are on execute() you can check , possibly abort, and properly execute (nothing else).

Adding a Tool that is not a Task

If you have an existing task and want to make it available in HIPE, you just need to follow the steps described in the above section.

Now, a task has its limitations. It is somewhat an atomic operation for which you provide some inputs and expect some result.
Therefore, it is not expected for acting interactively with a user, and it is not meant for holding internal status either, that a user can modify during its execution.

If you need more flexibility, you can write your own implementation of the Tool interface.
Besides, you would most probably need a viewer associated to your tool, for letting the user interact with it.

This follows in some way the MVC pattern: your target data is the Model, your associated viewer is the View, and your tool is the Controller.

Tool Implementation

The Tool interface is simple:

public interface Tool {

    // Known categories to which a tool may belong to
    public enum Category { SPIRE, PACS, HIFI, GENERAL, IMAGE }
	
    // Get the tool name
    String getName();

    // Get the actual object that does the work
    Object getToolObject();

    // Set the actual object that does the work
    void setToolObject(Object o);

    // Get an array of categories to which this tool belongs to
    Category[] getCategories();

    // Return the prime input parameter
    Parameter getPrimeInput();
}

You provide the variable types you are interested in within the prime input: just return a ToolParameter initiated with the proper class of data you want to handle.

private ToolParameter _prime = new ToolParameter("data", MyTargetDataType.class);
public Parameter getPrimeInput() { return _prime; }

The actual job to be done can be delegated to a third object (the "tool object"), or just be executed by the tool class itself.
In this latter case, the method Object getToolObject() should return this.

Moreover, you may return the categories you think the tool is meaningful for, through the proper implementation of Category[] getCategories().

Tool Viewer

Every tool has an associated viewer, which must implement EditorComponent (by extending AbstractEditorComponent or one of its subclasses).

Tool Registry

Once you have your tool and the corresponding viewer, you need to register them like this:

# Associate the tool with the viewer
REGISTRY.register(COMPONENT,Extension(
                 "My Tool",
                 "herschel.path.to.MyToolComponent",
                 "factory.editor.tool",
                 "herschel.path.to.MyTool"))

# Register the tool so it is automatically available for the proper variables in HIPE
from herschel.ia.gui.kernel import ToolRegistry
from herschel.path.to import MyTool
ToolRegistry.getInstance().register(MyTool())

Communicating Tool & Viewer

In the viewer, you can access the tool and the selected data within the makeEditorContent method provided by AbstractEditorComponent.
At this point, you can let the tool know about the viewer as well, if you want:

protected boolean makeEditorContent() {

    // Get the tool and the selected data
    ToolSelection selection = getSelection();
    Tool   tool = selection.getTool();
    Object data = selection.getSelection().getValue();

    // Optional - you would need to provide a setViewer method
    ((MyTool)tool).setViewer(this);

    // Build the editor contents ...
}

Simple sample

This simple reproducible example wraps up the just explained steps altogether.
It is just a button whose label is changed by the tool when the user clicks on it:

    1. The tool class

public class ButtonTool implements Tool {

    private Category[] _categories = { Category.GENERAL };
    private ToolParameter _prime = new ToolParameter("data", ArrayData.class);
    private ArrayData _data;
    private boolean _flag = true;

    public Category[] getCategories() {
	return _categories;
    }

    public String getName() {
	return "Button Tool";
    }

    public Parameter getPrimeInput() {
	return _prime;
    }

    public Object getToolObject() {
	return this;
    }

    public void setToolObject(Object o) {
	// do nothing
    }

    public void setData(ArrayData data) {
	_data = data;
    }

    void updateLabel(JButton button) {
	int size = _data.getSize();
	int rank = _data.getRank();
	button.setText("Data has " + (_flag? "size " + size : "rank " + rank));
	_flag = !_flag;
    }
}

    2. The viewer class

public class ButtonToolComponent extends AbstractEditorComponent<ToolSelection> {

    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
    private static int _counter = 1;
    private ButtonTool _tool;

    public ButtonToolComponent() {
	super(new BorderLayout());
    }

    protected Class<ToolSelection> getSelectionType() {
	return ToolSelection.class;
    }

    protected boolean makeEditorContent() {
	final JButton button = new JButton();
	setName("Button Tool " + _counter++);
	_tool = (ButtonTool)getSelection().getTool();
	_tool.setData((ArrayData)getSelection().getSelection().getValue());
	_tool.updateLabel(button);
	button.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
	    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
	        _tool.updateLabel(button);
            }
	});
	add(button);
	return true;
    }

    public Icon getComponentIcon() {
	return IconLibrary.VARIABLE;
    }
}

    3. The registration

REGISTRY.register(COMPONENT,Extension(
                 "Button Tool",
                 "herschel.your.package.ButtonToolComponent",
                 "factory.editor.tool",
                 "herschel.your.package.ButtonTool"))

from herschel.ia.gui.kernel import ToolRegistry
from herschel.your.package import ButtonTool
ToolRegistry().getInstance().register(ButtonTool())

    4. Executing the example

For executing this simple tool, just include it in a package owned by you, open the workbench in HIPE, and execute the following in the console:

x = Int1d.range(12)
y = Double2d([[1,2,3],[4,5,6]])

Then open the x and y variables with the Button Tool and click the button: its label is updated by the tool.

Triggering Events

For a full detailed section about triggering events have a look at DpHipeCommonUtilities.