Member Avatar for msiq08

Hi all,
I am building distributed calculator using java server, corba, .net client side UI that can load plugins at server side on runtime.
plugins are .class files stored on server side and on client side plugins are added by getting list of all plugins(.class) in "plugins" folder and adding buttons dynamically.
I want to get additional info about plugin(.class) file.
I want to send info about plugin(.class) like how many buttons and names of that buttons in addition to filename.
I am getting list of file names by using that:

File folder = new File(path);
File[] files = folder.listFiles();

it gives
temp.class....
I need
"2;toF;toC;temp.class".....

this says make two buttons named "toF" and "toC" and plugin is "temp".
so I can code on client side and make buttons according to given info with .class name.
or any one can give me other way to handle plugins generically.

Edited by Reverend Jim because: Fixed formatting
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  • Latest Post Latest Post by masijade
Member Avatar for masijade

Yeah, let the plugins do their own work. In other words, the"main" app should not be attemtping to "build" the GUIs for the plugins. The plugins should be building their own own GUIs. Define an interface with a "getPanel" method. The "plugins" then need to construct a panel (with everything on it that they need), and create any needed listeners, in their constructor. The "main" app then need simply call "getPanel" and add that panel to the "main" GUI.

If the "plugin" is to be able to use functionality from the "main" app, then you also need to define an API for that.

The "main" app should never attempt to do any of the work for the "plugin" the "plugin" needs to be self contained. Anything else is just begging for problems, as well as an overcomplicated configuration.

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