xulu/trunk/readme.txt

TODO:
- startXulu.bat erweitern:
   - /useXuluClasses auf SCHMITZM erweitern
- SCHMITZM in Xulu\lib aufnehmen
- How to start XULU from Eclipse
- How to develop XULU

==============================================================
=== XULU README (2009-02-24, Martin Schmitz)               ===
===                                                        ===
=== http://wald.intevation.org/projects/xulu/              ===
=== http://wald.intevation.org/projects/schmitzm/          ===
==============================================================
This file contains some informations ...

(1) about the XULU modelling platform
(2) how to proceed after the first SVN checkout
(3) about the folder structur of XULU
(4) how to start XULU
    a) Requirements
    b) Start XULU from command line
    c) Start XULU from Eclipse
(5) how to develop XULU


-----------------------------------------------------------
(1) General informations about XULU
-----------------------------------------------------------
XULU (eXtendable Unified Land Use Modelling Platform) is a stand-alone
Java software which was designed as a part of my diploma thesis (Martin Schmitz,
2005, Institite of computer science, University of Bonn/Germany).
The goal was the create a generic framework, which provides general functionalities
needed for (simulation) modelling, without any relationship to a concrete
model context:
- data maintenance
- data types
- data import/export
- data visualisation
- GUI

With these components implemented once (--> XULU) there is no further need to
take into account during implementation of any model. The model designer and
programmer can concentrate on implementing themodel algorithm.
The interfaces to the upper mentioned components are realised as plugins,
so the field of application is not static.
Because the of the close cooperation with the ZFL (Zentrum für Fernerkundung der
Landoberfläche) and IMPETUS (http://www.impetus.de) the most plugins which
are currently implemented are for land use modelling:
- maintain raster and vector data (based on the Geotools Java library)
- layer based geo visualisation (based on the Geotools Java library)
- raster based models

But generally - with implementing appropriate plugins - XULU can also be used for
complete other application fields


-----------------------------------------------------------
(2) Initialize XULU after the first SVN checkout
-----------------------------------------------------------
The XULU folders contain multiple files to configure defaults for
the XULU main application as well as for XULU plugins.
Because the "normal" user defined changes on these files should not be
updated in SVN, these configuration files are initially located in the
"defaults" folder, instead of their "correct" position.

Therefore after the first SVN checkout you have to call the

                            InitXulu.bat

once to copy the configuration files from the "defaults" folder to their
expected locations. After that you can make changes on all config files
without any unintended effect on the whole XULU community.

The default behavior of "InitXulu.bat" is not to overwrite files if they
already exist. In case of trouble (e.g. deleted or damaged config files)
you can call
                        InitXulu.bat /reset
                    or  InitXulu.bat /init   (no overwrite confirmation!)

to overwrite all configuration files with their defaults.

NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT UPDATE (AND COMMIT) CHANGES ON FILES IN THE
      "DEFAULT" FOLDER!!


-----------------------------------------------------------
(3) The folder structure of XULU
-----------------------------------------------------------
main folder: The main folder contains some configuration files for
             the XULU main application as well as the startXulu.bat
             which can be used to start XULU from out of an
             development environment (like Eclipse):
             - InitXulu.bat: initializes the folder structure after
                             the first SVN checkout (see (2))
             - DefaultProperties: Defaults for XULU properties; after
                                  the first XULU start a new file
                                  "XuluProperties" is created with the
                                  user defined properties
             - registry.xif: contains the plugins used in XULU
             - readme.txt: this file :-)

defaults: Contains default configuration files for the XULU main
          application and plugins. By calling "InitXulu.bat" (see (2))
          these files are copied to the expected locations.
          NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT UPDATE (AND COMMIT) CHANGES ON FILES IN
                THIS FOLDER!!

classes: Contains the compliled java classes of the XULU application
         and plugins.

doc:     Contains the JavaDoc for Xulu. Also the target folder of
         "makeDoc.bat"

lib:     Contains all the external libraries required to run/compile XULU.
         All JARs in this folder must be integrated in the Java classpath.

plugin:  Contains configuration files for XULU plugins.

src:     Contains the java source code of the XULU application and plugins.

Temp:    Usually empty. Needed for temporary files.


-----------------------------------------------------------
(4) How to start XULU
-----------------------------------------------------------

a) Requirements
---------------
Besides the external libraries in "lib" folder, it is required that
the following components are installed on system:
- JRE 1.6
- JAI 1.1.3

b) Start XULU from command line
-------------------------------
To start XULU from command line there are 2 main variants:

 1) "startXulu.bat /useXuluJar"     (Default)
    uses the XuluModellingPlatform.jar and SCHMITZM.jar from the
    "lib" folder to run XULU. This option is recommended, if you
    only want to "use" XULU and not to develop.

 2) "startXulu.bat /useXuluClasses"
    uses the "classes" folder to run XULU. Use this option, if you
    want to take your own changes (or plugin extension) take effekt.
    This option requires that
      - XULU is previously compiled to "classes" folder
      - SCHMITZM is previously compiled to

c) Start XULU from Eclipse
--------------------------
t.b.c.


-----------------------------------------------------------
(4) How to develop XULU
-----------------------------------------------------------
t.b.c.


===========================================================
http://wald.intevation.org/projects/xulu/
http://wald.intevation.org/projects/schmitzm/
===========================================================
1	TODO:
2	- startXulu.bat erweitern:
3	- /useXuluClasses auf SCHMITZM erweitern
4	- SCHMITZM in Xulu\lib aufnehmen
5	- How to start XULU from Eclipse
6	- How to develop XULU
7
8	==============================================================
9	=== XULU README (2009-02-24, Martin Schmitz) ===
10	=== ===
11	=== http://wald.intevation.org/projects/xulu/ ===
12	=== http://wald.intevation.org/projects/schmitzm/ ===
13	==============================================================
14	This file contains some informations ...
15
16	(1) about the XULU modelling platform
17	(2) how to proceed after the first SVN checkout
18	(3) about the folder structur of XULU
19	(4) how to start XULU
20	a) Requirements
21	b) Start XULU from command line
22	c) Start XULU from Eclipse
23	(5) how to develop XULU
24
25
26
27	-----------------------------------------------------------
28	(1) General informations about XULU
29	-----------------------------------------------------------
30	XULU (eXtendable Unified Land Use Modelling Platform) is a stand-alone
31	Java software which was designed as a part of my diploma thesis (Martin Schmitz,
32	2005, Institite of computer science, University of Bonn/Germany).
33	The goal was the create a generic framework, which provides general functionalities
34	needed for (simulation) modelling, without any relationship to a concrete
35	model context:
36	- data maintenance
37	- data types
38	- data import/export
39	- data visualisation
40	- GUI
41
42	With these components implemented once (--> XULU) there is no further need to
43	take into account during implementation of any model. The model designer and
44	programmer can concentrate on implementing themodel algorithm.
45	The interfaces to the upper mentioned components are realised as plugins,
46	so the field of application is not static.
47	Because the of the close cooperation with the ZFL (Zentrum für Fernerkundung der
48	Landoberfläche) and IMPETUS (http://www.impetus.de) the most plugins which
49	are currently implemented are for land use modelling:
50	- maintain raster and vector data (based on the Geotools Java library)
51	- layer based geo visualisation (based on the Geotools Java library)
52	- raster based models
53
54	But generally - with implementing appropriate plugins - XULU can also be used for
55	complete other application fields
56
57
58	-----------------------------------------------------------
59	(2) Initialize XULU after the first SVN checkout
60	-----------------------------------------------------------
61	The XULU folders contain multiple files to configure defaults for
62	the XULU main application as well as for XULU plugins.
63	Because the "normal" user defined changes on these files should not be
64	updated in SVN, these configuration files are initially located in the
65	"defaults" folder, instead of their "correct" position.
66
67	Therefore after the first SVN checkout you have to call the
68
69	InitXulu.bat
70
71	once to copy the configuration files from the "defaults" folder to their
72	expected locations. After that you can make changes on all config files
73	without any unintended effect on the whole XULU community.
74
75	The default behavior of "InitXulu.bat" is not to overwrite files if they
76	already exist. In case of trouble (e.g. deleted or damaged config files)
77	you can call
78	InitXulu.bat /reset
79	or InitXulu.bat /init (no overwrite confirmation!)
80
81	to overwrite all configuration files with their defaults.
82
83	NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT UPDATE (AND COMMIT) CHANGES ON FILES IN THE
84	"DEFAULT" FOLDER!!
85
86
87	-----------------------------------------------------------
88	(3) The folder structure of XULU
89	-----------------------------------------------------------
90	main folder: The main folder contains some configuration files for
91	the XULU main application as well as the startXulu.bat
92	which can be used to start XULU from out of an
93	development environment (like Eclipse):
94	- InitXulu.bat: initializes the folder structure after
95	the first SVN checkout (see (2))
96	- DefaultProperties: Defaults for XULU properties; after
97	the first XULU start a new file
98	"XuluProperties" is created with the
99	user defined properties
100	- registry.xif: contains the plugins used in XULU
101	- readme.txt: this file :-)
102
103	defaults: Contains default configuration files for the XULU main
104	application and plugins. By calling "InitXulu.bat" (see (2))
105	these files are copied to the expected locations.
106	NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT UPDATE (AND COMMIT) CHANGES ON FILES IN
107	THIS FOLDER!!
108
109	classes: Contains the compliled java classes of the XULU application
110	and plugins.
111
112	doc: Contains the JavaDoc for Xulu. Also the target folder of
113	"makeDoc.bat"
114
115	lib: Contains all the external libraries required to run/compile XULU.
116	All JARs in this folder must be integrated in the Java classpath.
117
118	plugin: Contains configuration files for XULU plugins.
119
120	src: Contains the java source code of the XULU application and plugins.
121
122	Temp: Usually empty. Needed for temporary files.
123
124
125	-----------------------------------------------------------
126	(4) How to start XULU
127	-----------------------------------------------------------
128
129	a) Requirements
130	---------------
131	Besides the external libraries in "lib" folder, it is required that
132	the following components are installed on system:
133	- JRE 1.6
134	- JAI 1.1.3
135
136	b) Start XULU from command line
137	-------------------------------
138	To start XULU from command line there are 2 main variants:
139
140	1) "startXulu.bat /useXuluJar" (Default)
141	uses the XuluModellingPlatform.jar and SCHMITZM.jar from the
142	"lib" folder to run XULU. This option is recommended, if you
143	only want to "use" XULU and not to develop.
144
145	2) "startXulu.bat /useXuluClasses"
146	uses the "classes" folder to run XULU. Use this option, if you
147	want to take your own changes (or plugin extension) take effekt.
148	This option requires that
149	- XULU is previously compiled to "classes" folder
150	- SCHMITZM is previously compiled to
151
152	c) Start XULU from Eclipse
153	--------------------------
154	t.b.c.
155
156
157	-----------------------------------------------------------
158	(4) How to develop XULU
159	-----------------------------------------------------------
160	t.b.c.
161
162
163	===========================================================
164	http://wald.intevation.org/projects/xulu/
165	http://wald.intevation.org/projects/schmitzm/
166	===========================================================