The edit command allows editing of policy files, which you will
use as part of deploying your component. Policies provides
a way for components to be installed and executed in a variety
of environments. A more detailed explanation of policies is provided
in the
Using Policies section of the Developing Components trail.
For now, just keep in mind that there are several kinds of
policy files that you can edit. You can use any text
editor to edit any of these XML files, but we've provided some
graphical tools to make it easier.
- Component descriptor policy XML files (-cd option).
These are usually titled "ComponentDescriptor.xml" or something
similar.
- Installable component descriptor policy XML files (-icd option).
These are usually called something like "InstallableComponentDescriptorPolicy.xml".
- Other policy files, including policies within JAR archives (-pe option)
To edit a component descriptor or installable component descriptor,
type the edit command followed by the appropriate switch (-cd
or -icd), followed by the file name. A graphical editing
window will pop up, allowing you to view and modify the values
in the policy file. You may have to use the lcd
command in the shell beforehand (to navigate to the file you want
to edit) before issuing the edit command from the command line.
Example: Assume the Image_im demo component has been installed.
Use the lcd command
to change directory to <openwings_root>/Image_im/policies
and key in the command
openwings@root/> edit -icd InstallableComponentDescriptorPolicy.xml
Click above image to see full size
At the top of the editing window, you will see a toolbar with
a row of buttons. Let the cursor linger over a button to
view a short description of what it does. The New buttons
create a new cd or icd policy file (in memory, not on disk).
The Open buttons allow you to open a saved file from disk.
Select a file in the left-hand list and click the Save button
to save a policy file to disk. Select a file in the left-hand
list and click the Delete button to remove it from the list. This
action will not erase the file from your disk (if it exists).
The toolbar contains a Template Wizard button (magic wand). Click
the button and then select a template from the list. This feature
allows you to start with a pre-made template instead of filling
in all the fields from scratch.
The large right panel of the editor contains the fields you can
modify. Click here for
more information about the different policy editor fields. To
determine how to use policies, review the
Using Policies section of the Developing Components trail.
Long-time Openwings users may remember an older policy editor
that we included with our alpha release. This is a
plain-vanilla editor that allows you to edit any policy type,
including policies within Jar files. Use the edit -pe option
to bring up this editor, if you prefer it over the new ones we've
included.
Future releases of Openwings will include a unified editor
application which will auto-detect the type of policy that you are
trying to edit. At that time, you will no longer need to use
the -cd, -icd, and -pe switches.
