README for X3D-Edit 4.0 Development

Got X3D-Edit? 😀

• X3D-Edit home page documents this authoring tool for X3D Graphics models.

• Apache NetBeans Plugin Portal: X3D-Edit is our primary distribution.

• SourceForge X3D-Edit Distribution is a backup site for plugins and pre-releases.

This README file is the developers' documentation page for creation of X3D-Edit 4.0 suite.

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Developer Work in Progress

X3D-Edit is now stable and successfully transitioned as part of the NetBeans plugin architecture.

We continue to steadily pursue work focused on implementing addition nodes for X3D version 4.

We also track work items at GitHub Issues for X3D-Edit. Issue reports are welcome.

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NetBeans Development Resources

• Tutorial Contribution Guidelines

• AsciiDoc is a plain text markup language for writing technical content

• Apache NetBeans Development Version Documentation | APIs Overview provides online Javadoc for NetBeans IDE

• Apache NetBeans API Development

• Apache NetBeans Developer FAQ (index in left pane)

• List of NetBeans-based software outdated?

• StackOverflow: How to debug multiple threads/runnables at the same time in netbeans

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NetBeans Resources

NetBeans Platform Learning Trail

"Comprehensive tutorials that highlight a wide range of Apache NetBeans APIs for a variety of application types."

• NetBeans Issues

• NetBeans API References

• Top 10 NetBeans APIs dated but some nuggets found

XML Editor Extension Module Tutorial

Tutorial section Specifying the Module’s Dependencies

• Issue 4492 XML Editor Extension Module Tutorial erratum I/O APIs not found, (I/O APIs - Swing) worked, other is (I/O API and SPI)

• Note that multiple XML-related module dependencies are provided by NetBeans

Don used this to create initial code block for X3D-Edit Module Suite.

NetBeans Code Snippet Module Tutorial

Has better excerpt of layer.xml file.

• Inspect build/classes/META-INF/generated-layer.xml to see what is actually generated using layer.xml and annotations

Creating layer.xml file is optional if using annotations instead:

• StackOverflow Learning NetBeans platform: annotations vs layer.xml file

• StackOverflow Where to find the main layer.xml file in NetBeans RCP maven project?

NetBeans Editor Component Palette Module Tutorial

"This tutorial demonstrates how to create a component palette that provides drag-and-drop code snippets for a new file type."

• Issue 4519 NetBeans Editor Component Palette Module Tutorial missing source code

• Issue 4520 NetBeans Editor Component Palette Module Tutorial, garbled source fixed, closed.

• Issue 4521 org.openide.util.Exceptions not found by import in tutorial fixed, closed.

Implemented module as X3dSourceFilePalette. Not all names aligned, not all source applied, work ongoing.

NetBeans Splash Screen

• How to make Splash Screen in Java using NetBeans with Source Code

Note problem failing when turned on by Project setting for X3D-Edit module suite. <- FIXED (TDN)

NetBeans Ant-Based Project Type Module Tutorial

TODO. Consider if this will help create projects of interest - might be superfluous.

Using the NetBeans IDE created installer for Windows

Desktop shortcut for Windows. Assumes JAVA_HOME areadly defined in Environment Variables Right click on shortcut properties and set:

• Target: x3deditmodulesuite64 --jdkhome "%JAVA_HOME%" --console new
• Start in: "C:\Program Files\x3deditmodulesuite\bin"

Creating standalone installers

A full palette of problems emerge when creading standalone installers. We have decided that simply offering the NetBeans plugin is the most reliable approach.

• Tutorial Native Packaging in NetBeans IDE