Start to build library of operations

[IanMayo]

We need to learn lessons about providing a popup menu of operations applicable to the current selection.

We need to prove these things:

• configuring operations from the XML plugin (to include applies-to tests, and overview documentation)
• responsive refinement - only adding sub-menus as the parent element is opened
• let user choose the sequence of operands

Plugin

The operations are currently defined, configured, and loaded from code. I'd like to switch to a more declarative approach where we define an RCP extension for them. This would allow:

• operations to be declared from external plugins
• lazy loading of operations code: we perform "applies to" based on declared XML attributes, and only actually load the code if the user wishes to run that operation
• the declarative approach will also allow us to write a block of descriptive text for each operation, explaining the necessary input data, and the provenance/detail of the algorithm that is performed.
• operations to be called from the Ctrl+3 quick access menu (where they apply to the current selection)
• enhanced capabilities, as required for the Operations Browser view (including the descriptive text). This view will let the user choose whether to view all operations, or only the suitable ones. If all operations are viewed, user will be able to see why the current selection is unsuitable for a specified operation
• transform XML definitions into operations reference library (in HTML or PDF format, probably initially converting XML to DocBook )

XML Schema

Here's my rough guess of what the XML definition would look like:

<LimpetCommand name="Export to CSV" category="Admin">
  <description>
     This command exports the selected datasets to CSV file.  Dataset names are
     included in a header row.  If the datasets are all temporal, then the time data
    is included as the first column.
 </description>
  <AppliesTo>
      <or>
         <allQuantity fail="All datasets must be quantity type for export"/>
         <and fail="We can only export non temporal datasets if they are all the same length>
             <allEqualLength/>
             <allNonTemporal/>
         </and>
      </or>
  </AppliesTo>
</LimpetCommand>

[IanMayo]

Slip remaining items to milestone two

[IanMayo]

@dinkoivanov - I'm assigning this to you, for once you're on top of the property editors, or if you get held up on it. No rush.