User Interface Plugin Creation/Debug process

ldolse · 04-28-2011, 05:48 AM

I've read through the plugin tutorial on the main Calibre site, and there was one bit I wanted to clarify.

Is this the primary method to modify/debug these plugins?:

Make your changes
Re-zip the plugin files
Uninstall/Install the new version to Calibre using the GUI
Re-start Calibre
Test

Are there any tips for reducing/simplifying those steps?

ldolse · 04-28-2011, 05:59 AM

To answer my own question, I just missed this on the first read through the tutorial:

Quote:

It can get tiresome to keep re-adding a plugin to calibre to test small changes. The plugin zip files are stored in the calibre config directory in plugins/ (goto Preferences->Misc and click open config directory to see the config directory).

Once you’ve located the zip file of your plugin you can then directly update it with your changes instead of re-adding it each time. To do so from the command line, in the directory that contains your plugin source code, use:

zip -R /path/to/plugin/zip/file.zip *
This will update all changed files. It relies on the freely available zip command line tool. Note that you should quit calibre before running this command.

kiwidude · 04-28-2011, 06:02 AM

I posted a batch file here that I use.

I make this part of my project folder in Eclipse so in the package explorer I can directly just double click on it. This rebuilds the zip, re-installs it into Calibre and starts calibre in debug mode. You just need to remember to close Calibre before you next run it again.

You can directly test preferences configuration screens etc using __main__ test stubs in the class files but I've never really found that particularly useful for user interface plugins, mainly because I am wanting to test the result of changing a setting rather than just the configuration screen itself.

meme · 04-28-2011, 08:13 AM

This is how I do it as well. A simple batch script (I include mine in the plugin's zip). And a second one when running from source just to set the source path. No need to uninstall - just install on top. And Calibre will remember your icon/menu setup so you don't have to re-add it. I used to have test stubs but they weren't of any real use once I got it running.

There is a lot of run, fix typo, run, tweak, run

Sometimes even run, forget to tweak, run again and get very confused

And with a device its wait 5/6 seconds before you can test...

kovidgoyal · 04-28-2011, 10:49 AM

I just added a command lie option to shutdown a running calibre instance. So now you can do this:

Code:

    calibre -s; sleep 4s; zip -R /path/to/plugin/zip/file.zip *; calibre

GRiker · 04-28-2011, 11:18 AM

Kovid, would it be possible to use reload() if running in debug mode and calling a UserInterfacePlugin?

I've been using a variation on this approach that dynamically loads my actual plugin code from the zipped contents in the plugin. It depends upon some custom macros in my editor that modify both the unzipped copy of the plugin as well as the original plugin source (which needs to be rebuilt when exiting). Using this approach, I can simply rerun the plugin in place without losing context.

It seems like the concept of using reload() might be portable to the trunk.

G

kovidgoyal · 04-28-2011, 11:22 AM

Dynamic reloading is fraught with a lot of complications. This is because there may be references to the plugin class/an object instantiated from the class held in various places. The reload would have to invalidate an recreate all those references.

GRiker · 04-28-2011, 11:28 AM

Yes, that makes sense for builtin plugins. But it seems that custom UI plugins wouldn't have active references to them in other parts of the code base. They tend to run modally, although there are some that don't (KiwiDude's Temp Marker comes to mind).

G

kovidgoyal · 04-28-2011, 11:36 AM

Well, the gui object holds a reference to the plugin object and the qaction built from the object.

While that could probably be managed, there' no guarantee that the plugin did not stick references to objects created in it anywhere else.

All in all, this is not a can of worms I want to open. With the -s switch, developing a plugin is now almost as easy as developing calibre source code (the only difference is an extra 4 second wait when launching calibre). I'm pretty happy with that.

kovidgoyal · 04-28-2011, 12:09 PM

I should add that the zipplugin mechanism is reload friendly. So you can add code to your plugin that does

reload(module)

to have it reload some previously loaded module from your plugin.

ldolse · 04-29-2011, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

I should add that the zipplugin mechanism is reload friendly. So you can add code to your plugin that does

reload(module)

to have it reload some previously loaded module from your plugin.

Appreciate all the tips/changes that the thread started.

So using the reload(module) action could be temporarily tied directly into the plugin during the debugging phase as an action inside the plugin UI, correct? Based on the rest of the discussion it doesn't sound like something one would want to leave in the release version, but that could be a handy bit of code to comment/uncomment while making changes.

kovidgoyal · 04-29-2011, 10:18 AM

Yes, that's the idea, put it in while developing and take it out later.

user_none · 04-29-2011, 10:54 AM

Couldn't you set the reload code as a plugin tweak? This way you won't have to make changes for the release version.

kovidgoyal · 04-29-2011, 10:57 AM

Yeah, that would work.

ldolse · 11-04-2011, 05:36 AM

I just made a sticky on this topic with links to any relevant data - the forum is generally the first place I always think to go on this topic when I'm getting back into plugin tweaking and it seems like I'm always seeking out this thread even when I could go to the docs. Anyway let me know if anything else useful on the topic should go into the sticky. I don't believe the reload tweak made it past the discussion phase.

04-28-2011, 05:48 AM	#1
ldolse Wizard Posts: 1,337 Karma: 123455 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Malaysia Device: PRS-650, iPhone	User Interface Plugin Creation/Debug process I've read through the plugin tutorial on the main Calibre site, and there was one bit I wanted to clarify. Is this the primary method to modify/debug these plugins?: Make your changes Re-zip the plugin files Uninstall/Install the new version to Calibre using the GUI Re-start Calibre Test Are there any tips for reducing/simplifying those steps?

04-28-2011, 10:49 AM	#5
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,839 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	I just added a command lie option to shutdown a running calibre instance. So now you can do this: Code: calibre -s; sleep 4s; zip -R /path/to/plugin/zip/file.zip *; calibre

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04-28-2011, 06:02 AM	#3
kiwidude Calibre Plugins Developer Posts: 4,636 Karma: 2162064 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kindle Oasis	I posted a batch file here that I use. I make this part of my project folder in Eclipse so in the package explorer I can directly just double click on it. This rebuilds the zip, re-installs it into Calibre and starts calibre in debug mode. You just need to remember to close Calibre before you next run it again. You can directly test preferences configuration screens etc using __main__ test stubs in the class files but I've never really found that particularly useful for user interface plugins, mainly because I am wanting to test the result of changing a setting rather than just the configuration screen itself.

04-28-2011, 08:13 AM	#4
meme Sigil developer Posts: 1,275 Karma: 1101600 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle PW, K4 NT, K3, Kobo Touch	This is how I do it as well. A simple batch script (I include mine in the plugin's zip). And a second one when running from source just to set the source path. No need to uninstall - just install on top. And Calibre will remember your icon/menu setup so you don't have to re-add it. I used to have test stubs but they weren't of any real use once I got it running. There is a lot of run, fix typo, run, tweak, run Sometimes even run, forget to tweak, run again and get very confused And with a device its wait 5/6 seconds before you can test...

04-28-2011, 11:18 AM	#6
GRiker Comparer of the Ephemeris Posts: 1,496 Karma: 424697 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: iPad	Kovid, would it be possible to use reload() if running in debug mode and calling a UserInterfacePlugin? I've been using a variation on this approach that dynamically loads my actual plugin code from the zipped contents in the plugin. It depends upon some custom macros in my editor that modify both the unzipped copy of the plugin as well as the original plugin source (which needs to be rebuilt when exiting). Using this approach, I can simply rerun the plugin in place without losing context. It seems like the concept of using reload() might be portable to the trunk. G

04-28-2011, 11:22 AM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,839 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Dynamic reloading is fraught with a lot of complications. This is because there may be references to the plugin class/an object instantiated from the class held in various places. The reload would have to invalidate an recreate all those references.

04-28-2011, 11:28 AM	#8
GRiker Comparer of the Ephemeris Posts: 1,496 Karma: 424697 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: iPad	Yes, that makes sense for builtin plugins. But it seems that custom UI plugins wouldn't have active references to them in other parts of the code base. They tend to run modally, although there are some that don't (KiwiDude's Temp Marker comes to mind). G

04-28-2011, 11:36 AM	#9
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,839 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Well, the gui object holds a reference to the plugin object and the qaction built from the object. While that could probably be managed, there' no guarantee that the plugin did not stick references to objects created in it anywhere else. All in all, this is not a can of worms I want to open. With the -s switch, developing a plugin is now almost as easy as developing calibre source code (the only difference is an extra 4 second wait when launching calibre). I'm pretty happy with that.

04-28-2011, 12:09 PM	#10
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,839 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	I should add that the zipplugin mechanism is reload friendly. So you can add code to your plugin that does reload(module) to have it reload some previously loaded module from your plugin.

04-29-2011, 10:18 AM	#12
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,839 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Yes, that's the idea, put it in while developing and take it out later.

04-29-2011, 10:54 AM	#13
user_none Sigil & calibre developer Posts: 2,488 Karma: 1063785 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida, USA Device: Nook STR	Couldn't you set the reload code as a plugin tweak? This way you won't have to make changes for the release version.

04-29-2011, 10:57 AM	#14
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,839 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Yeah, that would work.

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11-04-2011, 05:36 AM	#15
ldolse Wizard Posts: 1,337 Karma: 123455 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Malaysia Device: PRS-650, iPhone	I just made a sticky on this topic with links to any relevant data - the forum is generally the first place I always think to go on this topic when I'm getting back into plugin tweaking and it seems like I'm always seeking out this thread even when I could go to the docs. Anyway let me know if anything else useful on the topic should go into the sticky. I don't believe the reload tweak made it past the discussion phase.