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[XPAND] accessing <<FILE ...>> from Java [message #493741]

Tue, 27 October 2009 14:20

Roberto Salama
Messages: 13
Registered: July 2009

Junior Member

Hello:

I have the following .xpt file:

«IMPORT entityDsl»

«EXTENSION templates::Extensions»

«DEFINE main FOR Model-»
«FILE "output.txt"-»
«EXPAND Instance FOREACH this.instances-»
«ENDFILE-»
«ENDDEFINE»

«DEFINE Instance FOR Instance»
«createInstance(this)»
«ENDDEFINE»

The method creatInstance(this) is mapped to a java call in the .ext file:

Void createInstance(Instance i) :
JAVA helper.EntityHandler.createInstance(com.ms.entityDsl.Instanc e);

How can I access the FILE created in the .xpt file from inside the createInstance() java call?

Thanks!

roberto

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Re: [XPAND] accessing <<FILE ...>> from Java [message #493749 is a reply to message #493741]

Tue, 27 October 2009 15:46

Christian Dietrich
Messages: 4426
Registered: July 2009

Senior Member

hello roberto,

afaik this is not possible. what is the usecase you need this feature for?

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Re: [XPAND] accessing <<FILE ...>> from Java [message #493903 is a reply to message #493749]

Wed, 28 October 2009 09:03

Roberto Salama
Messages: 13
Registered: July 2009

Junior Member

Thanks for your reply.

While writing XPAND templates, I find myself resorting to Java mainly to leverage Maps which I don't know how to access from XPAND directly.

My use case, in this case, is to manipulate an Entity in java using a couple of maps. So an Entity contains properties, entities are created (ie x = new Foo()) then values are set (ie, x.name = "Pluto"; x.age = 3). In traversing the AST with XPAND, I use a Map to store key value relationships which I then need to serialize. This is just a toy language not a real world use case, but I can see that not being able to use (or not knowing how to use) a Map XPAND requires me to dive into Java. Even though I am serializing, I can see the need to write back to the <<FILE>> from Java.

thanks.

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Re: [XPAND] accessing <<FILE ...>> from Java [message #493905 is a reply to message #493903]

Wed, 28 October 2009 09:11

Christian Dietrich
Messages: 4426
Registered: July 2009

Senior Member

hi,

if i unserstand your problem you create a String with Java and want to wirte this into the Xpand file. So why don't let the extension return the string.

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Re: [XPAND] accessing <<FILE ...>> from Java [message #493910 is a reply to message #493905]

Wed, 28 October 2009 09:30

Christian Dietrich
Messages: 4426
Registered: July 2009

Senior Member

Sorry for the typos in my previous posts. my phases might have been a bit misunderstandable:

here an example who to write code from a Java Extension into a file using the xpand / xtend / java - queue:

Java:

public class MyJavaExtensions {
   public String myXtendFunction(Parameter param) {
       String result = "";
      // do some calculation
return result;
   }
}

Xtend

String myXtendFuntion(Parameter param):
    JAVA path.MyJavaExtensions.myXtendFunction(oath.Parameter);

Xpand

<< FILE "test.txt">>
<<myXtendFuntion(param)>>
<<ENDFILE>>

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Re: [XPAND] accessing <<FILE ...>> from Java [message #494100 is a reply to message #493903]

Thu, 29 October 2009 04:47

Karsten Thoms
Messages: 331
Registered: July 2009
Location: Dortmund

Senior Member

If you just want to assign dynamic values to your Entity instances, use Xtend stdlib ElementProperties extensions. You will find a reference in the docs. In your Java code you could call ElementPropertiesExtensions.get/setProperty().

Coming back to your initial request: You could access the FILE statement from Java with some hacks: You'd need to implement a Callback that is registered to the Generator component. This gets informed on any statement evaluated. Then recognize opening FILE statements and store a handle to this instance in a ThreadLocal. This ThreadLocal must be made accessible from your Java method that needs the File statement. Since this is a real hack you see that's not a common use case.

Best wishes,
~Karsten

Need professional support for Xtext, Xpand, EMF?
Go to: http://xtext.itemis.com
Twitter : @kthoms
Blog : www.karsten-thoms.de

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