2011-10-10 08:32:07 +02:00
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/****************************************************************************
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**
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** This file is part of Qt Creator
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**
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2012-01-26 18:33:46 +01:00
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** Copyright (c) 2012 Nokia Corporation and/or its subsidiary(-ies).
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2011-10-10 08:32:07 +02:00
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**
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** Contact: Nokia Corporation (info@qt.nokia.com)
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**
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**
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** GNU Free Documentation License
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**
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** Alternatively, this file may be used under the terms of the GNU Free
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** Documentation License version 1.3 as published by the Free Software
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** Foundation and appearing in the file included in the packaging of this
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** file.
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**
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** If you have questions regarding the use of this file, please contact
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** Nokia at info@qt.nokia.com.
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**
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****************************************************************************/
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/*!
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\page creating-plugins.html
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\title Creating Plugins
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At its very core, \QC consists of a plugin loader that loads
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and runs a set of plugins, which then actually provide the functionality
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that you know from \QC the IDE. So, even the main application window
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and menus are all provided by plugins. Plugins can use different means
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to provide other plugins access to their functionality and to allow them
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to extend certain aspects of the application.
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For example the "Core" plugin, which is the very basic plugin that must be
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present for \QC to run at all, provides the main window itself, and API
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for adding menu items, modes, editor types, navigation panels and many other
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things.
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The "TextEditor" plugin provides a framework and base implementation for
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different text editors with highlighting, completion and folding, that
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is then used by other plugins to add more specialized text editor types
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to \QC, like for editing C/C++ or .pro files.
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After reading this guide you will know what a basic plugin consists of,
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how to write a plugin specification file, what the lifecycle of a plugin is,
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what the general principles for extending existing plugins'
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functionality and providing interfaces for other plugins are, and will
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be able to write your first plugin.
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\section1 Basics
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\list
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\o \l{Getting and Building Qt Creator}
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\o \l{Creating Your First Plugin}
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\o \l{Plugin Specifications}
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\o \l{Plugin Life Cycle}
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\endlist
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\section1 Design Principles
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\list
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\o \l{The Plugin Manager, the Object Pool, and Registered Objects}
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\o \l{Aggregations}
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\o \l{Extending and Providing Interfaces}
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\endlist
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\section1 Creating 3rd-Party Plugins
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\list
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\o \l{A Note on Binary Compatibility}
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\o \l{Creating User-Installable Plugins}
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\endlist
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*/
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