org.biomoby.service.dashboard
Interface DashboardPanel

All Known Implementing Classes:

AbstractPanel, Dashboard, DebuggingPanel, ExamplePanel, GeneratorPanel, MobyUnitTestingPanel, PerlMoSeSPanel, RegistrationDataTypeSubPanel, RegistrationNamespaceSubPanel, RegistrationPanel, RegistrationServiceSubPanel, RegistrationServiceTypeSubPanel, RegistryPanel, ResultsPanel, SimpleClientPanel, StatisticsPanel, UnitTestingResultPanel

public interface DashboardPanel

An interface that must be implemented by each panel that wants to sit on a dashboard.

Version:

$Id: DashboardPanel.java,v 1.9 2005/12/13 15:01:29 senger Exp $

Author:

Martin Senger

Method Summary

JComponent	getComponent(PropertyChannel propertyChannel) Return a graphical representation of this panel.
String	getDescription() Return a short description (few lines only) of this panel.
String	getHelp() The help system is centralized in Dashboard itself.
URL	getHelpURL() Return a URL of this panel's help page.
Icon	getIcon() Return an icon decorating this panel.
URL	getIconURL() Return a URL of this panel's icon.
String	getName() A name identifies a panel in the dashboard's tabs.
JLabel	getTitle() A title is a more-detailed description of a panel, possibly including an image.
boolean	isMandatory() Some panels can be selected by users as not-needed - so they do not show at the start-up.
boolean	loadOnlyOnDemand() Some panels are less important for most users (e.g. debugging panels) so they are shown only when a user specifically selects them.

Method Detail

getComponent

JComponent getComponent(PropertyChannel propertyChannel)

Return a graphical representation of this panel.

Parameters:

propertyChannel - is a shared storage for properties

Returns:

a GUI representing this panel

getName

String getName()

A name identifies a panel in the dashboard's tabs. It should be relatively short, without newlines, or any other special characters.

See Also:

getTitle()

getTitle

JLabel getTitle()

A title is a more-detailed description of a panel, possibly including an image. The dashboard will display it above this panel.

Returns:

a panel (possibly rich) title, or an empty label (but not null)

See Also:

getName()

getHelp

String getHelp()

The help system is centralized in Dashboard itself. The panels are not supposed to have a Help button. The main panel help is provided by this method. Which, however, does not preclude to use help tool-tips, or some ways of context-sensitive help, directly in panels.

The returned string will be treated as an HTML document (will be displayed with "text/html" mime type).

TBD: we may change this later and use JavaHelp mechanism.

Returns:

the main help document describing features provided by a panel

getHelpURL

URL getHelpURL()

Return a URL of this panel's help page. Usually it is a link to a local file, the same one that is often used by the getHelp() method. This URL (instead of direct help text) is used in the dashboard summary page.

Returns:

a URL of the panel help page, or null

getDescription

String getDescription()

Return a short description (few lines only) of this panel. It may be used in some Dashboard summary, or in panel selection settings.

Returns:

a panel short description

getIcon

Icon getIcon()

Return an icon decorating this panel. The icon should be small - it will be used in the panel tab (together with the name returned by getName()). A dashboard may ignore too large icons.

Returns:

a panel icon, or null

getIconURL

URL getIconURL()

Return a URL of this panel's icon. Usually it is the same icon as returned by the getIcon(). This URL (instead of directly the icon) is used in the dashboard summary page.

Returns:

a URL (usualy pointing to a local file) of the panel icon, or null

isMandatory

boolean isMandatory()

Some panels can be selected by users as not-needed - so they do not show at the start-up. But some panels cannot be removed because their functionality is crucial also for other panels.

Returns:

true if this panel should be always shown in the dashboard

loadOnlyOnDemand

boolean loadOnlyOnDemand()

Some panels are less important for most users (e.g. debugging panels) so they are shown only when a user specifically selects them.

Returns:

true if this panel should not be loaded by deafult