This file describes how to do specific tasks in extending GEF and
applying it to new domains. These descriptions are inteded for
programmers who have some knowledge of Java(tm), and have read the GEF Overview, are considering making
modifications to GEF.
I am still working on writting the GEF cookbook. Notification of major
updates will be sent to the gef-users mailing list. Your comments and
experiences will greatly help me know where to focus my efforts.
How to use this cookbook
Background: Cookbooks are
intented to help people accomplish specific structured tasks. They
mainly provide process information in the form of a sequence of steps,
and domain-specific knowledge in the form of brief descriptions and
links to background materials. The format of each cookbook entry
(recipe) is similiar to this one.
Applicability: You should use a
cookbook when there is a specific task you want to accomplish and
there is a recipe in the cookbook that supports that specific
task. Also, browse the cookbook to see what tasks are supported.
Ingredients: Each recipe lists
the matierals that you may need to accomplish the task. Not all
matierals are needed in all cases.
Steps:
- Find the recipe by scanning the cookbook's table of contents or
by following a link from javadoc comments in the code or other
documentation.
- Check the "Background" and "Applicability" sections to make sure
that the recipe is what you were looking for. Scan the "Steps" to get
an idea of what you will have to do. Read the "Results" section to see
what the recipe will produce and how to check that the task was
successfully completed.
- Prepare to follow the steps by gathering the needed ingredients.
- Perform the actions described in the recipe's steps.
- Optional: Follow steps marked "Optional" to achieve minor variants
or advanced versions of the task.
Results: Each recipe lists the
results that you can expect and how to verify that the task was
completed successfully.
