#
# Demos for xmlBlaster with a graphical chat client 
# and a monitoring program
# xmlBlaster/demo/javaclients/graphical/README
#
# Based on JHotdraw, see http://jhotdraw.sourceforge.net/
#

To start the graphical chat demo:
=================================

1) start an xmlBlaster instance:
java org.xmlBlaster.Main

2) in another terminal start the demo:
java javaclients.graphical.GraphicChat -publishDelay 100

3) in another terminal start a second instance of the demo:
java javaclients.graphical.GraphicChat -publishDelay 100

In both instances choose "new" in the "file" menu. Alternatively you 
choose 
  a) "new" in one instance and (the sequence is important) 
  b) "open" in the other (but only if you have a stored drawing already).

if you want the drawings to update slower (100 ms is default) then you change
the "publishDelay" flag on the command line.

NOTE: It is a simple demo and as such it is quite limited and not for production
level. Please feel free to improve it.



To start the Monitoring program
===============================

- start the xmlBlaster
 java org.xmlBlaster.Main

- in another terminal start the monitoring program
 java javaclients.graphical.MonitoringAppl
  once the GUI has appeared open a file (for example airport.draw)

- in another terminal start the simulator (this is the publisher of the messages)
java javaclients.graphical.Simulator -nmax 3 -oidPrefix ambulance -sweeps 100

Currently as oidPrefix you can either choose 'ambulance', 'plane' or 'car'.


How can you create new drawings ?
================================

Choose "new" in the "file" menu. Then a new frame apperars. Draw the image of your
choice by using the available tools.

If you want an image to become sensitive, i.e. to react to xmlBlaster messages, you
add to it a text (which you subsequently can hide by making it small) and then you group
it together (with the "edit" -> "group" menu). The text is a special text. To become a
command, a text must contain three semicolumn separated fields. The first field must
be either "&instance" or "&template". An instance is an image which exists already and
which will change appearance when receiving xmlBlaster updates. When specifying instances,
the second field is the oid of the message affecting its appeareance.

A template is an image which will be created everytime a new message (a new topic) arrives
having an oid starting with the string specified in the second field of the command.
Once such message is erased, such images will also disapear from the screen.

The third field is the action to be taken when a message arrives (valid actions are "location",
"size","text","color"). Currently only "location" is implemented.

examples:

1) &instance;ambulance.1;location
This will subscribe to the oid='ambulance.1'. The publisher will then send a message with the content "x;y".
for example 100;200 will move the ambulance image to the point 100;200 of the window.

2) &template;plane;location
This will subscribe with xpath to the messages with "//plane" and everytime a new message arrives which 
has an oid='plane.1' or oid="planeBigJumbo" it will create an image and position it accoringly. Note that
the publisher must then have a key like this: 
"<key oid='plane.1"><flyingObjects><plane/></flyingObjects></key>" or
"<key oid='plane.1"><plane/></key>"

Michele
michele@laghi.eu