nrEngine::Plugin Class Reference
[Plugin managment]

General interface for any plugin in the engine. More...

Inheritance diagram for nrEngine::Plugin:

Public Member Functions
	Plugin ()
virtual	~Plugin ()
virtual void *	getSymbol (const std::string &name) const
Protected Types
typedef int(*)	plgInitialize (Engine *, PropertyList *)
	This defines the interface of the initialization function of the plugin.
typedef char *(*)	plgError (int)
	Define the type of the error get function of th eplugin.
typedef void(*)	plgRelease (void)
	This is the interface of the release function of the plugin.
typedef unsigned int(*)	plgEngineVersion (void)
	Interface for the version information.
typedef char *(*)	plgVersionString (void)
	Get full version string of the plugin.
Protected Member Functions
Result	initialize (PropertyList *params=NULL)
virtual Result	unloadResource ()
virtual Result	reloadResource (PropertyList *params)
std::string	getLastPluginError ()
	Get last plugin error message from the system.
Protected Attributes
PluginHandle	mPluginHandle
	Handle of the used dynamic library.
plgInitialize	m_plgInitialize
plgError	m_plgError
plgRelease	m_plgRelease
plgEngineVersion	m_plgEngineVersion
plgVersionString	m_plgVersionString
Friends
class	PluginLoader
	Plugin loader is a friend, so it get full accecc to our functions.

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Detailed Description

General interface for any plugin in the engine.

Plugins are used to extend the functionality of the engine without rewriting it. You can just write new plugin and add this to the engine, so the engine could get it loaded. The user will then get the new functionality automaticaly or by using the concept of application - plugin - communication.

Plugins are resources that used in the same way like normal resources.

Each plugin library has to export following symbols:

• int plgInitialize(Engine*)
  • will be called after library is loaded
  • plugin will get the pointer to the root object of the engine
  • return 0 for success otherwise error code

• unsigned int plgEngineVersion()
  • plugin should return a version number according to the engine
  • return the value also if not initialized before

• char* plgVersionString()
  • return a full string containing information about the plugin version/name
  • return the strign also if not initialized before

• char* plgError (int)
  • return a short error string for the given code

• void plgRelease()
  • will be called before plugin is getting unloaded

Following symbols are optional:

• void plgGetMethods (std::vector<PlgMethod> &)
  • should fill the given vector whithin informations of plugin methods which could be used as extra calls from the user point of view (e.g. scripts)

• void plgCall (const std::string&, std::vector<PlgParam>& )
  • call a subroutine from the plugin, also send parameters

See also:

IResource

Definition at line 123 of file Plugin.h.

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Member Function Documentation

void * nrEngine::Plugin::getSymbol

(

const std::string &

name

)

const [virtual]

Retuns the addres of a symbol (function,variable) from the plugin. You have to cast this addres for using.

Parameters:

name

Unique name of the symbol

Reimplemented in nrEngine::EmptyPlugin.

Definition at line 37 of file Plugin.cpp.

References mPluginHandle.

Referenced by initialize().

Result nrEngine::Plugin::initialize

(

PropertyList *

params = NULL

)

[protected]

This method is called by the plugin loader after it has loaed the library. The plugin object has now to get all symbols and initialize the library.

Returns:

error code

Definition at line 44 of file Plugin.cpp.

References nrEngine::convertVersionToString(), nrEngine::IResource::getResourceName(), getSymbol(), nrEngine::Engine::instance(), nrEngine::Log::LL_DEBUG, nrEngine::Log::LL_ERROR, nrEngine::Log::LOG_ENGINE, nrEngine::Log::LOG_PLUGIN, m_plgEngineVersion, m_plgError, m_plgInitialize, m_plgRelease, m_plgVersionString, nrEngine::nrEngineVersion, nrEngine::OK, nrEngine::PLG_EXTERNAL_ERROR, nrEngine::PLG_SYMBOL_NOT_FOUND, and nrEngine::PLG_WRONG_VERSION.

Referenced by reloadResource().

Result nrEngine::Plugin::unloadResource

(

)

[protected, virtual]

Derived function from IResource

Implements nrEngine::IResource.

Reimplemented in nrEngine::EmptyPlugin.

Definition at line 123 of file Plugin.cpp.

References getLastPluginError(), nrEngine::IResource::getResourceName(), nrEngine::IResource::isResourceLoaded(), nrEngine::Log::LL_ERROR, nrEngine::Log::LOG_ENGINE, m_plgEngineVersion, m_plgError, m_plgInitialize, m_plgRelease, m_plgVersionString, nrEngine::IResource::markResourceUnloaded(), mPluginHandle, nrEngine::OK, and nrEngine::PLG_UNLOAD_ERROR.

Referenced by ~Plugin().

Result nrEngine::Plugin::reloadResource

(

PropertyList *

params

)

[protected, virtual]

Reload resource. Each resource object should be able to reload itself from the disk or other media. It can use the assigned loader to load files or to make it by itself. At the end the resource should be marked as loaded.

Implements nrEngine::IResource.

Definition at line 157 of file Plugin.cpp.

References getLastPluginError(), nrEngine::IResource::getResourceFilenameList(), nrEngine::IResource::getResourceName(), initialize(), nrEngine::IResource::isResourceLoaded(), nrEngine::Log::LL_ERROR, nrEngine::Log::LOG_ENGINE, mPluginHandle, nrEngine::OK, and nrEngine::PLG_COULD_NOT_LOAD.

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The documentation for this class was generated from the following files:

• Plugin.h
• Plugin.cpp

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