AMP Applications and Built-In Extension Points

This section describes the AMP applications, extension points, and plug-ins.

Applications and Extension Points

Writing an AMP application is slightly different from writing a typical General Interface application because AMP takes over certain parts of the application life cycle. AMP itself defines the extension points that AMP applications use to perform actions at life cycle events.

An AMP application must enable the AMP add-in. Use the Project Settings dialog in General Interface Builder.

A non-AMP General Interface application defines a default component file that the runtime loads when the application loads. This setting is managed in the Project Settings dialog or with the objectseturl deployment parameter saved in the config.xml file. AMP applications do not define a default component file. Rather, they extend the jsx3.amp.main.layout extension point to provide a layout. The declaration of this extension point documents its contract.

<!-- Exactly one plug-in should extend this point to provide the

default component file to paint. -->

<extension point id="layout" name="Main Component Extension Point">
    <!-- This should return a function with the following
signature:
         function(parent : jsx3.app.Model)
        -->
    <processor type="return-async"/>
</extension>

The following example shows a possible implementation of this extension point.

<extension point="jsx3.amp.main.layout">

    <eval>[function (parent) {
        var b = new jsx3.gui.Block();
        b.setText("Hello World");
        parent.setChild(b);
      }][0]
    </eval>
</extension>

The array literal syntax ([function(){}][0]) is included to make sure that the script evaluates to the function reference rather than just declaring a function in the global scope.

A non-AMP application defines an onLoad script that is executed as soon as the application paints for the first time. Instead of defining such a script in the Project Settings dialog, an AMP application extends the jsx3.amp.main.init extension point. The processor on this extension point is the simple eval type.

<extension point="jsx3.amp.main.init">
    <eval load="true">this.getPlugIn().onAppInit();</eval>
</extension>

Standard Extension Points and Plug-Ins

AMP defines other standard extension points and plug-ins for several useful application-level GUI controls. AMP also defines a plug-in for each optional class in the General Interface standard library. The names of these plug-ins are equal to the fully-qualified names of the classes that they load. Using these plug-ins, an AMP application can completely bypass lazy class loading, which is implemented with a synchronous (lower performing) load.

See the General Interface AMP API documentation for more information.

Extension Point: jsx3.amp.main.progress

This extension point allows application code to be notified of AMP loading progress. For example, an application may implement a custom load progress indicator when it first loads. An application may also provide feedback to the user when AMP is loading resources over the course of running the application.

Plug-In: jsx3.amp.util.menumgr

This plug-in allows a menu bar to be composed of AMP extensions. This plug-in is helpful if an application requires an extensible menu bars or context menus.

Plug-In: jsx3.amp.util.prefspanel

This plug-in implements an extensible preferences panel. Panes may be added to the panel via AMP extensions.

Plug-In: jsx3.amp.util.wizard

This plug-in implements a wizard control. Wizard panes may be added to the wizard via AMP extensions.

Plug-In: jsx3.amp.util.toolbarmgr

This plug-in allows a toolbar to be composed of AMP extensions.

Optional Classes of the General Interface Standard Library

The General Interface standard library contains the following optional classes; an AMP plug-in is defined for each of these classes:

jsx3.app.UserSettings
jsx3.gui.Alerts
jsx3.gui.Block
jsx3.gui.BlockX
jsx3.gui.Button
jsx3.gui.CheckBox
jsx3.gui.ColorPicker
jsx3.gui.DatePicker
jsx3.gui.Dialog
jsx3.gui.Form
jsx3.gui.Image
jsx3.gui.ImageButton
jsx3.gui.LayoutGrid
jsx3.gui.Matrix
jsx3.gui.Matrix.Column
jsx3.gui.Menu
jsx3.gui.Painted
jsx3.gui.RadioButton
jsx3.gui.Select
jsx3.gui.Slider
jsx3.gui.Sound
jsx3.gui.Splitter
jsx3.gui.Stack
jsx3.gui.StackGroup
jsx3.gui.Tab
jsx3.gui.TabbedPane
jsx3.gui.Table
jsx3.gui.TextBox
jsx3.gui.TimePicker
jsx3.gui.ToolbarButton
jsx3.gui.Tree
jsx3.gui.Window
jsx3.gui.WindowBar
jsx3.net.Form
jsx3.net.Service
jsx3.xml.Cacheable