ACS Component Simulator J Ibsen European Southern Observatory

ACS Component Simulator J. Ibsen European Southern Observatory Garching – January 2007 ESO

Summary ALMA Project • • What is it? (some) Requirements Implementation What do we need? Cookbook Examples Final remarks/Homework Garching, January 2007 Component Simulator 2

What is it? ALMA Project • An ACS component/characteristic component capable to implement its IDL interface at runtime • Useful for test driven development and to provide cheap/easy-to-deploy mock-up components (simulating normal/alternative behaviors). Garching, January 2007 Component Simulator 3

(some) Requirements ALMA Project • Methods and attributes should be generated on the fly • Simulated component should behave as a real component (respecting the component lifecyle) • Different component behaviors should be “easily” added. • APIs should be available to developers. Garching, January 2007 Component Simulator 4

Implementation ALMA Project • Simulator component has been implemented in python (dynamic inheritance, methods can be redefined at runtime) • Configuration is done populating the CDB (CDB/alma/simulated) Garching, January 2007 Component Simulator 5

What do we need? ALMA Project • Brand new IDL (and schema if we have a characteristic component) • Runtime environment (i. e. CDB suitable to start ACS and containers) Garching, January 2007 Component Simulator 6

Cookbook: deployment ALMA Project • Add component to CDB/MACI/Components. xml • If we’re dealing with a characteristic component, add an entry to: CDB/alma/<Name>. xml • Add entry to: CDB/alma/simulated/<Name>. xml Garching, January 2007 Component Simulator 7

Ex 1: getting a reference ALMA Project • Start ACS • Start simulation. Container • Open objexp and get a reference to the simulated component Garching, January 2007 Component Simulator 8

Ex 2: methods ALMA Project • From the simulation GUI, select the objfix method • Insert code to change objfix • Setup simulation CDB entry to add the code Garching, January 2007 Component Simulator 9

Simulation CDB elements ALMA Project • • • <python. Imports>: python libraries <initialize> <clean. Up> <_corba. Method> <_corba. Attribute> Schema file: Simulated. Component. xsd Garching, January 2007 Component Simulator 10

Ex 3: properties ALMA Project • Properties are simulated at Dev. IO level. • Tip: write down a python module with the Dev. IO for the simulated property and a get. Dev. IO function • Add code to the simulation CDB entry Garching, January 2007 Component Simulator 11

Ex 4: methods and properties ALMA Project • Write down a python module with the desired simulation • Include it in the <python. Imports> section • Call your functions from the <_corba. Attribute> and <_corba. Method> sections Garching, January 2007 Component Simulator 12

Final Remarks ALMA Project • The component simulator allows to decouple some test development from implementation • Allows developers to a test first approach Garching, January 2007 Component Simulator 13

Homework ALMA Project • Prepare a simulation for your interface • Prepare x. Unit/other tests to use when the implementation is ready Garching, January 2007 Component Simulator 14