xref: /trunk/main/slideshow/manifest.txt (revision c966c276)

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Slideshow module design & coding manifest
=========================================

Coding style:
-------------

 - modified BSD style:
   if( !test )
   {
       function( arg1,
                 arg2,
                 arg3 );
   }

 - members are always named maSomething

 - no tabs, indent four spaces

 - Class names (and type names in general) are UpperCamelCase, method
   names lowerCamelCase

 - all file names are lowercase, header files end in hxx, source files
   in cxx; one header per class, only one linkable class per cxx.

 - header guards follow this scheme: INCLUDED_SLIDESHOW_<CLASSNAME>_HXX

 - module-external headers, and system headers are included like this:
   #include <module/header.hxx> or #include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>.
   module-internal headers are included like this:
   #include "header.hxx"
   No external header guards are used in cxx files


Design
------

 - currently, the slideshow module is basically
   single-threaded. Therefore, the XSlideShow interface must be called
   from the _main thread_ (this precondition is asserted). Other
   listener interfaces, which we could not impose this limitation upon
   (XSlideShowView's XMouseMotionListener, XMouseListener,
   XPaintListener and XModifyListener) will queue the events, and
   process them in the main thread. Therefore, XSlideShow::update()
   needs to be called frequently from the slideshow client.

   This design is necessitated by the fact that at least one XCanvas
   implementation (vclcanvas) must be called from the main thread
   only. Once the UNO threading framework is integrated, this can be
   changed.

   As of now, SlideView, SlideShowImpl, EventMultiplexerListener and
   DummyRenderer are exposed to calls from the outside world; of
   those, SlideView and EventMultiplexerListener serialize the calls
   by enqueuing events, SlideShowImpl imposes the hard constraint of
   being called from the main thread, and DummyRenderer is content
   with a simple object mutex. As a side effect, the global EventQueue
   must be thread-safe (as one of the few internal objects having an
   object mutex)

 - wherever possible, abstract interfaces and shared_ptr are used.
   * exception: global objects like EventQueue,
     and tightly collaborating classes, like Slide/LayerManager/Layer

 - since shared_ptr can lead to circular references (resulting in
   memory leaks), some care needs to be taken to avoid those. Where
   circular references are inevitable, or can happen by accident,
   classes implement the Disposable interface. The owner of the object
   then calls dispose() on its owned objects.
   Another way of avoiding circular references are weak_ptr, which are
   used in a few places.
   One of those places are the ViewEventHandlers, which are held weak
   on the EventMultiplexer. Otherwise, every class in need of view
   events would have to delegate listening to a dedicated child
   object, or burden their clients with the Disposable interface.

 - Pattern: Separate Listener
   To avoid circular shared_ptr references, classes in need to
   register a listener at EventMultiplexer often implement the
   corresponding listener interface in a separate object. This object
   is held via shared_ptr by the original class, and normally
   registered at the EventMultiplexer (and thus held by shared_ptr
   there, too). The separate listener object in turn holds the
   original object by plain reference. This is safe, if the original
   object removes the listener from the EventMultiplexer, before or
   within the destructor.


Testing
=======

Before merging changes to HEAD, besides making sure the usual QA has
been done, also run the unit and integration tests in the
slideshow/test directory. Issuing a "dmake test" should run the unit
tests, and generate a "demoshow" binary, that should also be run and
checked to work properly.