The key component for public package deployment is the "Salt.Mine" package repository - service (sami.klayout.org). It is a web service that maintains a package list. It + service. This is a web service that maintains a package index. It does not host the packages, but stores links to the actual hosting site. In order to author a package, you need to upload the package to one of the supported host sites and register your package on the Salt.Mine page. Registration is a simple @@ -98,8 +98,8 @@
- KLayout offers to initialize new packages from a template. You can modify the template - package later. + KLayout offers initialization of new packages from templates. You can modify that package + according to your requirements afterwards. To create a package from a template, open the package manager using "Tools/Manage Packages", go to the "Current Packages" tab and push the "Create (Edit) Package" button. Chose a template from the list that opens and enter a package name (with prefix, if @@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ right details panel. Please specify at least some author information, a license model and a version. If the package needs other packages, the dependencies can be listed in the "Depends on" table. Those packages will be automatically installed - together with the new package. The showcase image can be a screenshot that gives + together with the new package. The showcase image can be a screen shot that gives some idea what the package will do. The package details are kept in a file called "grain.xml" inside the package folder. You can also edit this file manually. The "grain.xml" is the basic description @@ -134,73 +134,25 @@ a file server. KLayout talks WebDAV, so the web server needs to offer WebDAV access. A subversion (SVN) server provides WebDAV by default, so this is a good choice. For public open source deployment, only certain providers are supported. - There is separate documentation covering this topic.
After a package has been made available for download, it needs to be entered - in the dictionary. For local deployment, the dictionary can be a file hosted - on a web server or on the file system. The dictionary's location must be - specified by the KLAYOUT_SALT_MINE environment variable in form of - a URL. The basic format of this file is XML with this structure: -
- -<salt-mine> - <salt-grain> - <name>name</name> - <version>Version</version> - <title>Title of the package</title> - <doc>A brief description</doc> - <doc_url>Documentation URL</doc_url> - <url>Download URL</url> - <license>License model</license> - <icon>Icon image: base64-encoded, 64x64 max, PNG preferred</icon> - </salt-grain> - ... -</salt-mine> -- -
- For public deployment, the "Salt.Mine" service can be used to register and - list new packages in the repository dictionary. -
- -- Technically, packages are folders stored below the "salt" folder within KLayout's home - path. Prefixed packages are kept in sub-folders named after the prefix. Each package - directory contains a description file called "grain.xml" and the files that make up the - package. For Ruby macros, for example, the package folder will contain a "macros" - sub-folder. Basically, packages do not require to be of a specific kind - they can - provide technology information, DRC scripts and macros in the same package. In this - example, the will be a "tech", "drc" and "macros" sub-folder with the corresponding - files. KLayout will scan the package folders for useful files and load them automatically. + in the package index. For local deployment, the index can be a file hosted + on a web server or on the file system. The package index location needs to be + specified by the KLAYOUT_SALT_MINE environment variable which contains the + download URL of the package index file.
- Packages are published on the Salt.Mine server. This is a web service that delivers a - dictionary of packages with some meta data such as current version, the icon - and a brief description. KLayout uses this list to inform users of packages available - for installation and available updates. -
- -- When the package manager is opened, KLayout will download this list from - http://sami.klayout.org/repository.xml. You can set the KLAYOUT_SALT_MINE - environment variable to a different URL which makes KLayout use another dictionary - service, i.e. one inside your own organisation. This service can be any HTTP server - that delivers a package list in the same format than the Salt.Mine package service. - The URL can also be a "file:" scheme URL. In this case, KLayout will download the - list from the given file location. + For public deployment, the Salt.Mine Service is used to register + new packages in the package index. By default, KLayout loads the package index from that service, so + once your package is registered there, everyone using KLayout will see it.
- When installing a package, KLayout will simply download the files from the URL given - in the package list. KLayout employs the WebDAV protocol to download the files. - This protocol is spoken by Subversion and GitHub with the subversion bridge. The - latter requires a simple translation of the original Git URL's to obtain the - subversion equivalent. + There is separate documentation provided for details about the development and deployment + process.