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    <title>NetBeans Project Type Module Tutorial for NetBeans Platform 6.7</title>
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    <h1>NetBeans Project Type Module Tutorial</h1>
    
    <p>This tutorial demonstrates how to create a new project type.</p>

      <p class="tips">If the projects for which you're creating a project type
           need to use Ant as their build tool, you should use the <a href="https://platform.netbeans.org/tutorials/nbm-projecttypeant.html">NetBeans Ant-Based Project Type Module Tutorial</a> instead.</p>

     <p><b>Contents</b></p>
   
   <p><img src="../../images/articles/69/netbeans-stamp7-8-9.png" class="stamp" width="114" height="114" alt="Content on this page applies to NetBeans IDE 6.5, 6.7, 6.8" title="Content on this page applies to NetBeans IDE 6.5, 6.7, 6.8"/></p>
      <ul class="toc">
        <li><a href="#intro">Introduction to Project Types</a></li>
        <li><a href="#creatingthemoduleproject">Creating the Module Project</a></li>
        <li><a href="#settingdependencies">Setting Dependencies</a></li>
        <li><a href="#creatingtheprojectfactory">Creating the Project Factory</a></li>
        <li><a href="#creatingtheproject">Creating the Project</a></li>
        <li><a href="#creatingthelogicalviewprovider">Creating the Logical View Provider</a></li>
        <li><a href="#building">Installing the Module</a></li>
       </ul>
         
<p><b>To follow this tutorial, you need the software and resources listed in the following 
table.</b></p>

    <table>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <th class="tblheader" scope="col">Software or Resource</th>
                <th class="tblheader" scope="col">Version Required</th>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td class="tbltd1"><a href="https://netbeans.org/downloads/index.html">NetBeans IDE</a></td>
                <td class="tbltd1">version 6.7 or above</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td class="tbltd1"><a href="http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp">Java Developer Kit (JDK)</a></td>
                <td class="tbltd1">Version 6 or<br/>version 5</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>

    <p>You will also make use of these two icons, which you
    can right-click here and download: <img alt="" src="../../images/tutorials/projecttypes/icon1.png" /> <img src="../../images/tutorials/projecttypes/icon2.png" alt="" /></p>

   <p class="tips">Optionally, for troubleshooting purposes, you can <a href="http://plugins.netbeans.org/PluginPortal/faces/PluginDetailPage.jsp?pluginid=12170">download the
   completed sample</a> and inspect the sources.</p>

    <h2 class="tutorial"><a name="intro"></a>Introduction to Project Types</h2>
    
    <p>A <i>project type</i> is a NetBeans Platform term for a grouping of
         folders and files that is treated as a single unit. Treating
         related folders and files as a single unit makes working
         with them easier for the end user. One way in which a project
         type simplifies life for the user is that you are able to fill
         the Projects window only with those folders and files that the end user
         is most likely to work.</p> <p>For example, the Java
         project type in NetBeans IDE helps the end user to work with the folders
         and files belonging to a single Java application. As you can see
         below, the folders and files the end user most needs to work with
         are shown in the Projects window:</p>

    <p><img style="border: 1px solid" src="../../images/tutorials/projecttypes/sample-3.png" alt="installed result"/></p>

    <p>In this tutorial, we will create a project type that
    will look as follows in the Projects window:</p>

    <p><img src="../../images/tutorials/projecttypes/sample-1.png" alt="installed result"/></p>

    <p>Our project type will be defined by the
        existence of a subfolder named "texts". If a folder
        contains a subfolder with that name, the NetBeans
        Platform will recognize it as a project type. The
        user will be able to open the project into a
        NetBeans Platform application and the content
        of the "texts" folder will be displayed in
        the Projects window.</p>

    <p>We will also have menu items that are specific to
    our new project type:</p>

    <p><img src="../../images/tutorials/projecttypes/sample-5.png" alt="installed result"/></p>

    <p>The following are the main NetBeans API classes
        we will be implementing in this tutorial:</p>

      <table>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <th class="tblheader" scope="col">Class</th>
                <th class="tblheader" scope="col">Description</th>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td class="tbltd1"><tt><a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectapi/org/netbeans/spi/project/ProjectFactory.html">org.netbeans.spi.project.ProjectFactory</a></tt></td>
                <td class="tbltd1">Determines when a folder or file
                 is a valid project and then creates the implemention
                 of <tt>org.netbeans.api.project.Project</tt>.</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td class="tbltd1"><tt><a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectapi/org/netbeans/api/project/Project.html">org.netbeans.api.project.Project</a></tt></td>
                <td class="tbltd1">Represents the project.</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td class="tbltd1"><tt><a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectuiapi/org/netbeans/spi/project/ui/LogicalViewProvider.html">org.netbeans.spi.project.ui.LogicalViewProvider</a></tt></td>
                <td class="tbltd1">Provides the logical view for the project.</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td class="tbltd1"><tt><a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectapi/org/netbeans/api/project/ProjectInformation.html">org.netbeans.api.project.ProjectInformation</a></tt></td>
                <td class="tbltd1">Provides supplemental information for the project.</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td class="tbltd1"><tt><a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectapi/org/netbeans/spi/project/ActionProvider.html">org.netbeans.spi.project.ActionProvider</a></tt></td>
                <td class="tbltd1">Provides one or more actions for the project.</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td class="tbltd1"><tt><a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectapi/org/netbeans/spi/project/CopyOperationImplementation.html">org.netbeans.spi.project.CopyOperationImplementation</a></tt></td>
                <td class="tbltd1">Provides the Copy operation for the project.</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td class="tbltd1"><tt><a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectapi/org/netbeans/spi/project/DeleteOperationImplementation.html">org.netbeans.spi.project.DeleteOperationImplementation</a></tt></td>
                <td class="tbltd1">Provides the Delete operation for the project.</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>

        <p>At the end of this tutorial, your
         module source structure will be as follows:</p>
    
    <p><img src="../../images/tutorials/projecttypes/sample-2.png" alt="New Sample"/></p>
    
    <h2 class="tutorial"><a name="creatingthemoduleproject"></a>Creating the Module Project</h2>
    
        <p>We begin by working through the New Module Project
            wizard. At the end of it, we will have a basic
            source structure, with some default files, that
            every NetBeans module requires.</p>

            <ol>
    <li>Choose File &gt; New Project (Ctrl+Shift+N). Under Categories, select NetBeans Modules.
        Under Projects, select Module. Click Next.</li>
    <li>In the Name and Location panel, type <tt>DemoProjectType</tt> in the Project Name field.
        Change the Project Location to any directory on your computer. Leave the Standalone Module option
        and Set as Main Project checkbox selected. Click Next.</li>
    <li>In the Basic Module Configuration panel, type <tt>org.netbeans.demo.project</tt>
     in Code Name Base.</li>
    <li>Do not select "Generate XML Layer", since our module
        will not need a <tt>layer.xml</tt> file. Leave the
        location of the localizing bundle 
        so that it will be stored in a package with
        the name <tt>org/netbeans/demo/project</tt>. Click Finish.</li>
</ol>
    
    <p> The IDE creates the <tt>DemoProjectType</tt>
        project. The project contains all of your sources and
        project metadata, such as the project's Ant build script. The project
        opens in the IDE. You can view its logical structure in the Projects window (Ctrl-1) and its
    file structure in the Files window (Ctrl-2).</p>
    
    <!-- ===================================================================================== -->
    <h2><a name="settingdependencies"></a>Setting Dependencies</h2>
        <p>We will need to make use of several NetBeans APIs. In this
        step, we select the modules that provide the NetBeans APIs
        that we will need.</p>
            
            <ol>
            
            <li>Right-click the project node and 
        choose Properties. The Project Properties dialog box opens.</li>
        <li><p>In the Libraries panel, add dependencies on the
        following modules:</p>
        
        <ul>
            <li>Datasystems API</li>
            <li>Dialogs API</li>
            <li>File System API</li>
            <li>Nodes API</li>
            <li>Project API</li>
            <li>Project UI API</li>
            <li>UI Utilities API</li>
            <li>Utilities API</li>
        </ul>
        
            <p><b>Note:</b> Also add the Lookup API, for NetBeans Platform 6.9
                and above only. For details, see <a href="https://platform.netbeans.org/whatsnew/69.html">What's New in NetBeams Platform 6.9?</a></p>
        </li>
            </ol>
            
     <!-- ===================================================================================== -->
            <h2><a name="creatingtheprojectfactory"></a>Creating the Project Factory</h2>
            <p>We start by implementing the <tt><a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectapi/org/netbeans/spi/project/ProjectFactory.html">org.netbeans.spi.project.ProjectFactory</a></tt>
            class.</p>
                
                <ol>
                <li><p>Create a Java class called <tt>DemoProjectFactory</tt>.</p></li>
                <li><p>Change the default code to the following:</p>
        
        <pre class=examplecode>@org.openide.util.lookup.ServiceProvider(service=ProjectFactory.class)
public class DemoProjectFactory implements <a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectapi/org/netbeans/spi/project/ProjectFactory.html">ProjectFactory</a> {

    public static final String PROJECT_DIR = "texts";

    <b>//Specifies when a project is a project, i.e.,
    //if the project directory "texts" is present:</b>
    @Override
    public boolean isProject(FileObject projectDirectory) {
        return projectDirectory.getFileObject(PROJECT_DIR) != null;
    }

    <b>//Specifies when the project will be opened, i.e.,
    //if the project exists:</b>
    @Override
    public Project loadProject(FileObject dir, ProjectState state) throws IOException {
        return isProject(dir) ? new DemoProject(dir, state) : null;
    }

    @Override
    public void saveProject(final Project project) throws IOException, ClassCastException {
        FileObject projectRoot = project.getProjectDirectory();
        if (projectRoot.getFileObject(PROJECT_DIR) == null) {
            throw new IOException("Project dir " + projectRoot.getPath() +
                    " deleted," +
                    " cannot save project");
        }
        <b>//Force creation of the texts dir if it was deleted:</b>
        ((DemoProject) project).getTextFolder(true);
    }

}</pre>
</li>
        </ol>


             <p class="tips">The @ServiceProvider annotation used in the class signature
                 above will cause a META-INF/services file to be created when the module
                 is compiled. Within that folder, a file named after the fully qualified
              name of the interface will be found, containing the fully qualified name
              of the implementing class. That is the standard JDK mechanism, since JDK 6,
              for registering implementations of interfaces. That is how project types
              are registered in the NetBeans Plaform.</p>

    
     <!-- ===================================================================================== -->
            <h2><a name="creatingtheproject"></a>Creating the Project</h2>
            <p>Next, we implement the <tt><a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectapi/org/netbeans/api/project/Project.html">org.netbeans.api.project.Project</a></tt>
            class.</p>

                <ol>
                <li><p>Create a Java class called <tt>DemoProject</tt>.</p></li>
                <li><p>Change the default code to the following:</p>

        <pre class=examplecode>class DemoProject implements <a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectapi/org/netbeans/api/project/Project.html">Project</a> {

    private final FileObject projectDir;
    private final ProjectState state;
    private Lookup lkp;

    public DemoProject(FileObject projectDir, ProjectState state) {
        this.projectDir = projectDir;
        this.state = state;
    }

    @Override
    public FileObject getProjectDirectory() {
        return projectDir;
    }

    FileObject getTextFolder(boolean create) {
        FileObject result =
                projectDir.getFileObject(DemoProjectFactory.PROJECT_DIR);
        if (result == null && create) {
            try {
                result = projectDir.createFolder(DemoProjectFactory.PROJECT_DIR);
            } catch (IOException ioe) {
                Exceptions.printStackTrace(ioe);
            }
        }
        return result;
    }

    <b>//The project type's capabilities are registered in the project's lookup:</b>
    @Override
    public Lookup getLookup() {
        if (lkp == null) {
            lkp = Lookups.fixed(new Object[]{
                        state, <b>//allow outside code to mark the project as needing saving</b>
                        new ActionProviderImpl(), <b>//Provides standard actions like Build and Clean</b>
                        new DemoDeleteOperation(),
                        new DemoCopyOperation(this),
                        new Info(), <b>//Project information implementation</b>
                        new DemoProjectLogicalView(this), <b>//Logical view of project implementation</b>
                    });
        }
        return lkp;
    }

    private final class ActionProviderImpl implements <a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectapi/org/netbeans/spi/project/ActionProvider.html">ActionProvider</a> {

        private String[] supported = new String[]{
            ActionProvider.COMMAND_DELETE,
            ActionProvider.COMMAND_COPY,
        };

        @Override
        public String[] getSupportedActions() {
            return supported;
        }

        @Override
        public void invokeAction(String string, Lookup lookup) throws IllegalArgumentException {
            if (string.equalsIgnoreCase(ActionProvider.COMMAND_DELETE)) {
                DefaultProjectOperations.performDefaultDeleteOperation(DemoProject.this);
            }
            if (string.equalsIgnoreCase(ActionProvider.COMMAND_COPY)) {
                DefaultProjectOperations.performDefaultCopyOperation(DemoProject.this);
            }
        }

        @Override
        public boolean isActionEnabled(String command, Lookup lookup) throws IllegalArgumentException {
            if ((command.equals(ActionProvider.COMMAND_DELETE))) {
                return true;
            } else if ((command.equals(ActionProvider.COMMAND_COPY))) {
                return true;
            } else {
                throw new IllegalArgumentException(command);
            }
        }
    }

    private final class DemoDeleteOperation implements <a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectapi/org/netbeans/spi/project/DeleteOperationImplementation.html">DeleteOperationImplementation</a> {

        public void notifyDeleting() throws IOException {
        }

        public void notifyDeleted() throws IOException {
        }

        public List&lt;FileObject&gt; getMetadataFiles() {
            List&lt;FileObject&gt; dataFiles = new ArrayList&lt;FileObject&gt;();
            return dataFiles;
        }

        public List&lt;FileObject&gt; getDataFiles() {
            List&lt;FileObject&gt; dataFiles = new ArrayList&lt;FileObject&gt;();
            return dataFiles;
        }
    }

    private final class DemoCopyOperation implements <a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectapi/org/netbeans/spi/project/CopyOperationImplementation.html">CopyOperationImplementation</a> {

        private final DemoProject project;
        private final FileObject projectDir;

        public DemoCopyOperation(DemoProject project) {
            this.project = project;
            this.projectDir = project.getProjectDirectory();
        }

        public List&lt;FileObject&gt; getMetadataFiles() {
            return Collections.EMPTY_LIST;
        }

        public List&lt;FileObject&gt; getDataFiles() {
            return Collections.EMPTY_LIST;
        }

        public void notifyCopying() throws IOException {
        }

        public void notifyCopied(Project arg0, File arg1, String arg2) throws IOException {
        }
    }

    private final class Info implements <a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectapi/org/netbeans/api/project/ProjectInformation.html">ProjectInformation</a> {

        @Override
        public Icon getIcon() {
            return new ImageIcon(ImageUtilities.loadImage(
                    "org/netbeans/demo/project/icon2.png"));
        }

        @Override
        public String getName() {
            return getProjectDirectory().getName();
        }

        @Override
        public String getDisplayName() {
            return getName();
        }

        @Override
        public void addPropertyChangeListener(PropertyChangeListener pcl) {
            //do nothing, won't change
        }

        @Override
        public void removePropertyChangeListener(PropertyChangeListener pcl) {
            //do nothing, won't change
        }

        @Override
        public Project getProject() {
            return DemoProject.this;
        }
    }
}
</pre>
                </li>
        </ol>

     <!-- ===================================================================================== -->
            <h2><a name="creatingthelogicalviewprovider"></a>Creating the Logical View Provider</h2>
            <p>Finally, we implement the <tt><a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectuiapi/org/netbeans/spi/project/ui/LogicalViewProvider.html">org.netbeans.spi.project.ui.LogicalViewProvider</a></tt>
            class.</p>
                
                <ol>
                <li><p>Create a Java class called <tt>DemoProjectLogicalView</tt>.</p></li>
                <li><p>Change the default code to the following:</p>
        
                <pre class=examplecode>class DemoProjectLogicalView implements <a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-netbeans-modules-projectuiapi/org/netbeans/spi/project/ui/LogicalViewProvider.html">LogicalViewProvider</a> {

    private final DemoProject project;

    public DemoProjectLogicalView(DemoProject project) {
        this.project = project;
    }

    @Override
    public org.openide.nodes.Node createLogicalView() {
        try {
            <b>//Get the Text directory, creating if deleted</b>
            FileObject text = project.getTextFolder(true);

            <b>//Get the DataObject that represents it</b>
            DataFolder textDataObject =
                    DataFolder.findFolder(text);

            <b>//Get its default node-we'll wrap our node around it to change the
            //display name, icon, etc</b>
            Node realTextFolderNode = textDataObject.getNodeDelegate();

            <b>//This FilterNode will be our project node</b>
            return new TextNode(realTextFolderNode, project);

        } catch (DataObjectNotFoundException donfe) {
            Exceptions.printStackTrace(donfe);
            <b>//Fallback-the directory couldn't be created -
            //read-only filesystem or something evil happened</b>
            return new AbstractNode(Children.LEAF);
        }
    }

    <b>/** This is the node you actually see in the project tab for the project */</b>
    private static final class TextNode extends <a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/org-openide-nodes/org/openide/nodes/FilterNode.html">FilterNode</a> {

        final DemoProject project;

        public TextNode(Node node, DemoProject project) throws DataObjectNotFoundException {
            super(node, new FilterNode.Children(node),
                    <b>//The projects system wants the project in the Node's lookup.
                    //NewAction and friends want the original Node's lookup.
                    //Make a merge of both</b>
                    new ProxyLookup(new Lookup[]{Lookups.singleton(project),
                        node.getLookup()
                    }));
            this.project = project;
        }

        @Override
        public Action[] getActions(boolean arg0) {
            Action[] nodeActions = new Action[7];
            nodeActions[0] = CommonProjectActions.newFileAction();
            nodeActions[1] = CommonProjectActions.copyProjectAction();
            nodeActions[2] = CommonProjectActions.deleteProjectAction();
            nodeActions[5] = CommonProjectActions.setAsMainProjectAction();
            nodeActions[6] = CommonProjectActions.closeProjectAction();
            return nodeActions;
        }

        @Override
        public Image getIcon(int type) {
            return ImageUtilities.loadImage("org/netbeans/demo/project/icon1.png");
        }

        @Override
        public Image getOpenedIcon(int type) {
            return getIcon(type);
        }

        @Override
        public String getDisplayName() {
            return project.getProjectDirectory().getName();
        }

    }

    @Override
    public Node findPath(Node root, Object target) {
        //leave unimplemented for now
        return null;
    }

}
</pre>  </li>

                    </ol>
    
        <!-- ======================================================================================= -->
            
        <h2><a name="building"></a>Installing the Module</h2>
        <p>Finally, we install the module and make use of the result.</p>
        <div class="indent">
        
        <ol>
                <li><p>Right-click the module project and choose "Run".
                     The application for which the module is
                     being created starts up and the module
                     installs into it.</p></li>
                <li><p>Choose File | Open Project
                     and browse to a folder that has a subfolder
                     named "texts". </p>
                     <p>Open the project and you should see
                     the Projects window displaying
                     your project. The content of the "texts"
                     folder should be shown in the Projects window:</p>
                 <p><img src="../../images/tutorials/projecttypes/sample-1.png" alt="installed result"/></p></li>
                 <li><p>Right-click the project node and
                          notice the project-level menu
                          items that you defined earlier:</p>
                 <p><img src="../../images/tutorials/projecttypes/sample-5.png" alt="installed result"/></p></li>
                    </ol>
    
     </div>
    
    <div class="feedback-box"><a href="https://netbeans.org/about/contact_form.html?to=3&amp;subject=Feedback:%20Project%20Type%20Module%20Tutorial">Send Us Your Feedback</a></div>
    <!-- ======================================================================================== -->
    
    <h2><a name="nextsteps"></a>Next Steps</h2>
    
    <p>For more information about creating and developing NetBeans modules, see the following resources:</p>
    <ul>
        <li><a href="https://netbeans.org/kb/trails/platform.html">Other Related Tutorials</a></li>
        <li><a href="http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/javadoc/index.html">NetBeans API Javadoc</a></li>
    </ul>
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