Launcher Structure

Launcher files are stored in the data/launcher folder, which includes the following:

• Configuration file launcher.xml
• Interface files
• Logic files

The interface and the logic are described by using HTML, CSS, JavaScript and UnigineScript.

The default configuration file stores the following options of the Launcher:

<unigine>
	<window>
		<width>610</width>
		<height>405</height>
		<centered>1</centered>
		<sizeable>1</sizeable>
		<moveable>0</moveable>
		<frame>1</frame>
		<icon></icon>
		<title>UNIGINE Application Launcher</title>
	</window>
	<arguments>
		<defines/>
	</arguments>
	<interface src="data/launcher/launcher.html"/>
	<script src="data/launcher/launcher.cpp"></script>
</unigine>

window

arguments

string defines = browser.getArgument("defines");

interface

script

The interface of the GUI launcher is described by using the data/launcher/launcher.html and data/launcher/style.css files.

By default, the GUI launcher includes the form with a list of elements associated with the application options, such as rendering API, window resolution that are set by user. Each element is described inside the div tag

The form also contains the Run button that is used to launch the application with specified options.

The logic of the GUI launcher is described by using the JavaScript and UnigineScript languages. The source code of the default launcher is available in the following files:

• launcher.html that contains the JavaScript code placed in the script section.
• launcher.h that contains implementation of the Launcher class with getter and setter methods for the application options provided via the launcher form.
• launcher.cpp that describes logic of initialization and shut down of an instance of the Launcher class, provides an interface for calling its setter and getter methods and also runs the application when the Run button is pressed.

The pipeline of interaction of the launcher interface and logic is the following:

1. The launcher init() function defined on the UnigineScript side is called. The new launcher instance with initial settings is created and the GUI launcher window is opened.
2. When changing a value of one of the elements via the launcher window, the corresponding JavaScript callback is run. For example, if you change the API element, the required function will be called as follows (passed as value of the onchange attribute):
   Source code(XML)

   <div class="control-group margin-bottom">
   	<label>API:</label>
   	<div class="select-wrapper">
   		<select name="api"  id="api" onchange="setVideoApp(this.options[this.selectedIndex].value)">
   			<option value="auto"		>Auto-detection</option>
   			<option value="direct3d11"	>DirectX 11</option>
   			<option value="opengl"		>OpenGL</option>
   		</select>
   	</div>
   </div>

3. The JavaScript callback, in turn, calls the required function of the launcher defined on the UnigineScript side.
   Notice

   JavaScript has no direct access to the UnigineScript class instances and its methods: it can call only simple functions via one of the Browser.call() functions.
   For example, when you change the API element, the JavaScript callback calls the UnigineScript function that sets the video application as follows:
   Source code

   function setVideoApp(value) { Browser.call("setVideoApp",value); }

4. When all the required options are set, the Run button is pressed. It initiates the following process:
   1. On the HTML side, the JavaScript callback is run (passed as value of the onclick attribute):
      Source code(XML)

      <div class="control-group form-buttons">
      	<button class="common" style="float:right; width: 268px; margin-left: 1px;" onclick="run(); return false;">Run</button>
      </div>

   2. On the JavaScript side, the UnigineScript run() function is called:
      Source code

      function run() { Browser.call("run"); }

   3. On the UnigineScript side, the run() function launches the application (see launcher.cpp):
      Source code(UnigineScript)

      void run() {
      	launcher.launch();
      }

System Options

Setter and Getter Methods

template launcher_parameter<PARAMETER,TYPE> {
	void set ## PARAMETER(TYPE value) { launcher.set ## PARAMETER(TYPE(value)); }
	TYPE get ## PARAMETER() { return launcher.get ## PARAMETER(); }
}
					
template launcher_parameter_bool<PARAMETER> {
	void set ## PARAMETER(int value) { launcher.set ## PARAMETER(value); }
	int get ## PARAMETER() { return launcher.is ## PARAMETER(); }
}

template launcher_parameter_simple_bool<PARAMETER> {
	void set ## PARAMETER() { launcher.set ## PARAMETER(); }
	int is ## PARAMETER() { return launcher.is ## PARAMETER(); }
}

launcher_parameter<VideoApp,string>;

void setVideoApp(string value) { launcher.setVideoApp(string(value)); }
string getVideoApp() { return launcher.getVideoApp(); }