how to use Components?

1. I have a class "MyVcs" that extends AbstractVcs and implements
ProjectComponent. So, this class maps directly to a specific Project

right?

Right. One instance of your MyVCS class will be created for each Project
instance.

And once I've setup the VCS stuff for a project, I can use the VcsManager

to

get the actual object for a given project right?

Yes, but where do you need this?

Does initComponent only get
called once when IDEA loads my plugin, or is it called for each object

(like

a ctor)?

initComponent() is invoked for each instance of MyVCS created. That is, for
each Project.

>

2. I have a second class "MyProjectConfig" that implements the
ProjectComponent and JDOMExternalizable interface which is what I use to
save my VCS settings from the Project Properties dialog right?

Right.

>

3. What does the Project.getComponent() method do for me? I guess I would
want it to return the object instance for a given class that I associated
with the project. So, for example... I have one ctor in my "MyVcs" class
that takes a project. Once that's been created, can I call
project.getComponent(MyVcs.class) from anywhere and it will return me that
specific MyVcs object?

Yes, exactly.

Can I do the same with the MyProjectConfig class?

Yes, of course.

>

4. When does all this component stuff get created? Does IDEA handle

creating

it when I open a project in the IDE?

The stuff is automatically created for each Project instance when it's
instantiated. Please note that it's not necessary that a Project instance
will be opened. For example, there is a special instance of Project which is
used to keep "Default Project Properties". When the Project for which a
project component was created is opened projectOpened() method is invoked
for the project component.

--
Valentin Kipiatkov
JetBrains, Inc
http://www.intellij.com
"Develop with pleasure!"

"Harpstein" <mharp@seapine.com> wrote in message
news:bmkcen$gvn$1@is.intellij.net...

Hey all,

>

I'm a complete newbie to the IDEA product, and I'm not having much luck
understanding the basic structure of Components and how they are used. If
anyone could give me a brief explanation or even better if there's any
documentation on it hidden away somewhere I'd appreciate the help greatly.

I

haven't been had much luck in finding any documentation though...

>

I'm writing a VCS plug-in for IDEA and am not really sure what does what.

>

1. I have a class "MyVcs" that extends AbstractVcs and implements
ProjectComponent. So, this class maps directly to a specific Project

right?

And once I've setup the VCS stuff for a project, I can use the VcsManager

to

get the actual object for a given project right? Does initComponent only

get

called once when IDEA loads my plugin, or is it called for each object

(like

a ctor)?

>

2. I have a second class "MyProjectConfig" that implements the
ProjectComponent and JDOMExternalizable interface which is what I use to
save my VCS settings from the Project Properties dialog right?

>

3. What does the Project.getComponent() method do for me? I guess I would
want it to return the object instance for a given class that I associated
with the project. So, for example... I have one ctor in my "MyVcs" class
that takes a project. Once that's been created, can I call
project.getComponent(MyVcs.class) from anywhere and it will return me that
specific MyVcs object? Can I do the same with the MyProjectConfig class?

>

4. When does all this component stuff get created? Does IDEA handle

creating

it when I open a project in the IDE?

>

Well, that's what's been bugging me so far.

>

Thanks for any help you can give,

>

-harpstein

>
>