Hi Eric,
A while back, I asked if there were any tutorials/how-to's on setting
up a custom datasource.
[...]
1) A GridPath can be converted to a url like string, and from such a
string, back to a GridPath. I can build a visad.FieldImpl from the
GridPath, allowing me to display a specified portion of a grid.
2) I've got a class called GridPathSelector (a subclass of JPanel)
that allows the specification of a database, selecting a grid in that
database, and specifying what fractions of the grid should be
extracted. The class produces a GridPath. The class actually involves
a tabbed pane and quite a few helper classes.
3) I've modified copies of the example data source to the extent that
I've got a
i) a class called GRDChooser that extends DataSourceImpl
ii) a choosers.xml file
iii) a datasource.xml
iv) a subclass of IdvUIManager
4) *What I don't have* is a Data Chooser class that I trust. If I
understand correctly, the init method of the Data Chooser class should
create an instance of my GridPathSelector class, but its not clear
when/how the values should be returned to the server for display.
I would suggest that you make a GridPathChooser (derived from
IdvChooser) that uses your GridPathSelector for selecing the database,
grid, etc.
From this chooser you can have the IDV create a GridPathDataSource,
derived from DataSourceImpl, that knows how to create the
visad data structures, etc. The chooser would pass in the selected data
base information. Look at the method from IdvChooser:
protected boolean makeDataSource(Object definingObject,
String dataType, Hashtable properties)
The dataType is the String id defined in datasource.xml
The defining object can be a List or some other structure that holds the
database info. This definingObject gets
passed to your GridPathDataSource.
5) *Where* *do I put the xml files* in a window's environment?
In the user guide we have the following:
http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/idv/docs/userguide/SiteConfiguration.html
that covers the what/where/how of extending the idv with new resource files.
Also from the workshop materials we have:
http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/idv/docs/workshop/page_configuringidvsites.html
I hope that helps.
-Jeff
