HOWTO: Work with MOD files (WLW post 1)

IFRAME not what I expected, was hoping for something like PDF embedding
Looks like this theme isn’t going to work either.  Didn’t expected all the shrunken pictures

Scenario Two:  Developing the MODs -- working with the developer MODs.

Overall Objectives: Simple checklist of steps without the need to modify TacTrain.exe.config or other onerous manual manipulations.

Scenario Two

Description:  You intend to do development that includes modifying MOD files.  In this example, I'll add a prerequisite to one of the Hard Drives.  I'll run TacTrain to check that the prerequisite is needed, add the prerequisite, confirm it works, and then check-in the MOD files.

Concepts: 

·         A new DAT may require an updated MOD file ( specifically when deleting rows from a table)

·         There is one production MOD file named CompleteOA2.MOD that is the combination of several developer MOD files found in [C:\Projects\OAMSIMULATOR\BuildDAT\MOD Files]

·         When developing, the developer MOD file(s) will be modified

·         Developer MOD files will be combined into CompleteOA2.MOD and then all MOD files checked-in.

Using XplODer.exe in "Gadget" mode - attach to TacTrain while it is running.

XplODer will launch a gadget form with the MOD file checklist.  The gadget will interact with TacTrain to override TacTrain.exe.config to set it up for MOD file development and automate MOD-file related tasks.  The gadget form will also launch Oamy XplODer to use for making modifications.  Finally the gadget form will remove the override to TacTrain.exe.config.

This step-by-step assumes the default setup for TacTrain with regards to inspector: i.e., it is "Hidden" and is loading "CompleteOA2.MOD".  In other cases, some steps may be skipped.

Step-by-Step

·         Run your TacTrain project, to get Oamsworld loaded: select Maintenance, OA-1, Stand-Alone Freeplay  (OA-1 just to avoid the MOD file right now).

·         Run XplODer.exe [C:\Program Files\SDSSIM Mk2\XplODer.exe], Select the MODs tab and resize to  see checklist
(Short Version, Just follow six steps on MOD tab, below)

·         NOTE: Checking the boxes on this checklist CAUSE settings to change or other things to happen, it is NOT just a box to fill in to show you've completed a step (i.e. checking the box executes a step or a portion of it).  Clicking an already checked box will cause it to re-execute it function.

1.       This will make sure XplODer appears for developing, even if you restart TacTrain.
(Step #'s will correspond to check boxes in image above)

a.       Load OA-1 if you didn't already, going to Cabinet View is sufficient.

b.      Check the Box.  Since TacTrain was running first, an Oamy XplODer form should have appeared already. ( The instructions for Box 1 assumes the Gadget was running first and is waiting for you to start TacTrain.) 

c.       EXIT back to TacTrain Front-End.

2.       This prepares TacTrain to use the developer MODs.

a.       Check the box.

b.      Load OA-2 and start making modifications

c.       I will add a prerequisite to the TDP Harddrive, so I'm going to go to the Modifications tab and select  "Q70_OM2_v2_TDP_SDP_VME7809_CCA.MOD" to hint to XplODer that I want to add to this file.

d.      Now I'll use XplODer to add the Prerequisite, it will be added to "Q70_OM2_v2_TDP_SDP_VME7809_CCA.MOD"

2c. The Modifications tab shows that the Developer MODs are in use and Q70_OM2_v2_TDP_SDP_VME7809_CCA.MOD  has been selectect

The hard drive -- find the oamys.

I have no idea what the name of the harddrive is nor any good starting point to browse to it so I'll just type in "hard" in the Find box to search for it.

Pressing "enter" displays the results where I see "HardDrivePhysicalLRU" and "SDPHardDrivePhysicalLRU" where I can find the drives I'm interested in.

I click on HDD#2 so I can copy the name for the PrereqObjectState, then I go and right-click on HDD#1 to add a prerequisite (see context menu in image below).

For most modifications, you just make the change and it is recorded, but adding a prereq takes some extra steps to fill out what is essentially a placeholder -- so I'll click on the last item in the modifications list box, it is the new prereq with a few fields filled in and some empty.

I'll paste in the PrereqObjectName and then select the states from the drop-down:

Since this was a placeholder, this modification hasn't happened yet -- I can manually execute it now:

Now, I can go to the console room and verify that I can't put HDD#1 back in the slot if the HDD#2 is there.

I can also check the data tables:

Note: I can exit back to VS2005, close the project and pick up the next day and still be in MOD developer mode -- the settings stick.  I could re-open the Gadget form and pick up the checklist where I left off (the boxes would all be unchecked, though) and/or  I can just change the settings using the Options | MODs menu just like in Scenario One HOWTO.

back to the checklist...

3.       Save the combined MODs. 

a.       Everything checks out, so I'm going to exit back out to give the MOD files a chance to run one more time.  If you were doing SQL or using data-tables or something else you would probably need to rake here to get everything in its final data-table order.

b.      Now, or earlier during development you may have got the "Mod updated itself" message, you should be saying "yes" during the development phase, do so now if you need to. (see image 3b.)

c.       VSS -- Check out CompleteOA2.MOD

d.      Check the box to combine and save. (see image 3d.)

e.      VSS -- Check in CompleteOA2.MOD (plus any Developer MODs).

Fig. 3b. save auto-updated files (say "Yes")

Fig. 3d. Combine and Save (just hit "OK")

4.       (Optional) You could run it one more time using the single combined MOD.  Just follow the instructions in Check box item 4.

5.       Check the box to remove XplODer override (e.g., back to "hidden")

6.       Check the box to remove mod file override (e.g., developer MODs).  TacTrain should now be back to normal, e.g., determined by TacTrain.exe.config

Done

So far you've configured TacTrain to use the developer MODs and show XplODer for runtime inspection and editing, made the changes and then put everything back to "normal".  The checklist includes VSS so there is nothing left to do for this process.

Other considerations

MessageBox at startup: The step-by-step has you start Tactrain first, but if you started XplODer first and Tactrain.vshost.exe is detected, you will be prompted:

For this scenario, select "Yes" to launch the Inspection Gadget and wait for TacTrain to start.

The gadget can stay open to be re-used whenever TacTrain is running.

TacTrain.exe:  The same checklist is used whether in the VS2005 environment or not -- you do not need to be debugging.

(TacTrain.exe and TacTrain.vshost.exe are separate EXEs and will have their own settings.)