doc/src/scripting/qtscriptextensions.qdoc
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    40 ****************************************************************************/
       
    41 
       
    42 /*!
       
    43     \page qtscriptextensions.html
       
    44     \title Creating QtScript Extensions
       
    45     \brief A guide to creating and using QtScript extensions.
       
    46 
       
    47     QtScript extensions can make additional functionality available to scripts
       
    48     evaluated by a QScriptEngine. Extensions are imported by calling
       
    49     the QScriptEngine::importExtension() function.
       
    50 
       
    51     There are three ways to create an extension:
       
    52 
       
    53     \list
       
    54     \o Subclass QScriptExtensionPlugin and implement the desired functionality.
       
    55     \o Implement the functionality in a script file.
       
    56     \o Use a hybrid approach, where part of the functionality is implemented in a
       
    57        QScriptExtensionPlugin, and part is implemented in a script file.
       
    58     \endlist
       
    59 
       
    60     The (dot-qualified) extension name is used to determine the path (relative to
       
    61     the application's plugin path) where QScriptEngine will look for the script
       
    62     file that will initialize the extension; if a file called \c{__init__.js}
       
    63     (usually located in \c{[application plugin path]/script/foo/}) is
       
    64     found in the corresponding folder, its contents will be evaluated by the engine
       
    65     when the extension is imported.
       
    66     As an example, if the extension is called \c{"foo.bar.baz"}, the engine will look
       
    67     for \c{__init__.js} in \c{foo/bar/baz}. Additionally, before importing
       
    68     \c{"foo.bar.baz"}, the engine will ensure that the extensions \c{"foo"} and \c{"foo.bar"}
       
    69     are imported, locating and evaluating the corresponding \c{__init__.js}
       
    70     in the same manner (in folders \c{foo} and \c{foo/bar}, respectively).
       
    71 
       
    72     The contents of \c{__init__.js} are evaluated in a new QScriptContext,
       
    73     as if it were the body of a function. The engine's Global Object acts as
       
    74     the \c{this} object. The following local variables are initially available
       
    75     to the script:
       
    76 
       
    77     \list
       
    78     \o \bold{__extension__}: The name of the extension (e.g. \c{"foo.bar.baz"}).
       
    79     \o \bold{__setupPackage__}: A convenience function for setting up a "namespace" in the script environment. A typical application is to call \c{__setupPackage__()} with \c{__extension__} as argument; e.g. \c{__setupPackage__("foo.bar.baz")} would ensure that the object chain represented by the expression \c{foo.bar.baz} exists in the script environment. (This function is semantically equivalent to QScriptExtensionPlugin::setupPackage().)
       
    80     \o \bold{__postInit__}: By default, this variable is undefined. If you assign a function to it, that function will be called \bold{after} the C++ plugin's initialize() function has been called. You can use this to perform further initialization that depends on e.g. native functions that the C++ plugin registers.
       
    81     \endlist
       
    82 
       
    83     An example of a simple \c{__init__.js}:
       
    84 
       
    85     \snippet doc/src/snippets/code/doc_src_qtscriptextensions.qdoc 0
       
    86 
       
    87     QScriptEngine will look for a QScriptExtensionPlugin that provides
       
    88     the relevant extension by querying each plugin for its keys()
       
    89     until a match is found. The plugin's initialize() function will be
       
    90     called \bold{after} the relevant \c{__init__.js} (if any) has been
       
    91     evaluated.
       
    92 
       
    93     Continuining with the example of our imaginary extension \c{"foo.bar.baz"},
       
    94     the following steps will be performed by QScriptEngine::importExtension():
       
    95 
       
    96     \list
       
    97     \o If it exists, \c{foo/__init__.js} is evaluated.
       
    98     \o If a plugin with \c{"foo"} in its list of keys is found, its initialize() function is called with \c{"foo"} as key.
       
    99     \o If it exists, \c{foo/bar/__init__.js} is evaluated.
       
   100     \o If a plugin with \c{"foo.bar"} in its list of keys is found, its initialize() function is called with \c{"foo.bar"} as key.
       
   101     \o If it exists, \c{foo/bar/baz/__init__.js} is evaluated.
       
   102     \o If a plugin with "foo.bar.baz" in its list of keys is found, its initialize() function is called with \c{"foo.bar.baz"} as key.
       
   103     \endlist
       
   104 
       
   105     \section1 Static Extensions
       
   106 
       
   107     When an extension is compiled and linked into your application as a
       
   108     static plugin, Qt Script will look for the optional \c{__init__.js}
       
   109     script in a resource, prefixed by \c{:/qtscriptextension}. For example,
       
   110     if the extension key is "foo.bar", Qt Script will evaluate the contents
       
   111     of the file \c{:/qtscriptextension/foo/bar/__init__.js}, if it
       
   112     exists. Note that if the resource is built into the plugin, you may
       
   113     need to use the Q_INIT_RESOURCE() macro to initialize the resource
       
   114     before importing the extension.
       
   115 */