I was thinking about Code Generation templates today when Michiel pointed
out that the request for user-modifiable templates has been around for a
while -- basically since 2000. I thought I would take a stab at defining
some requirements for this and hopefully it would make it more tangible and
perhaps generate some more thoughts on the subject.
The primary goal of code generation templates is to provide users with a
customizable means for generating code.
The code generator should:
- Allow users to use a default set of language-specific templates for
generating code (which ship with ArgoUML).
- Allow users to specify a common code header, without having to modify
the templates themselves.
- Allow users to clone the default argouml templates, to create their own
customized versions of the templates.
- Allow users to specify some common shared directory, or web server
where code templates will reside.
- Allow users to easily modify the templates through an editor (without
having to leave ArgoUML to edit the template).
- Allow users to generate Test Case stubs for classes.
- Allow users to generate code for specific types
- Support the generation of classes that use enums, annotations,
generics.
- Support the generation of projects which use specific directory
structures. In Grails, for example, you want to be able to designate that
classes with a <<Service>> stereotype are generated in the project/services
directory; classes marked as <<Controllers>> should be generated in the
project/controllers directory, etc
- Support the use of Lists (not Vectors) as the default mechanism for
aggregation. Perhaps this could be specified in the aggregation line itself
between two classes.
- Support the generation of javadoc comments when generating java code.
This means support for @params, @author and other annotations in a comment
block.
- Minimize the amount of work required to support a new language. There
should be a minimal number of templates that a user must modify in order to
support a new language.
- Allow users to generate code for the classes on a diagram, or in a
package, in addition to generating classes for the entire project.
- Provide progress feedback when generating the code.
- Support a pluggable templating mechanism. If the user feels that they
want to use Freemarker instead of Velocity, they should be able to plugin a
new templating engine.
Have I missed anything?
Mark
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