Using the Application Directory for Custom Applications
The Arbortext-path\application subdirectory provides the means to implement a custom application that uses a special configuration file to determine whether it should be loaded at startup. The application directory uses the same principles of structure as the custom directory.
The Arbortext-path\application directory is processed at startup. If you add a custom application after startup, you must exit and restart Arbortext Editor or stop and restart the Arbortext Publishing Engine to have it recognized. You also have the option to issue the f=init function to re-initialize the Arbortext PE sub-processes. Refer to Configuration Guide for Arbortext Publishing Engine for more information.
Rules for using the application directory are:
• Your custom application must be contained in a uniquely named subdirectory of the application directory.
• You must have an application.xml configuration file in the uniquely named subdirectory that sets the conditions for loading the application.
• The same set of subdirectories supported by the custom directory are supported for the uniquely named subdirectory of the application directory. At startup, the supported directories are automatically detected and used in constructing search paths.
• Any other subdirectory of the application directory will be ignored at startup. For example, an application\graphics subdirectory with no application.xml file will be ignored during startup.
Arbortext has developed proprietary custom applications that are deployed using the application subdirectory structure. A uniquely named subdirectory contains all the necessary components to run an application within Arbortext Editor as well as the Arbortext Publishing Engine.
The following information will help determine an approach for a custom application.
• You can have additional subdirectories for your custom application. You are not limited to the subdirectories supported by the custom directory. However, these additional directories are not automatically recognized during the startup process.
• Processing each unique application's subdirectories follows the same rules for processing custom subdirectories. Recall that the application's subdirectories come after the custom subdirectories in constructing any applicable search paths for the session.
• If you decide not to use a particular supported subdirectory, you can improve performance by omitting the directory to reduce the length of a search path that would contain it.
• An application should not write data to its own application directory. An application user may not have write permission access to this application directory, for example, any C:\Program Files directories on Windows (the location where Arbortext Editor and the Arbortext Publishing Engine are typically installed).
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