API reference - Class Application

Notation used in Ruby API documentation

Description: The application object

• Public methods
• Public static methods and constants
• Detailed description

The application object is the main port from which to access all the internals of the application, in particular the main window.

Public methods

Public static methods and constants

Detailed description

[const] string application_data_path

Description: Return the application's data path (where the configuration file is stored for example)

This method has been added in version 0.22.

void create

Description: Ensures the C++ object is created

Use this method to ensure the C++ object is created, for example to ensure that resources are allocated. Usually C++ objects are created on demand and not necessarily when the script object is created.

void destroy

Description: Explicitly destroy the object

Explicitly destroy the object on C++ side if it was owned by the Ruby interpreter. Subsequent access to this object will throw an exception. If the object is not owned by Ruby, this method will do nothing.

[const] bool destroyed?

Description: Returns a value indicating whether the object was already destroyed

This method returns true, if the object was destroyed, either explicitly or by the C++ side. The latter may happen, if the object is owned by a C++ object which got destroyed itself.

int exec

Description: Execute the application's main loop

This method must be called in order to execute the application in the main script if a script is provided.

void exit(int result)

Description: Exit the application with the given exit status

This method should be called instead of simply shutting down the process. It performs some important cleanup without which the process will crash. This method has been added in version 0.22.

[const] string get_config(string name)

Description: Query a configuration parameter

This method returns the value of the given configuration parameter. If the parameter is not known, an exception will be thrown. Use get_config_names to obtain a list of all configuration parameter names available.

Configuration parameters are always stored as strings. The actual format of this string is specific to the configuration parameter. The values delivered by this method correspond to the values stored in the configuration file

[const] string[] get_config_names

Description: Query the configuration parameter names

This method returns the names of all known configuration parameters. These names can be used to get and set configuration parameter values.

[const] string inst_path

Description: Return the application's installation path (where the executable is located)

This method has been added in version 0.18. Version 0.22 offers the method klayout_path which delivers all components of the search path.

[static] Application ptr instance

Description: Return the singleton instance of the application

There is exactly one instance of the application. This instance can be obtained with this method.

[const] bool is_const_object?

Description: Returns a value indicating whether the reference is a const reference

This method returns true, if self is a const reference. In that case, only const methods may be called on self.

[const] bool is_editable?

Description: Return true if the application is in editable mode

[const] string[] klayout_path

Description: Return the KLayout path (search path for KLayout components)

The result is an array containing the components of the path.

This method has been added in version 0.22.

[const] MainWindow ptr main_window

Description: Return a reference to the main window

void process_events

Description: Process pending events

This method processes pending events and dispatches them internally. Calling this method periodically during a long operation keeps the application 'alive'

bool read_config(string file_name)

Description: Read the configuration from a file

This method siletly does nothing, if the config file does not exist. If it does and an error occured, the error message is printed on stderr. In both cases, false is returned.

void set_config(string name,string value)

Description: Set a configuration parameter with the given name to the given value

This method sets the configuration parameter with the given name to the given value. Values can only be strings. Numerical values have to be converted into strings first. The actual format of the value depends on the configuration parameter. The name must be one of the names returned by get_config_names. It is possible to write an arbitrary name/value pair into the configuration database which then is written to the configuration file.

[const] string version

Description: Return the application's version string

bool write_config(string file_name)

Description: Write configuration to a file

If the configuration file cannot be written, is returned but no exception is thrown.