The Branch Transformation Toolkit installation program creates the following set of directories on the target machine.
Directory name | Description of contents |
---|---|
dbtools | Scripts to manage database tables for the CHA component |
desktop | Desktop DTD file |
doc | The Branch Transformation Toolkit documentation plug-ins to WebSphere Studio Application Developer Integration Edition |
plugins |
|
ear | EAR files to provide the infrastructure for the CHA, CHA formatter service, and Service Infrastructure components of the toolkit. You can use the EARs to build applications on the Branch Transformation Toolkit |
jars | The Branch Transformation Toolkit code separated into various JARs according to the functional unit to which the code belongs. A solution built on the Branch Transformation Toolkit can use the JARs for the functional units that it is using. See Functional units, packages, and dependencies for a listing of the JARs and their contents and corequisites |
samples | EAR files to run the sample applications provided by the Branch Transformation Toolkit in the WebSphere Studio Application Developer workbench. This directory also contains the source code of the samples. |
services | Runtime files that are needed by some of the services of the framework |
source | Source code of selected Branch Transformation Toolkit components to provide a better understanding of the functional units. This helps in tasks such as extending the framework and reduces the development cycle. The source code must not be modified |
javadoc |
A recommended approach is to add an overall classpath variable named BTT to point to the root directory of the Branch Transformation Toolkit installation. To do this:
BTT
In the same way, add another classpath variable named, for example, BTT_EXTERNAL to point to the external dependencies. To make the external classpath variable work, all the required external JARs must be in the directory to which this variable points. The overall classpath variables make it easier for you to select the Branch Transformation Toolkit JAR files for your Java project.
Another approach is to define a classpath variable for each functional unit available in the product. Each classpath variable points to the concrete JAR associated with the functional unit (see the tables in Functional units, packages, and dependencies).
The remainder of this procedure and all the other procedures assume that you are using the recommended approach.
To make the functional units available to your project, you can either add the compiled JARs to the project's classpath or you can import the JARs into the workspace. You can choose the second option if you want to embed the JARs and resources into your application when, for example, it is self-contained and independently deployed.
For either option, you only add or import the JARs and their corequisites needed for the application to optimize the deployment and distribution of the application. Consult Functional units, packages, and dependencies to obtain these corequisites.
If you are unsure of the actual dependencies among the JARs, add the ones that you are not sure about. You can always remove unneeded jars later. For examples of the JARs that you should select, browse the list of jars used by the sample applications shipped in the <Toolkit root>/samples folder. If you open, for example, the BTTHtmlSampleWeb.war file that is inside the BBTTHtmlSample.ear file, you can see that the following functional units have been used to build the application:
To add the required JARs to the project's classpath:
Once you have installed the Branch Transformation Toolkit in WebSphere Studio Application Developer Integration Edition, you can start developing Branch Transformation Toolkit-based solutions. For a high level overview of the development process and where to get information, see the Creating an application documentation. For examples of Branch Transformation Toolkit-based applications, including how to install and run them on the various supported platforms, see the Java Sample Application and HTML Sample Application documentation.