Module Conversion Steps

This step-by-step guide walks you through conversion of a module from SCIRun 4 to SCIRun 5. At this time, it only covers modules without a UI screen.

Copy the module's C++ source file into the correct path. Look under src/Modules/Legacy to see if it is already there.

Example: src/Modules/Legacy/Fields/AlignMeshBoundingBoxes.cc is already checked in, so nothing to do.

Make a copy of the file SCIRunGUIPrototype/src/Modules/Legacy/Fields/CalculateGradients.h (TODO: general header template) and rename it using the same name as the module. It will act as a template for the newly-required module header file.

Edit the corresponding CMakeLists.txt file to both (a) enable/add the module .cc file, and (b) add the newly-created module header file.

Example: src/Modules/Legacy/Fields/CMakeLists.txt was edited to add AlignMeshBoundingBoxes.h to the Dataflow_Modules_Legacy_Fields_HEADERS list; and, the line containing AlignMeshBoundingBoxes.cc was uncommented to add both files to the project.

Under src/Modules/X/Tests, where X is the general category of your module, add a unit test source file both to the filesystem and to the corresponding CMakeLists.txt file.

Example: Unit tests for the Legacy modules are separated from the Legacy directories to aid file diffing. Thus, a file AlignMeshBoundingBoxesTests.cc was added to src/Modules/Fields/Tests, and then added to the project using CMake. GetFieldBoundaryTests.cc was copied to create the new file; it will be edited in a later step.

At this point, the CMake project structure should be valid (although the projects won't build), and your git changeset should look like this:
CHECKPOINT: If there is no corresponding Algorithm class for your module, there is a limit on the size of its execute() method of 5 lines. Otherwise, a separate Algorithm class is required to be extracted from the Module's implementation.
With the Algorithm implementation separate, proceed to the Algorithm class's directory.

Example: AlignMeshBoundingBoxes uses AlignMeshBoundingBoxes.h/.cc under src/Core/Algorithms/Legacy/Fields/TransformMesh, the files are already there.

Example: src/Core/Algorithms/Legacy/Fields/CMakeLists.txt is edited to enable TransformMesh/AlignMeshBoundingBoxes.cc and add TransformMesh/AlignMeshBoundingBoxes.h (Most algorithm header files are not part of the CMakeLists file already and need to be added).

Example: The new algorithm tests will go under src/Core/Algorithms/Field/Tests. An existing test file is copied into the new file AlignMeshBoundingBoxesAlgoTests.cc, and it is added to the CMake file.

Your CMake config should be valid, and it is time to make a commit. It's good to separate the file additions and CMake changes from actual code changes in the history.

Provide feedback