weka.gui

## Class GenericPropertiesCreator

- java.lang.Object
- - weka.gui.GenericPropertiesCreator

-     public class GenericPropertiesCreator
      extends java.lang.Object

  This class can generate the properties object that is normally loaded from the `GenericObjectEditor.props` file (= PROPERTY_FILE). It takes the `GenericPropertiesCreator.props` file as a template to determine all the derived classes by checking the classes in the given packages (a file with the same name in your home directory overrides the the one in the weka/gui directory/package).
  E.g. if we want to have all the subclasses of the `Classifier` class then we specify the superclass ("weka.classifiers.Classifier") and the packages where to look for ("weka.classifiers.bayes" etc.):

         weka.classifiers.Classifier=\
           weka.classifiers.bayes,\
           weka.classifiers.functions,\
           weka.classifiers.lazy,\
           weka.classifiers.meta,\
           weka.classifiers.trees,\
           weka.classifiers.rules

  This creates the same list as stored in the `GenericObjectEditor.props` file, but it will also add additional classes, that are not listed in the static list (e.g. a newly developed Classifier), but still in the classpath.
  For discovering the subclasses the whole classpath is inspected, which means that you can have several parallel directories with the same package structure (e.g. a release directory and a developer directory with additional classes).
  The dynamic discovery can be turned off via the `UseDyanmic` property in the props file (values: true|false).
  Version:
    $Revision: 11346 $
  Author:
    FracPete (fracpete at waikato dot ac dot nz)
  See Also:
    `CREATOR_FILE`, `PROPERTY_FILE`, `USE_DYNAMIC`, `GenericObjectEditor`, `ClassDiscovery`

- - ### Field Summary

    Fields
    Modifier and Type | Field and Description
    --- | ---
    `static java.lang.String` | `USE_DYNAMIC` name of property whether to use the dynamic approach or the old GenericObjectEditor.props file
    `static boolean` | `VERBOSE` whether to output some debug information

  - ### Constructor Summary

    Constructors
    Constructor and Description
    `GenericPropertiesCreator()` initializes the creator, locates the props file with the Utils class.
    `GenericPropertiesCreator(java.lang.String filename)` initializes the creator, the given file overrides the props-file search of the Utils class

  - ### Method Summary

    Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `void` | `execute()` generates the props-file for the GenericObjectEditor and stores it
    `void` | `execute(boolean store)` generates the props-file for the GenericObjectEditor
    `void` | `execute(boolean store, boolean loadInputProps)` generates the props-file for the GenericObjectEditor and stores it only if the the param `store` is TRUE.
    `boolean` | `getExplicitPropsFile()` returns TRUE, if a file is loaded and not the Utils class used for locating the props file.
    `static java.util.Properties` | `getGlobalInputProperties()` Get the global input properties
    `static java.util.Properties` | `getGlobalOutputProperties()` Get the global output properties
    `java.lang.String` | `getInputFilename()` returns the name of the input file
    `java.util.Properties` | `getInputProperties()` returns the input properties object (template containing the packages)
    `java.lang.String` | `getOutputFilename()` returns the name of the output file
    `java.util.Properties` | `getOutputProperties()` returns the output properties object (structure like the template, but filled with classes instead of packages)
    `static void` | `main(java.lang.String[] args)` for generating props file: no parameter: see default constructor 1 parameter (i.e., filename): see default constructor + setOutputFilename(String) 2 parameters (i.e, filenames): see constructor with String argument + setOutputFilename(String)
    `static void` | `regenerateGlobalOutputProperties()` Regenerate the global output properties.
    `void` | `setExplicitPropsFile(boolean value)` if FALSE, the locating of a props-file of the Utils-class is used, otherwise it's tried to load the specified file
    `void` | `setInputFilename(java.lang.String filename)` sets the file to get the information about the packages from.
    `void` | `setOutputFilename(java.lang.String filename)` sets the file to output the properties for the GEO to
    `boolean` | `useDynamic()` gets whether the dynamic approach should be used or not

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

      `equals, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait`

- - ### Field Detail

    - #### VERBOSE

          public static final boolean VERBOSE

      whether to output some debug information
      See Also:
        Constant Field Values

    - #### USE_DYNAMIC

          public static final java.lang.String USE_DYNAMIC

      name of property whether to use the dynamic approach or the old GenericObjectEditor.props file
      See Also:
        Constant Field Values

  - ### Constructor Detail

    - #### GenericPropertiesCreator

          public GenericPropertiesCreator()
                                   throws java.lang.Exception

      initializes the creator, locates the props file with the Utils class.
      Throws:
        `java.lang.Exception` - if loading of CREATOR_FILE fails
      See Also:
        `CREATOR_FILE`, `Utils.readProperties(String)`, `loadInputProperties()`

    - #### GenericPropertiesCreator

          public GenericPropertiesCreator(java.lang.String filename)
                                   throws java.lang.Exception

      initializes the creator, the given file overrides the props-file search of the Utils class
      Parameters:
        `filename` - the file containing the packages to create a props file from
      Throws:
        `java.lang.Exception` - if loading of the file fails
      See Also:
        `CREATOR_FILE`, `Utils.readProperties(String)`, `loadInputProperties()`

  - ### Method Detail

    - #### getGlobalOutputProperties

          public static java.util.Properties getGlobalOutputProperties()

      Get the global output properties
      Returns:
        the global output properties

    - #### getGlobalInputProperties

          public static java.util.Properties getGlobalInputProperties()

      Get the global input properties
      Returns:
        the global input properties

    - #### regenerateGlobalOutputProperties

          public static void regenerateGlobalOutputProperties()

      Regenerate the global output properties. Does not load the input properties, instead uses the GLOBAL_INPUT_PROPERTIES

    - #### setExplicitPropsFile

          public void setExplicitPropsFile(boolean value)

      if FALSE, the locating of a props-file of the Utils-class is used, otherwise it's tried to load the specified file
      Parameters:
        `value` - if true the specified file will be loaded not via the Utils-class
      See Also:
        `Utils.readProperties(String)`, `loadInputProperties()`

    - #### getExplicitPropsFile

          public boolean getExplicitPropsFile()

      returns TRUE, if a file is loaded and not the Utils class used for locating the props file.
      Returns:
        true if the specified file is used and not the one found by the Utils class
      See Also:
        `Utils.readProperties(String)`, `loadInputProperties()`

    - #### getOutputFilename

          public java.lang.String getOutputFilename()

      returns the name of the output file
      Returns:
        the name of the output file

    - #### setOutputFilename

          public void setOutputFilename(java.lang.String filename)

      sets the file to output the properties for the GEO to
      Parameters:
        `filename` - the filename for the output

    - #### getInputFilename

          public java.lang.String getInputFilename()

      returns the name of the input file
      Returns:
        the name of the input file

    - #### setInputFilename

          public void setInputFilename(java.lang.String filename)

      sets the file to get the information about the packages from. automatically sets explicitPropsFile to TRUE.
      Parameters:
        `filename` - the filename for the input
      See Also:
        `setExplicitPropsFile(boolean)`

    - #### getInputProperties

          public java.util.Properties getInputProperties()

      returns the input properties object (template containing the packages)
      Returns:
        the input properties (the template)

    - #### getOutputProperties

          public java.util.Properties getOutputProperties()

      returns the output properties object (structure like the template, but filled with classes instead of packages)
      Returns:
        the output properties (filled with classes)

    - #### useDynamic

          public boolean useDynamic()

      gets whether the dynamic approach should be used or not
      Returns:
        true if the dynamic approach is to be used

    - #### execute

          public void execute()
                       throws java.lang.Exception

      generates the props-file for the GenericObjectEditor and stores it
      Throws:
        `java.lang.Exception` - if something goes wrong
      See Also:
        `execute(boolean)`

    - #### execute

          public void execute(boolean store)
                       throws java.lang.Exception

      generates the props-file for the GenericObjectEditor
      Parameters:
        `store` - true if the generated props should be stored
      Throws:
        `java.lang.Exception`

    - #### execute

          public void execute(boolean store,
                     boolean loadInputProps)
                       throws java.lang.Exception

      generates the props-file for the GenericObjectEditor and stores it only if the the param `store` is TRUE. If it is FALSE then the generated properties file can be retrieved via the `getOutputProperties` method.
      Parameters:
        `store` - if TRUE then the properties file is stored to the stored filename
        `loadInputProps` - true if the input properties should be loaded
      Throws:
        `java.lang.Exception` - if something goes wrong
      See Also:
        `getOutputFilename()`, `setOutputFilename(String)`, `getOutputProperties()`

    - #### main

          public static void main(java.lang.String[] args)
                           throws java.lang.Exception

      for generating props file:
      - no parameter: see default constructor
      - 1 parameter (i.e., filename): see default constructor + setOutputFilename(String)
      - 2 parameters (i.e, filenames): see constructor with String argument + setOutputFilename(String)
      Parameters:
        `args` - the commandline arguments
      Throws:
        `java.lang.Exception` - if something goes wrong
      See Also:
        `GenericPropertiesCreator()`, `GenericPropertiesCreator(String)`, `setOutputFilename(String)`