Optional: Adding a property editor or compiler

If you need to control how the properties (attributes) of your node are displayed, you can create a property editor by implementing the IPropertyEditor interface. A property editor is not limited in content. It can contain many controls, like text fields, lists, and so on.

If you want to create a custom compiler, for example to encrypt a value before sending it to the server, you can create a compiler by implementing the IPropertyCompiler interface.

Start of change

Creating the Java class

To create a new Java class for your property editor or compiler, complete the following steps.
  1. Switch to the Java perspective.
  2. Select your user-defined node project in the Package Explorer, and click Project > Rebuild Project
  3. Right-click on your user-defined node project, and click Update Classpath…
  4. In the UDN project, select the /src directory, and click File > New > Class.
  5. Type a name for your class in the Name text field.
  6. Perform the following steps, according to whether you are creating a property editor or a property compiler.
    • If you are creating a property editor:
    1. Delete any text in the Superclass text field, and click Browse…
    2. Select the AbstractPropertyEditor class and click OK.
    • If you are creating a property compiler:
    1. Click the Add… button next to the Interfaces text field.
    2. Select the IPropertyCompiler interface and click OK.
  7. Click Finish.
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Testing your property editor or compiler

If you want to test your property editor, launch another instance of the workbench, and select Run > Run as > Runtime Workbench. See the PDE Guide for more information about testing using the Runtime Workbench.

If you want to test your compiler, deploy the flow containing your user-defined node on a broker.

Related concepts
User-defined Input nodes
User-defined message processing nodes
User-defined output nodes

Related tasks
Creating a new user-defined node project

Related reference
User-defined extensions