ALeX
This extension is a productivity tool for ALeX developers.
Features
Main extension features:
- Upload PHP actions and parts of XML files with a single key stroke.
- Snippets to speed up configuration authoring.
For more details see:
The extension is activated once an XML or PHP file is opened or once a connection is selected.
Quick start
- Create connection ini file.
- Select connection.
- Edit XML configuration file:
- Put cursors inside an
<alex-update> block and upload the block.
- Select several
<alex-update> blocks and upload them.
- For both use ALeX: Upload selection command.
- Edit PHP action file and upload it.
Commands
ALeX: Connection: Select
Use ALeX: Connection: Select to select connection ini file that defines IS ALeX endpoint. IS ALeX endpoint is defined with
url - ALeX base URL, e.g. http://localhost/ALeX/currentdb - ALeX database nameuser - ALeX user name, dbowner or another powerful user is a good choicepassword - Optional password, define it for development environments only!
Connection ini file example:
url="http://localhost/ALeX/current"
db="alex"
user="root"
; Never store password for produciton systems.
;pass="mysecretpassword"
The command searches the path from the directory of the active document to the root folder looking for .*.ini and *.ini files. User is offered the list of connection files to select one.
Once you select a connection file, its endpoint details are printed to output. The selected connection file is then used for all commands that talk to ALeX server (like ALeX: Upload).
ALeX: Upload selection
Ctrl+Alt+U Cmd+Alt+U
Use ALeX: Upload selection to upload the selected part of your XML configuration file to ALeX.
The selected part is
- the current selection block, or
- the closest
<alex-update> block surrounding the current cursor position, if the current selection is empty.
You can use multiple cursor positions to select several blocks.
Command requires a connection file with ALeX endpoint details. Use command ALeX: Connection: Select to select one.
ALeX: Upload PHP file
Ctrl+Alt+U Cmd+Alt+U
Use ALeX: Upload PHP file to upload the current PHP action file to ALeX.
Command requires a connection file with ALeX endpoint details. Use command ALeX: Connection: Select to select one.
ALeX: Upload XML file
Use ALeX: Upload XML file to upload the current XML file to ALeX.
Command requires a connection file with ALeX endpoint details. Use command ALeX: Connection: Select to select one.
ALeX: Compile selection
Ctrl+Alt+K Cmd+Alt+K
Use ALeX: Compile selection command to compile the selected part of your XML configuration file (see ALeX: Upload selection for definition) and save the result to a file.
Compiled XML is saved to build/part.file.compiled.xml if called from file.xml.
Command does NOT upload anything to ALeX server.
ALeX: Compile XML file
Use ALeX: Compile XML file command to compile the whole current file.
Compiled XML is saved to build/file.compiled.xml if called from file.xml.
Command does NOT upload anything to ALeX server.
ALeX: Connection: Set password
Use ALeX: Connection: Set password to set password if one is missing in connection file. Once password is set VSCode remembers it until workspace is closed or a different connection file is selected.
If password is set and connection file contains password too, the one set in VSCode is used.
ALeX: Connection: Reset password
Use ALeX: Connection: Reset password to unset password set with ALeX: Connection: Set password.
ALeX: Connection: Info
Use ALeX: Connection: Info command to print the current ALeX endpoint details to output.
ALeX: Make
Use a set of ALeX: Make commands to invoke alex make command from VSCode. There is a command for each of the most used targets.
| Command |
Meaning |
| ALeX: Make All |
Asks whether to reset db. Then it builds and uploads configurations. |
| ALeX: Make Build |
Builds configurations. Built configurations can be found in build folder next to alex.json. |
| ALeX: Make Config |
Builds and uploads configurations. |
| ALeX: Make Test |
Builds and uploads test configurations. |
Invoke command in one of the following ways.
- From context menu of
alex.json file in file explorer.
- As a usual command with
Ctrl+Shift+P - it will ask you to select one of alex.json files VSCode will find on the paths from the active document to root.
More on alex.json in usage help of alex make command.
alex make --help
Snippets
Document initialization
| Abbreviation |
Description |
| aus |
Basic XML settings for ALeX XML configuration and <alex-update-sequence> root element |
Update blocks
| Abbreviation |
Description |
| au |
General <alex-update> block |
| auj |
<alex-update> for jobs |
| aup |
<alex-update> for parameters |
| aupg |
<alex-update> for parameter groups |
| auphp |
<alex-update> for PHP actions |
| aur |
<alex-update> for a role |
Universal blocks
| Abbreviation |
Description |
| an |
<alex-node> |
| aa |
<alex-attribute> |
| al |
<alex-link> |
Parameter group blocks
| Abbreviation |
Description |
| pg |
<alex-node> for a parameter group |
| ad |
<alex-display> |
| adf |
<alex-display> block with flags |
| ap |
<alex-link> to a parameter |
| aacpa |
ALeX actions custom panel - set custom actions |
| aacpo |
ALeX actions custom popup - set custom actions |
| act |
<alex-action> |
| call |
<call> in action definition |
| aapa |
ALeX actions panel - modify standard actions |
| aapo |
ALeX actions popup - modify standard actions |
| aaxi |
<xi:include> to modify standard actions |
Parameter blocks
| Abbreviation |
Description |
| p |
<alex-node> for a general parameter |
| pdat |
<alex-node> for a date parameter |
| pmulti |
<alex-node> for a multicatalog parameter |
| pref |
<alex-node> for a catalog parameter |
| pstr |
<alex-node> for a string parameter |
| ptab |
<alex-node> for a table parameter |
Rights blocks
| Abbreviation |
Description |
| aur |
<alex-update> for a role |
| ar |
<alex-right> |
PHP
| Abbreviation |
Description |
| php |
<alex-node> for a PHP action |
| classa |
class Action_ template (for PHP) |
| trigger |
Trigger method template (for PHP) |
Jobs blocks
| Abbreviation |
Description |
| ajf |
<alex-node> for a filtering job |
| ajp |
<alex-node> for a PHP job |
Filter blocks
| Abbreviation |
Description |
| af |
<alex-filter> |
| afc |
<alex-condition> |
Editor title bar
An upload action is displayed in editor title bar (in top-right corner) in XML and PHP files. For XML files it uploads the current selection.
If Alt is pressed, then compile action is available instead upload in XML files.
Requirements
This extension requires command alex to be installed.
Extension Settings
Path
Set path to alex executable, if it is not on path including alex, alex.bat, or alex.php.
On Windws it's better to set path to alex.php.
{
"alex.path": "/path/to/bin/alex",
// or
"alex.path": "C:\\mypath\\alex.php"
}
PHP
If path to alex.php is set in alex.path, you can set path to PHP binary to run it, otherwise php is epxected on path.
{
"alex.php": "/path/to/bin/php"
}
This setting is ignored if alex.path is not set to a path to alex.php but e.g. to alex or alex.bat.
Known Issues
- Check you have the latest alex-tools installed.
Release Notes
0.0.25
- New schema for
alex.json make files
0.0.24
- Fix
ALeX: Connection: Create cannot be run from command palette.
- Fix double
ALeX: Make All in explorer context menu.
0.0.23
- New:
ALeX: Upload XML command in editor title with alternative ALeX: Upload XML fragment (with Alt key)
- New:
ALeX: Compile XML command in editor title with alternative ALeX: Compile XML fragment (with Alt key)
0.0.22
- Password optimizations:
- Missing password is dispalyed in ALeX status bar item with
(no password).
- All server actions ask for password if it is not set.
- Not providing a password always aborts the action.
0.0.21
0.0.20
- Asks for connection file automatically on commands that need connection.
- Asks for password automatically when connection file is without a password.
- New status bar item dislaying connection. Selects another connection on click.
- Fix
ALeX: Make for connection files without a password.
- Requires latest alex-tools.
0.0.19
- New
ALeX: Make commands in file explorer's context menu on alex.json files, or directly callable with a dialog to select alex.json file
0.0.18
- Opt XML snippets for PHP action class
0.0.16
- Fix XML snippet for role rights
0.0.15
- PHP snippets with type hints in docblock to support intellisense
0.0.14
0.0.13
0.0.11
- Quick start
- New
ALeX: Upload XML file command to upload the whole XML file
- Old
ALeX: Upload command split to ALeX: Upload selection and ALeX: Upload PHP file
- Icon in editor title bar for upload (or compile with
Alt) actions in XML and PHP files
- Documentation
0.0.8
- Path to php in
alex.php setting.
0.0.7
0.0.6
0.0.5
- Set/Reset password
- XML snippets
- Documentation
0.0.4
- Key
alex.path in settings.json to configure path to alex CLI command
- Multiple selections compilied always in document order
- Command message displayed in status bar upon command start
- XML snippets
- Modified keybindings
0.0.1
- Initial release of ALeX extension
