Each script is collection of couple files. But it must have XML descriptor.

XML descriptor is plain xml-structured text file which contains references to all other files of this script. XML descriptor must be placed in folder “extensions” or its any subfolder and have file extension “.xml”. All references to other files are relative to location of XML descriptor, do not use absolute pathes.

You can use next tags:

<menu> – just container for all others

<section> – optional tag which contains name of the section where link will be placed. There are couple recognized sections: “calc, find, edit,export,navi, others”. If name does not match predefined it will be placed as subsection of “others”.

<script> – tag must exists. Contains name of the main script’s file with lua code. If it contains path it have to be related to position of the XML descriptor (no absolute pathes). If this file cannot be found SmartViewer will ignore script totally.

<form> – optional tag, contains name of the main UI QML file. Some additional naming rules like name’s case may apply, see QML documentation.

<button> – tag container which has visible to user link. Have to be at least 1 in file. Each such tag will be displayed as additional option in menu.

<name> – must exisits. Text shown to user.

<shortcut> – optional tag with keyboard shortcut. Use it carefull because other scripts may use same shortcut. Additional info.

<icon> – optional tag, allows to add icon to the menu. Contains image file name.

<callparam> – optional tag, anything contained here will be passed to script as global value CallParam when user selects this <button> from menu. So same script can have couple working modes.

<hint> – optional tag, contains text shown in status bar.

Sample:

<menu>
<section>find</section>
<script>find.lua</script>

<button>
<name>Text Search (case insensitive)</name>
<shortcut>ctrl+F</shortcut>
<icon>afind.png</icon>
<callparam>t</callparam>
</button>

<button>
<name>Binary Search</name>
<shortcut>ctrl+alt+F</shortcut>
<icon>hfind.png</icon>
<callparam>b</callparam>
</button>
</menu>

I was self-using Smart Sniffer for more than 8 years already. During this years I made a lot of changes, added a lot of algorithms inside but it was not enough each time. For almost each new project or customer I had to make changes into internal code. It made me crazy. Code was not optimal, had new bugs, etc…

Fortunately in the beginning I decided to split recording module and viewer module, that gave me some chance to avoid “blue death” in most cases but it was not enough still. Last year I met “long time loading” problem with huge records (over 10Mb) because dump was shown as text (could you load faster 20mb of the text into ms word??). It’s enough I decide.

Now I represent new SmartViewer 5 which is written from scratch. It maintains compatibility with last recording module SmartSniffer, which is renamed to version 5 as well (I plan to rewrite it too though soon).

Basically SmartViewer module just loads recorded data stream and splits into data blocks in memory. It can show it immediatlly as a table 1 block per 1 raw. Now it uses delayed loading by user request, so “long time loading” should not be a problem any more.

Anything else you can imagine you need is moved out into extern scripts. Scripts are plain text files written using powerfull language LUA. Of course SmartViewer supplies some minimal API (functions, which extend lua) to allow access to recorded data, COM ports, user interaction, etc.

API may be extended in time by my needs or by your requests.

How it works ?

Script is at least one text file containing code. To be loaded by SmartViewer it must have XML descriptor stored somewhere into predefined folder “extensions” or you can set additional custom folder. According to XML descriptor SmartViewer will load code files, icon files, user UI files etc. Yes, I’m not mistaken – you are able to extend SmartViewer UI by own code using QML language, but let’s speak about later.

SmartViewer just loads recorded stream, parses it into blocks and serves as a host for extern scripts which can change visual appearence, modify data, export data, calculate checksums/hashes, extract plain data out of transmission protocols, communicate to device etc. – all in 1 without need to compile extern programs using complex languages like Delphi or C.

LUA is interpreted language so each script runs into Virtual Machine. When SmartViewer starts it enumerates all XML files and loads related scripts into own VM. However, scripts are loaded only. It will be executed by direct user request (menu mouse click). All globals are kept in memory between script launches. Since each script has own VM they don’t share global data.

Virtual Machine(s) will be destroyed if:

1. SmartViewer closed.
2. User requested reload.
3. Not handled error occured caused by script.

Script may have additional UI, in such case, script is loaded, next UI is loaded and when user clicks it to run –  hosting tab for UI is created and script executed.

You may read RUSSIAN decription, however it maybe not current.