Using the Java-ECLiPSe Interface

Section 8.1 is intended to get you started quickly by running the example program QuickTest.java. Section 8.2 gives a brief overview of the functionality of the Java-ECLiPSe interface by taking a closer look at how QuickTest.java works. In the other sections of the document you will learn how to write Java programs which can:

• Manipulate ECLiPSe terms and other data in Java (Section 8.3).
• Execute goals in ECLiPSe and use the results of this computation in Java (Section 8.4).
• Transfer data between Java and ECLiPSe using queues. (Section 8.5).
• Initialise and terminate different kinds of connections between ECLiPSe and Java. (Section 8.6).

Throughout this document, <eclipse_dir> stands for the root location of your ECLiPSe installation. Detailed javadoc-generated HTML descriptions of the API provided by the com.parctechnologies.eclipse package can be found at:

<eclipse_dir>/doc/javadoc/JavaEclipseInterface/index.html

• Getting Started
  • Check your Java SDK version
  • Make the com.parctechnologies.eclipse package available in your class path
  • Compile and run QuickTest.java
• Functionality overview: A closer look at QuickTest.java
  • Always import the com.parctechnologies.eclipse package
  • Declare a reference to an EclipseConnection or an EclipseEngine
  • Create an object which implements EclipseConnection or EclipseEngine
  • Interact with ECLiPSe using methods in the EclipseConnection or EclipseEngine interface
  • Terminate interaction with the ECLiPSe
• Java representation of ECLiPSe data
  • General correspondence between ECLiPSe and Java data types
  • Atoms and compound terms
  • Lists
  • Floats and Doubles
  • Integers
  • Variables
  • The equals() method
• Executing an ECLiPSe goal from Java and processing the result
  • Passing the goal parameter to rpc
  • Note: yield/2, remote_yield/1 and rpc
  • Retrieving the results of an rpc goal execution
    • Other ways an rpc invocation can terminate
  • More details about rpc goal execution
    • Variables
    • Nondeterminism
    • Concurrent invocations of rpc
    • Nested invocations of rpc
• Communicating between Java and ECLiPSe using queues
  • Opening, using and closing queues
    • Opening a queue using Java methods
  • Opening a queue using ECLiPSe predicates
    • Transferring data using Java methods
    • Transferring data using ECLiPSe predicates
    • Note: always flush
    • Closing a queue using Java methods
    • Closing a queue using ECLiPSe predicates
  • Writing and reading ECLiPSe terms on queues
    • Initialising EXDRInputStream and EXDROutputStream
    • EXDRInputStream and EXDROutputStream at work
  • Using the QueueListener interface
  • Access to ECLiPSe's standard streams
• Managing connections to ECLiPSe
  • A unified ECLiPSe-side interface to Java : the `peer' concept
  • Creating and managing ECLiPSe engines from Java
    • Configuring an EclipseEngineOptions object
    • Using EmbeddedEclipse
      • Initialising an EmbeddedEclipse
      • Termination of an EmbeddedEclipse
    • Using OutOfProcessEclipse
      • Initialisation of an OutOfProcessEclipse
      • Termination of an OutOfProcessEclipse
  • Connecting to an existing ECLiPSe engine using RemoteEclipse
    • Initialisation of a RemoteEclipse connection
      • Basic connection sequence
      • Advanced connection sequence
    • Explicit transfer of control between ECLiPSe and Java
    • Termination of a RemoteEclipse connection
  • Comparison of different Java-ECLiPSe connection techniques