How to create a module with source dependencies

Follow this guide to bootstrap a new module that references the BrainSimulator project instead of the binaries.

Choose a module name

For this tutorial, we'll use TestModule as the name of the module and MyCompany as the base namespace of the module. All the names in the following steps are derived from these names.

Get the sources

  1. Clone the BrainSimulator project repository.
  2. Clone the NewModuleWithSourceDeps into BrainSimulator\Sources\Modules\TestModule

The Node project is located in TestModule\Module, the CUDA kernels are in TestModule\Cuda

Rename the module components

  1. Open the NewModuleWithSourceDeps solution in VS and rename the solution to TestModule
  2. Rename the NewModuleWithSourceDeps project to TestModule
  3. Rename the NewModuleWithSourceDepsCuda project to TestModuleCuda
  4. In the TestModule project, find NewModuleNode.cs and rename it to TestNode.cs

  5. Open the file and change line 13 to:

    namespace MyCompany.Modules.TestModule

  6. Rename the NewModuleNode class to TestNode and NewModuleTask to TestTask

  7. In TestModule\conf\nodes.xml set the type to MyCompany.Modules.TestModule.TestNode. It should look like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Configuration RootNamespace="MyCompany.Modules">
    <KnownNodes>
        <Node type="MyCompany.Modules.NewModuleWithSourceDeps.NewModuleNode" CanBeAdded="true"/>
    </KnownNodes>
</Configuration>

Build and test the module

  1. Rebuild the TestModule project. VS doesn't build the module project with BrainSimulator when you run it, because it's not a dependency. You need to do this manually.
  2. Set the BrainSimulator project as the startup project and then run/debug.

You should be able to load the TestNode in the running instance now.