Module depth: Good Practices

[hsmyers]

I've a extension naming question regarding module nesting. Which is it, 1, or 2 levels? I.E.:

Module HSMNameOfModule

or,

Module HSM #Author namespace
  Module NameOfModule #extension namespace

I have foggy memories of seeing 3 deep nesting but have forgotten the details.

[sdmitch]

@hsmyers said:

I've a extension naming question regarding module nesting. Which is it, 1, or 2 levels? I.E.:

> Module HSMNameOfModule
> 

or,

> Module HSM #Author namespace
>   Module NameOfModule #extension namespace
> 

I have foggy memories of seeing 3 deep nesting but have forgotten the details.

Option 2 is usually recommended.

[slbaumgartner]

The first level keeps your namespace clear of anybody elses.
The second level keeps this extension's namespace clear of your other extensions (it happens! I just had a collision between two of my extensions when I forgot about a name I had used already)
I think a third level would be needed only in a complex suite of extensions such as Fredo6 or TomTom develop - though of course any class you define inside the second level creates a third namespace.

[hsmyers]

@slbaumgartner said:

The first level keeps your namespace clear of anybody elses.
The second level keeps this extension's namespace clear of your other extensions (it happens! I just had a collision between two of my extensions when I forgot about a name I had used already)
I think a third level would be needed only in a complex suite of extensions such as Fredo6 or TomTom develop - though of course any class you define inside the second level creates a third namespace.

Useful explanation with war story The last bit reminded me where I'd seen the third level, so quite helpful!

[Garry K]

I use a modified template that Dan Rathburn created. I also use his file naming convention for the loader etc.

You could strip this down. But I like to place my plugins in a shared folder so I can test a single plugin on 6 versions of Sketchup SU7 through SU2016

require('extensions.rb')

module YourCompany    # Proprietary TopLevel Namespace; No Trespassing!

  module ThisPlugin   # Namespace for THIS plugin
    # Create an entry in the Extension list that loads script called;
    # "gkware_doormaker_loader.rb"
    APP_VERSION = '1.0.1'

    @plugin = SketchupExtension.new('Company Plugin Description', File.join('PluginName', 'Company_PluginName_loader'))

    @plugin.creator = 'Your Name'
    @plugin.copyright = '(c)2013-2016 by YourCompany'
    @plugin.version = APP_VERSION
    @plugin.description = 'Plugin does something - optional url to your website'

    unless @plugin.class.method_defined?(;path)
      #
      # Define a singleton method for @plugin to access the @path attribute.
      # (... because the API did not do it in extensions.rb !!)
      #
      def @plugin.path()
        instance_variable_get(;@path)
      end
    end # unless

    # Create local path and filename constants;

    PATH = @plugin.path()
    LOADER_SUFFIX = '_loader'
    LOADER = File.basename(PATH)
    tmp = LOADER.split('_')
    RBSFILE = tmp[0] + '_' + tmp[1] + '.rbs'

    # RELDIR is relative to Plugins dir, OR the dir from
    # the $LOAD_PATH array that require used to find it.
    RELDIR = File.dirname(PATH)

    ROOT = $LOAD_PATH.find(false) do |abspath|
      Kernel.test(?d, File.join(abspath, RELDIR))
    end

    if ROOT
      ABSDIR = File.join(ROOT, RELDIR)
    else
      # assume the target dir is directly below, the dir that THIS file is in.
      ABSDIR = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), RELDIR)
    end

    # Register this extension with the Sketchup;;ExtensionManager
    Sketchup.register_extension(@plugin, true)

  end # module YourCompany;;ThisPlugin

end # module YourCompany