**Window Manager Application Guide**
====
Revision: 0.5
TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION
20th/Mar/2018
* * *
Table of content
============
- [Introduction](#Introduction)
- [Intended audience](#Intended\ audience)
- [Scope of this Document](#Scope\ of\ this\ Document)
- [Known Issues](#Known\ Issues)
- [External libraries](#External\ libraries)
- [Client Library](#Client\ Library)
- [Concepts](#Concepts)
- [Layers](#Layers)
- [Surfaces](#Surfaces)
- [Configuration](#Configuration)
- [Configuration Items](#Configuration\ Items)
- [Building and Running](#Building\ and\ Running)
- [Dependencies](#Dependencies)
- [Build Configuration](#Build\ Configuration)
- [Implementation Notes](#Implementation\ Notes)
- [Structure](#Structure)
- [Sequence](#Sequence)
- [Binding API](#Binding\ API)
- [LibWindowmanager](#LibWindowmanager)
- [Methods](#Methods)
- [Errors](#Errors)
- [Usage](#Usage)
- [Events](#Events)
- [Sample](#Sample)
Introduction
============
This window manager implements simple layout switching of applications on
multiple layers and with different layer layouts.
Intended audience
-----------------
This document is intended for developers and system integrators who
need to know, how the window manager works and how it is to be used.
Scope of this Document
----------------------
This document covers the window manager that was implemented for TMC and
delivered to the Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) project. It includes its
implementation details, concepts of operation, configuration and usage.
It does not include
- document of the underlying architecture, see
[HMI-Framework](https://wiki.automotivelinux.org/hmiframework).
- document of the AGL application framework and its technologies,
see [AGL Application
Framework](https://wiki.automotivelinux.org/agl-distro/app-framework).
It is highly recommended to have a good understanding of these documents
and projects before using the window manager.
Known Issues
------------
Currently there is a one known issues:
- Only single-surface Qt applications are support through the
libwindowmanager library. This is a limitation of how Qt creates surface
IDs for the ivi-application interface.
External libraries
------------------
This project includes a copy of version 2.1.1 the excellent [C++11 JSON
library by Niels Lohmann](https://github.com/nlohmann/json).
Client Library
--------------
A client library implementation that internally uses the *libafbwsc*, is
provided in the `libwindowmanager`.
Concepts
========
The window manager implements a couple of concepts in order to allow
efficient implementation.
Layers
------
Layers are entities that are stacked on top of each other. Each layer
has an ID which is used for the ivi-controller interface, but this ID
also implicitly specifies its stacking order, from lowest to highest.
Layers are always full-screen. We do not use layer dimensions as a way
to setup the scene, rather - each layer has a layout attached to it,
which specifies an area that is used by surfaces to draw on.
Additionally, layers will generally leave surfaces on below layers
activated, and only disable surfaces on layers the are above the
currently used layer.
It is possible to deactivate these surfaces on lower layers explicitly
using the `DeactivateSurface` API call.
Surfaces
--------
Surfaces are *placed* on layers according to their name. The surface
will then be resized to dimensions, according to the layer's layout
configuration.
Configuration
=============
The window manager is configured with the *layers.json* configuration
file, by default it is searched in `${AFM_APP_INSTALL_DIR}/etc/layers.json`.
However, if /etc/xdg/windowmanager/layers.json exists, it will be used instead.
The window manager will use a default configuration unless a configuration file
is found in one of these locations.
A sample configuration is provided with the window manager
implementation, this sample is installed to ${AFM_APP_INSTALL_DIR}/etc/layers.json.
Note:
Currently, window manager doesn't block the application displaying because "Fallback" is set by default. If the "Fallback" is not set in layers.json, window manager blocks the application displaying. In such a situation, you have to add your role(application name) at "role" in layers.json.
Configuration Items
-------------------
This section describes configuration items available through
`layers.json`. It will do this, by first providing an example, and then
going into its components.
### main\_surface
"main_surface": {
"surface_role": "HomeScreen",
},
The `main_surface` object describes a surface that will internally be
treated as the main surface - usually this mean *HomeScreen*. The only
special handling this surface receives, is that it is not allowed to
deactivate it. Placement of this surface on an layer is done by the
other configuration described below.
- `surface_role` this configuration item specifies the name of the
main surface. Set this to e.g. `HomeScreen`.
### mappings
This configuration item is a list of surface-name to layer mappings.
#### surface to layer mapping
"mappings": [
{
"role": "^HomeScreen$",
"name": "HomeScreen",
"layer_id": 1000,
"area": { "type": "full" },
"comment": "Single layer map for the HomeScreen"
},
{
"role": "MediaPlayer|Radio|Phone|Navigation|HVAC|Settings|Dashboard|POI|Mixer",
"name": "apps",
"layer_id": 1001,
"area": { "type": "rect", "rect": { "x": 0, "y": 218, "width": -1, "height": -433 } },
"comment": "Range of IDs that will always be placed on layer 1001, negative rect values are interpreted as output_size.dimension - $value",
"split_layouts": [
{
"name": "Navigation",
"main_match": "Navigation",
"sub_match": "HVAC|MediaPlayer",
"priority": 1000
}
]
},
{
"role": "^OnScreen.*",
"name": "popups",
"layer_id": 9999,
"area": { "type": "rect", "rect": { "x": 0, "y": 760, "width": -1, "height": 400 } },
"comment": "Range of IDs that will always be placed on the popup layer, that gets a very high 'dummy' id of 9999"
}
]
Each mapping defines the following items to map corresponding surfaces
to a layer.
- `role` defines a regular expression that application drawing names
are matched against. If applications match this regular expression,
the surface will be visible on this layer.
- `name` is just a name definition for this layer, it has no
functional use apart from identifying a layer with a name.
- `layer_id` specifies which ID this layer will use.
- `area` is an object that defines the area assigned to surfaces.
- `split_layouts` is an optional item, that - if present - defines a
number of possible split-screen layouts for this layer.
#### Area
Areas can be either `full` or `rect`, whereas `full` means a full-screen
layer, this is mostly useful for the main\_surface or HomeScreen layer.
`rect` declares a layer drawing area specified as a rectangle with start
coordinates `x` and `y` as well as its dimensions `width` and `height`.
The dimensions can be specified relative to the screen dimensions. For
this negative values for width and height must be used.
For example, a full-screen surface can have the following `rect`
definition:
"rect": { "x": 0,
"y": 0,
"width": -1,
"height": -1 }
A surface that leaves a 200pixel margin on the top and bottom can use
the following `rect` definition:
"rect": { "x": 0,
"y": 200,
"width": -1,
"height": -401 }
So the expression for the actual surface dimensions when using
screen-size-relative values will be:
actual_width = screen_width + 1 + width
actual_height = screen_height + 1 + height
Or in other words, to leave an `N` wide border around a surface, the
actual value in the dimension configuration needs to be `-N - 1`, and
appropriate offsets need to be set for `x` and `y`.
#### split\_layouts
This configuration item allows the specification of split-screen layouts
on layers for certain surfaces.
A split screen layout always has a *main* surface and a *sub* surface.
In order to enter a split screen layout, first the *main* surface of the
layout must be activated, and then the *sub* surface. In order to
disable the split layout, one of the two participating surface must be
deactivated (or a surface on a layer below the current one must be
activated).
"split_layouts": [
{
"name": "Navigation",
"main_match": "Navigation",
"sub_match": "HVAC|MediaPlayer",
}
]
A split layout object has the following attributes:
- `name` defines its name, it has no actual function other then a way
to identify this split layout.
- `main_match` is a regular expression that matches for the *main*
surface of this split layout.
- `sub_match` is a regular expression that matches for the *sub*
surface of this layout.
In the above example only the surface with drawing name
`Navigation` will be used as the *main* surface, and the surfaces
with drawing name `HVAC` or `MediaPlayer` can be used as a *sub* surface for
this layout.
The names must still match the layer's role match!
Building and Running
====================
Dependencies
------------
Build dependencies are as follows:
- afb-daemon >= 1.0
- libsystemd >= 222
- wayland-client >= 1.11
- wayland-ivi-extension >= 2.0.2 (until eel, wayland-ivi-extension >= 1.13)
- cmake >= 2.8
Supported environment
-------------------
| Item | Description |
|:------------|:----------------------------------|
| AGL version | Electric Eel |
| Hardware | Renesas R-Car Starter Kit Pro(M3) |
Build Configuration
-------------------
**Download recipe**
If repo is already done, please start with git clone
```
$ mkdir WORK
$ cd WORK
$ repo init -u https://gerrit.automotivelinux.org/gerrit/AGL/AGL-repo
$ repo sync
```
Then you can get the following recipe.
* `meta-agl-devel/meta-hmi-framework/recipes-graphics/agl-service-windowmanager-2017`
* `meta-agl-devel/meta-hmi-framework/recipes-graphics/libwindowmanager`
**Bitbake**
```
$ source meta-agl/scripts/aglsetup.sh -m m3ulcb agl-demo
$ bitbake agl-demo-platform
```
Implementation Notes
====================
The window manager is implemented as a app-framework-binder binding.
That means, the build produces one shared object that exports a binding
interface.
Structure
---------
The implementation is loosely split across the following source files:
- `main.cpp`: The program entry point as used by the afb-daemon. This
file defines the afbBindingV2 symbol that is used by the afb-daemon
in order to load a binding. It also defines the wayland fd event
dispatcher and some globals to be used (as context for the afb calls
we receive).
- `app.cpp` / `app.hpp`: This is the main window manager
logic implementation.
- `config.cpp` / `config.hpp`: Very simple configuration
item interface.
- `controller_hooks.hpp`: hook functions called by the wayland
controller to call into the window manager instance. Only a very limited number
of events are passed to the window manager, which allowed the usage of
such a simple interface.
- `json_helper.cpp` / `json_helper.hpp`: Smaller json related
helper functions.
- `layers.cpp` / `layers.hpp`: Actually hold all the data from
layers.json configuration, do some transformations and service the
window manager implementation.
- `layout.cpp` / `layout.hpp`: Very simple layout state for the
implementation of split layouts and tracking of the
surfaces involved.
- `policy.hpp`: PolicyManager implementation stub. Gets passed the
current and new layout on layout switch and can decide upon it being
valid or not.
- `result.hpp`: Simple result class around
`std::experimental::optional` that additionally can hold a
`char const *` to describe the error.
- `util.cpp` / `util.hpp`: general utility functions and structs - and
preprocessor definitions (e.g. `log*()` to AFB logging functions.
- `wayland_ivi_wm.cpp` / `wayland_ivi_wm.hpp`: A C++ object-oriented
libwayland-client wrapper. It is instanced in `main.cpp` and handles
all our wayland needs. These files are in master. In eel, the name
of these files are `wayland.cpp` / `wayland.hpp`
Sequence
===============
To understand the sequence between application and window manager, refer to the [spec document](https://wiki.automotivelinux.org/windowmanager).
Binding API
===============
Each function returns a reply containing at least a failed or successful
result of the call, additionally, when calls return something, it is
noted.
LibWindowmanager
------
This is the public interface of the class `LibWindowmanager`.
class LibWindowmanager
{
public:
LibWindowmanager();
~LibWindowmanager();
enum EventType {
Event_Active = 0,
Event_Inactive,
Event_Visible,
Event_Invisible,
Event_SyncDraw,
Event_FlushDraw,
};
int init(int port, char const *token);
// Window manager API
int requestSurface(json_object *object);
int requestSurfaceXDG(json_object *object);
int activateSurface(json_object *object);
int deactivateSurface(json_object *object);
int endDraw(json_object *object);
int getDisplayInfo(json_object *object);
int getAreaInfo(json_object *in_obj, json_object *out_obj);
int getAreaInfo(const char *label, json_object *out_obj);
void set_event_handler(enum EventType et, handler_fun f);
};
Methods
-------
### init(int port, char const *token)
Initialize the Binding communication.
The `token` parameter is a string consisting of only alphanumeric characters.
If these conditions are not met, the LibWindowmanager instance will not initialize,
i.e. this call will return `-EINVAL`.
The `port` parameter is the port the afb daemon is listening on, an
invalid port will lead to a failure of the call and return `-EINVAL`.
### requestSurface(json_object *object)
**args: `{ 'kKeyDrawingName': 'application name' }`**
This method requests a surface with the label given from the *Window Manager*.
It will return `surface id` a client application can use, and
`-errno` on failure. Additionally, on the standard error, messages are
logged to help debugging the issue.
### requestSurfaceXDG(json_object *object)
**args: `{ 'kKeyDrawingName': 'application name', 'kKeyIviId': 'ivi id' }`**
This method is mainly intended for *xdglauncher* that controls xdg application such as chromium.
It will return `surface id` xdglauncher uses, and
`-errno` on failure. Additionally, on the standard error, messages are
logged to help debugging the issue.
### activateSurface(json_object *object)
**args: `{ 'kKeyDrawingName': 'application name', 'kKeyDrawingArea': 'layout' }`**
This method is mainly intended for *manager* applications that control
other applications (think an application manager or the *HomeScreen*).
It instructs the window manager to activate the surface with the given
*label*.
This method only is effective after the actual window or surface was
created by the application.
### deactivateSurface(json_object *object)
**args: `{ 'kKeyDrawingName': 'application name' }`**
This method is mainly intended for *manager* applications that control other applications.
In adition, this is for applications that overrides other applications such like popup message.
In this case, popup surface requests to be hidden. It instructs the window manager to deactivate the surface associated with the given label. Note, that deactivating a surface also means to implicitly activate another (the last active or if not available *main surface* or *HomeScreen*.)
This method only is effective after the actual window or surface was
created by the application.
### endDraw(json_object *object)
**args: `{ 'kKeyDrawingName': 'application name' }`**
This function is called from a client application when it is done
drawing its surface content.
It is not crucial to make this call at every time a drawing is finished
- it is mainly intended to allow the window manager to synchronize
drawing in case of layout switch. The exact semantics are explained in
the next [Events](#_events) Section.
### getDisplayInfo(json_object *object)
**args: `{ }`**
This function gets the display information as follows:
- width[pixel]
- height[pixel]
- width[mm]
- height[mm]
It outputs the display information for json_object in the argument as follows:
`{"width_pixel": int value of width[pixel], "height_pixel": int value of height[pixel],
"width_mm": int value of width[mm], "height_mm": int value of height[mm]}`
It should be called after calling init().
It should not be called in the event handler because it occurs hang-up.
#### NOTE
It uses wl_output::geometry() for getting physical width[mm] and height[mm] of the display,
but the value is different with measured value.
- value from wl_output::geometry(): width:320 height:520
- measured value : width:193 height:343
### getAreaInfo(json_object *in_obj, json_object *out_obj)
**args1: `{ 'kKeyDrawingName': 'application name' }`**
**args2: `{ }`**
This function gets the information of area drawn by the application as follows:
- x-coordinate
- y-coordinate
- width
- height
It outputs the area information for json_object in the 2nd argument as follows:
`{"x": int value of x-coordinate, "y": int value of y-coordinate,
"width": int value of width, "height": int value of height}`
It should be called after calling activateSurface().
It should not be called in the event handler because it occurs hang-up.
#### NOTE
The same information can given by SyncDraw event.
### getAreaInfo(const char *label, json_object *out_obj)
**args1: String of application name**
**args2: `{ }`**
This function is same with `getAreaInfo(json_object *in_obj, json_object *out_obj)`,
but only has difference of 1st argument.
### set\_event\_handler(enum EventType et, handler_fun f)
This method needs to be used to register event handlers for the WM
events described in the EventType enum. Only one hendler for each
EventType is possible, i.e. if it is called multiple times with the same
EventType the previous handler will be replaced.
The `func` handler functions will receive the label of the surface this
event is targeted at.
See Section [Events](#_events) for more detailed information about event
delivery to client applications.
Errors
------
Methods returning an `int` signal successful operation when returning
`0`. In case of an error, an error value is returned as a negative errno
value. E.g. `-EINVAL` to signal that some input value was invalid.
Additionally, logging of error messages is done on the standard error
file descriptor to help debugging the issue.
Usage
-----
### Initialization of LibWindowmanager
Before usage of the LibWindowmanager, the method `init()` must be
called once, it will return `-errno` in case of an error and log
diagnostic messages to stderr.
### Request a surface
When creating a surface with *Qt* - it is necessary to request a surface
from the WM, internally this will communicate with the window manager
binding. Only after `requestSurface()` was successful, a surface should
be created.
This is also true for *QML* applications, where only after the
`requestSurface()` should the load of the resource be done. The method
returns `surface id` a client application can use
after the surface was requested successfully.
#### Workings of requestSurface()
`LibWindowmanager::requestSurface()` calls the AFB binding verb
`requestsurface` of the `windowmanager` API. This API call will return a
numeric ID to be used when creating the surface. This ID is never
explicitly returned to the client application, instead, it is set in the
application environment in order for *Qt* to then use it when creating
the surface.
With the current *Qt* implementation this means, that only one surface
will be available to client applications, as subsequent windows will
increment this numeric ID internally - which then will lead to IDs that
cannot be known by the window manager as there is no direct
communication from *Qt* to the WM.
Events
------
Events are a way for the *Window Manager* to propagate information to
client applications. It was vital for the project to implement a number
of events, that mirror functionality that is already present in the
wayland protocol.
All events have the surface label as argument - a way to enable future
multi-surface applications.
As already stated above, this is currently not possible with the way
*Qt* implements its surface ID setting.
### Active and Inactive Events
These events signal an application that it was activated or deactivated
respectively. Usually this means it was switched visible - which means
the surface will now be on the screen and therefor continue to render.
- `Active(json_object *object)`
args: { 'kKeyDrawingName': 'application name' }
Signal that the surface with the name
`kKeyDrawingName` is now active.
- `Inactive(json_object *object)`
args: { 'kKeyDrawingName': 'application name' }
Signal that the surface with the
name `kKeyDrawingName` is now inactive. This usually means, the layout
got changed, and the surface is now considered inactive
(or sleeping).
### Visible and Invisible
These events signal an application that it was switched to be visible or
invisible respectively. These events also are handled implicitly through
the wayland protocol by means of `wl_surface::enter` and
`wl_surface::leave` events to the client.
- `Visible(json_object *object)`
args: { 'kKeyDrawingName': 'application name' }
Signal applications, that the
surface with name `kKeyDrawingName` is now visible.
- `Invisible(json_object *object)`
args: { 'kKeyDrawingName': 'application name' }
Signal applications that the
surface with name `kKeyDrawingName` is now invisible.
### SyncDraw and FlushDraw
These events instruct applications that they should redraw their surface
contents - again, this is handled implicitly by the wayland protocol.
`SyncDraw` is sent to the application when it has to redraw its surface.
`FlushDraw` is sent to the application when it should swap its buffers,
that is *signal* the compositor that its surface contains new content.
- `SyncDraw(json_object *object)`
args: { 'kKeyDrawingName': 'application name', 'kKeyDrawingArea': 'layout',
'kKeyDrawingRect': { "x": int value of x-coordinate, "y": int value of y-coordinate,
"width": int value of width, "height": int value of height } }
Signal applications, that the
surface with name `kKeyDrawingArea` needs to redraw its content
in the layout with name `kKeyDrawingArea` - this
usually is sent when the surface geometry changed.
And the area position and size are included with name `kKeyDrawingRect`.
- `FlushDraw(json_object *object)`
args: { 'kKeyDrawingName': 'application name' }
Signal applications, that the
surface with name `kKeyDrawingArea` can now be swapped to its newly
drawn content as the window manager is ready to activate a new
layout (i.e. a new surface geometry).
Sample
============
In order to enable application to use the `WM` surface registration
function the above described steps need to be implemented.
As a minimal example the usage and initialization can look like the
following.
Repo: `apps/agl-service-homescreen-2017`
Path: `sample/template/main.c`