Page History
...
Using the JSDoc plugin hosted on ServoyForge it is also possible to generate HTML documentation of the JavaScript code in a Solution, based on the JSDOc supplied.
Stoc |
---|
What Does JSDoc Consist Of
The JSDoc syntax consists of a set of JSDoc tags, contained in JSDoc comments.
...
Code Block |
---|
/** * A simple demo function that outputs some text * @author Tom * @private * * @param {String} text The text that will be written to the output * @throws (String) * returns Boolean * * @example try { * saySomething('Hello world!'); * } catch(e) { * * } * * @see application.output * @since 1.0 * @version 1.0.1<br> * - Added some more JSDoc tags for the demo */ function saySomething(text) { if (text == null || text.length == 0) { throw "Invalid input!" } application.output(text); return true; } |
Where Does JSDoc Come
...
from and which Syntax Is Supported
JSDoc is not a official standard, but the defacto standard is is defined by the JSDoc Toolkit project. The other major definer of JSDoc is Google Closure Compiler's support for JavaScript annotation.
The JSDoc syntax supported by the Servoy Developer IDE is derived from the JSDoc Toolkit and Google Closure Compiler's support for JavaScript annotation, plus some custom Servoy extensions.
See Annotating JavaScript using JSDoc and Annotating JavaScript using JSDocTags and Type Expressions below for the supported tags and their syntax.
Working
...
with JSDoc
...
in the Script Editor
As mentioned in the intro, the Script Editor in Servoy Developer utilizes JSDoc to improve the quality of code completion and validation.
...
Note that the Script Editor will always generate a JSDoc comment block with a @properties tag when saving the Script editor, if no JSDoc comments have been defined. The @properties tag is a tag containing information for Servoy to provide proper linking and versioning.
JSDoc Tags
The following JSDoc tags are supported in the Script Editor. This means that the JSDoc tags will be rendered without the "@" sign when hovering over a reference tot he function or variable.
...
Tag | Syntax & Examples | Context | Impact | Description | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
@AllowToRunInFind | @AllowToRunInFind | function | Determines if the function will be executes in FindMode when used as an event handler | Custom Servoy JSDoc tag to annotate a function that it can be run if the Form on which the function is ran is in FindMode | |
@author | @author userName | function, variable | none | Indicates the author of the code | |
@constructor | @constructor | function | This will show a different icon on the Script Outline view and suppresses warnings related to inconsistent return values when building in a fail-save to calling a constructor function without the new keyword | ||
@deprecated | @deprecated description | function, variable | Accessing a deprecated variable or calling a deprecated function will produce a builder marker in Servoy Developer | Indicates that the function or variable is obsolete or has been replaced and should be used anymore. | |
@enum | @enum
| variable | none in scripting, but Servoy Relations | Variables that contain a JavaScript Object with key/value pairs and are tagged as enumeration using the @enum tag are handled have special for meaning in Servoy relations: In the The relation editor allows selecting one of the keys of the object as value for the primary 'key' in a relation itemsitem. Only String and Number values are supported. They are treated as constants, so meaning that changes to the values in made through scripting are not supported, as in the relation that is loaded : if the value is altered, already loaded relations will not be updated accordingly. | |
@example | @example | function, variable | none | Tag allowing to provide some sample code how to use the function or variable. Multiline content is possible by including "<br>" as line-breaks behind each line of content. | |
@inheritDoc | @override@inheritDoc | functions | function | Inherit JS documentation from the super form's function | On mouse hover or autocomplete, the documentation of the super function is displayed. This can go through multiple levels, as long as this tag is present. |
@override | @override | functions | none | Tag to describe that the function is overriding an equally named function on a super form | |
@param | @param {Type} name parameterDescription | function | Builder markers will be generated in Servoy Developer if the function is called with values for the parameters that do not match the specified types | Describe function parameters. | |
@public@parse@public | @parse | function, variable | functions | Depending on how many functions have this tag, it might result in an increase of the workspace build time. | The @parse tag can be used to force parsing of those functions that normally are not parsed when the "Shallow parsing" preference is set. |
@public | @public | function, variable | Explicitly marks a member as public API. | A member that is not marked as either public, private or protected is implicitly considered as public. Cannot be used in combination with @private or @protected | |
@private | @private | function, variable | Accessing a private variable/function from outside the scope in which it is declared will generate a builder marker in Servoy Developer | Annotates a variable or function as accessible only from within the file in which it is declared Cannot be used in combination with @public or @protected | |
@protected | @protected | function, variable | Accessing a protected variable/function from outside the scope in which it is declared or a child scope will generate a builder marker in Servoy Developer | Annotates a variable or function as accessible from within the same file in which it is declared and all files that extend this file Cannot be used in combination with @public or @private | |
@return | @return {Type} | function | The specified type is used by the build process to determine the correctness of the code that uses the returned value and offer Code Completion | Annotates the type of the returned value. | |
@returns | @returns {Type} | function | see @return | alias for @return | |
@see | @see seeDescription | function, variable | none | Tag to provide pointers to other parts of the code that are related | |
@since | @since versionDescription | function, variable | none | Tag to provide information about in which version of the code the variable or function was introduced | |
@SuppressWarnings | @SuppressWarnings ([deprecated], [hides], [wrongparameters], [undeclared], [unused], [nls]) | function | Stop the generation of builder markers in Servoy Developer for the specified warnings
| Custom Servoy JSDoc tag to suppress builder markers of a certain type within a function | |
@this | @this {Type} | function | The specified type is used by the build process for the "this" object available inside functions to determine the correctness of the code that uses the object and offer Code Completion | Tag to specify the type of the "this" object inside functions. | |
@throws | @throws {Type} | function | none | Tag to describe the type of Exceptions that can be raised when the function is called. | |
@type | @type {Type} | variable, inline variable, (function*) | The specified type is used by the build process to determine the correctness of the code that uses the variable and offer Code Completion | Tag to specify the type of the value that a variable can hold. | |
@typedef | @typedef {Type} | variables | Variables tagged using the @typedef JSDoc tag are considered definitions of types. These types can be used as type in other JSDoc tags by using the name of the variable | ||
@version | @version versionDescription | function, variable | none | Tag to provide information about the version of the code |
A file can be either a Form JavaScript file or the globals JavaScript file. Only Form can be extended, thus the @protected tag is not relevant for annotating variables and functions within the globals JavaScript file
Type Expressions
Type Expressions are used to describe the type and/or structure of data in the following cases:
Use case | Tag | Example | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
function parameters | @param | /** .... } | |||
function return type | @return | /** | |||
functions exceptions | @throws | /** | |||
variables | @type | /** |
|
|
|
A Type Expression is to always be surrounded by curly braces: {typeExpression}. Note that when using the Object Type expression variation that start and stops with curly braces as well, this results in double opening and closing braces.
Expression name | Syntax example | Context | Comments | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Named type | {String} | @param, @return, @type, @throws | The complete list of available types can be seen by triggering Code Completion inside the curly braces in the Script Editor | |
Any type | {*} | @param, @return, @type, @throws | This can be used to suppress some builder markers related to apparent type inconsistencies. | |
OR type | {String|Number} | @param, @return, @type, @throws | ||
REST type | {...String} | @param | Can only be used for the last declared parameter of a function | |
Array type | {String[]} {Array<String|Number>} | @param, @return, @type, @throws | ||
Object type | {Object<String>} | @param, @return, @type, @throws | ||
Object type with optional properties | { {name:String, [age]:Number}} | @param, @return, @type, @throws | ||
Function type | {function(String, Number, Array<Object>):Boolean} | @param, @return, @type |
| |
JSFoundset type | {JSFoundset<db:/udm/contacts>}1 | @param, @return, @type | ||
JSRecord type | {JSRecord<db:/udm/contacts>}1 | @param, @return, @type |
| |
JSDataSet type | {JSDataSet<{name:String, age:Number}>} | @param, @return, @type |
| |
RuntimeForm RuntimeForm type | {RuntimeForm<superFormName>} | @param, @return, @type |
|
1 the value in between <..> is the datasource notation that is built up of the database server and tablename: db:/{serverName}/{tableName}
Type Casting
JSDoc can be used inside JavaScript code to specify the type of variables. This can be necessary if the correct type can't be automatically derived.
...
RuntimeWebComponent type | {RuntimeWebComponent<webComponentName>} | @param, @return, @type | The webComponentName can be found in the associated spec file; webComponentName may be for example: bootstrapcomponents-tabpanel (leading to the following type: {RuntimeWebComponent<bootstrapcomponents-tabpanel>} ) |
CustomType | {CustomType<componentName.customTypeName>} | @param, @return, @type | componentName may be web component or web service. The customTypeName is defined in the spec file. Example: {CustomType<bootstrapcomponents-tabpanel.tab>} |
1 the value in between <..> is the datasource notation that is built up of the database server and tablename: db:/{serverName}/{tableName}
Type Casting
JSDoc can be used inside JavaScript code to specify the type of variables. This can be necessary if the correct type can't be automatically derived.
An example of such scenario is for example the databaseManager.getFoundSet() function. This function returns an object of the generic type JSFoundSet. In most if not all scenario's however, it is known for which specific datasource the JSFoundSet was instantiated and the foundset object will be used as such in code, accessing dataproviders on the foundset object that are specific to the datasource. This will result in builder markers, because those dataproviders are not know on the generic JSFoundSet type. Through JSDoc casting however, it's possible to specify the type of the foundset object more specifically
...
An example of a generic type would be RuntimeComponent, which is the super type for RuntimeLabel, RuntimeField etc. RuntimeComponent defines all the properties and methods that all the other RuntimeXxxx types have in common. When the need arises to call methods or set properties that are specific to a specific RuntimeXxx type, the generic type can be casted:
Code Block |
---|
if (elements[1] instanceof RuntimeLabel) {
/**@type{RuntimeLabel}*/
var myLabel = elements[1]
var elementNames = myLabel.getLabelForElementName() //Calling method specific for labels
}
|
...
need arises to call methods or set properties that are specific to a specific RuntimeXxx type, the generic type can be casted:
Code Block |
---|
if (elements[1] instanceof RuntimeLabel) {
/**@type{RuntimeLabel}*/
var myLabel = elements[1]
var elementNames = myLabel.getLabelForElementName() //Calling method specific for labels
}
|
Note |
---|
Type Casting can only be performed on variable declarations. It is not possible switch the type of an already declared variable later in code |
Shallow parsing property in the Servoy preferences
In the Preferences->Servoy→Javascript Validation we have an option called shallow parsing. That property is enabled by default and if checked will make sure that when parsing over files the other files are not fully parsed but only functions that are marked with @parse or @constructor are parsed internally.
This greatly enhances performance because Servoy doesn't have to go over multiply files (deeply nested) to get the the type info of a object that is created in another file.
Problem is that you really need to document all the functions correctly that are not fully parsed. Because we can't extract on those the actual runtime return type from the function body. So @return is important to have for all the functions describing its object that it returns (together with the @param)
So to force Servoy to do parse the function because it is a constructor function like:
Code Block |
---|
/**
* @constructor
*/
function MyObject () {} |
If you want to have a normal function (that for example does some prototyping) to be parsed you can use the @parse annotation:
Code Block |
---|
/**
* @parse
*/
function myInit() {
MyObject.prototype = xxx
} |
If those init methods are auto initializing variables like this:
Code Block |
---|
var init = (
/**
* @parse
*/
function(){
SomeClass.prototype = Object.create(SomeClass.prototype);
SomeClass.prototype.constructor = SomeClass;
/**
* @constructor
*/
SomeClass.prototype.anotherFunction = function() {
}
})() |
make sure the @parse doc is on the function itself, not on the doc of the var init!