VisualCommander Glossary

Definition of Terms:

Command

A single input to a Session.

Data Source

A type of external system that provides data to a VisualCommander system, and may also be able to receive and handle commands from VisualCommander.

Data Display

An instance of a Display Plugin placed in a Page that visually repesents data. A Data Display can both have Data Points as inputs and generate data for Commands as outputs - it depends on the design of the Display Plugin of which it is an instance.

Data Hierarchy

Tree structured organization of all available inputs and outputs. Shown in the Data window.

Data Point

A single output from a Session.

Data Processor

An instance of a Processor Plugin added to an Interface which generates one or more Data Points in the Data Hierarchy. A Data Processor can also have Data Points as inputs, possibly using their data as the basis for the generated outputs.

Display Plugin

Plugin for visually representing data and receiving command data from users. Examples of display plugins include the Plot, Session Manager and Simulation Controller plugins.

Interface

A document containing a customized user interface for viewing data and sending commands. Interfaces include Windows, Pages, Data Displays, and Data Processors.

Volume

Container in the Data Hierarchy which groups Data Points and Commands

Page

A layer within a window, analogous to a canvas upon which Data Displays "draw" their visual representations. Each Window in an interface will have one or more Pages. Only a single Page of a Window is visible at any time.

Plugin

An add-on piece of software which can be developed by third parties to add new functionality to VisualCommander without modifying the original software. There are four types of plugins that VisualCommander supports: Data Sources, Data Source Configurators, Displays and Processors.

Processor Plugin

A Plugin for generating new Data Points in the Data Hierarchy, often by processing data from existing Data Points. Processor plugins run inside a VisualCommander client and their outputs are limited to that client.

Session

A running Data Source Plugin is known as a Session. Each session has a unique name, provides Data Points and Commands, and can be in various states that the user is able to control. A Session's hierarchy of data points and commands will appear in the overall Data Hierarchy contained within a top-level Volume of the same name as the Session.

Window

An onscreen window, the highest level component in an Interface, containing one or more layers referred to as "Pages".