Window Management

The ARINC 661 standard specifies the content of Layers, but does not specify how to manage Layers in Windows and Displays. However, Supplement 4 adds a new Appendix which defines the notion of SuperLayer, which allows to specify a Cockpit (Displays, Layouts, Windows and their associated Layers) as a special layer in a Definition File, called the SuperLayer. This definition allows for a User Application to send parameters to a Cockpit Display System to change cockpit layout (for example, makes a Window visible, or change the Layout, etc...).

Window Manager properties

It is possible to specify the Window Management of the Server by using the following configuration properties:

• "windowManager": the name of the WindowManager to use for the Server. Available values are:
  Note: the "server.windows" property allows to define the windowing configuration.
• basic: each Layer will be presented on a specific tab in a tabbed panel (default value)
• windows: SuperLayer Window manager using the server.windows parameter for its Window Configuration
• Any other value: A window manager key that can be set by any plugin. Plugins which want to define a specific window manager must do it by registering a new String value by: WindowManagerFactory.getInstance().addManagerDefinition(<window manager key>, nativeManagerClazz)
• "server.windows": The XML configuration File for the Windows definition, and the Layers List. If this File is defined, the graphic definition (including the Layers) will be set with the content of this File). Warning: This File will be used only if the windowManager property is set to windows
• "server.superLayer": true if the SuperLayer Definition is handled as of ARINC Supplement 4. Warning: This File will be used only if the windowManager property is set to windows
• "server.uniqueDisplay": this integer value allows to define one unique windows configuration file (see "server.windows" common property) for several Servers (i.e. on several PCs for example), but instanciate only one display for each Server. The property value is the ID of the Display as defined in the Windows XML configuration File.
  Warning: This property will be used only if the windowManager property is set to windows

Basic Window Manager

The default Window manager will be used if the "windowManager" property is not present or is equal to "basic". The default Windowing maps each Layer on one Tab on a tabbed panel.

SuperLayer Window Manager

This Window manager will be used if the "windowManager" property is equal to "windows". This Windowing defines Displays, layouts, and Windows. The Server will use the XML file set by the "server.windows" property to define the Cockpit configuration. Note that the SuperLayer Window Manager is the J661 Server implemenation of the ARINC 661 concept of a SuperLayer