Add custom objects to OMERO.mde

Description

By using OMERO.mde you can create standardized key-value input forms with certain values and units. You can group key-values by creating an object module with the key-values as properties. We will show in this section how to create new objects for OMERO.mde and how you could create new key-values as properties of objects.

Step-by-Step

  1. Open the mdeConfiguration.xml file under config/.

  2. Insert a new <ObjectDef> element under <Definitions> and specify the name for the object (here MyCustomObject):

    <MDEObjects>
        <Definitions>
            <ObjectDef Type="MyCustomObject"/>
        </Definitions>
        <Configurations.../>
    </MDEObjects>
    
  3. Define now the properties (key-values) for your new object. For every property you have to add an <TagData> element. See below section Type of input fields.

  4. Define now in which hierarchy the object should be insert. For that define the parent element:

    <MDEObjects>
        <Definitions>
            <ObjectDef Type="MyCustomObject">
                <TagData.../>
                ...
                <Parents.../>
            </ObjectDef>
        </Definitions>
        <Configurations.../>
    </MDEObjects>
    

At this point we have specified an insertable object. You can insert this object with right-click on the specified parent node. If you want this object will be automatically inserted to the object tree, you have to specify this also in the SetupConf section of the corresponding setup:

<MDEObjects>
    <Configurations>
        <SetupConf Name="MyCustomSetup"
            <ObjectConf Type="OME:Image" ...>
            <ObjectConf Type="OME:Objective"...>
            <ObjectConf Type="MyCustomObject" Insert="true" InsertPoint="OME:Image" ...>
        </SetupConf>
    </Configurations>
</MDEObjects>

Example

Specification like:

<MDEConfiguration>
    <MDEPredefinitions...>
    <MDEObjects>
        <Definitions>
            ...
            <ObjectDef Type="MyCustomObject">
                <TagData DefaultValues="" Name="ExampleKey_1" Type="TextField"
                            Unit="" Value="" Visible="true" />
                <TagData DefaultValues="" Name="ExampleKey_2" Type="TextField"
                            Unit="" Value="" Visible="true" />
                <Parents Values="OME:Image" />
            </ObjectDef>
        </Definitions>
        <Configuration.../>
     </MDEObjects>
</MDEConfiguration>

will create an insertable object at OME:Image object.

mde_customObj

that has input form for two specified key-value pairs

mde_customObj2

With the additional specification in Configuration:

<MDEConfiguration>
    <MDEPredefinitions...>
    <MDEObjects>
        <Definitions>
            ...
            <ObjectDef Type="MyCustomObject">
                <TagData DefaultValues="" Name="ExampleKey_1" Type="TextField"
                            Unit="" Value="" Visible="true" />
                <TagData DefaultValues="" Name="ExampleKey_2" Type="TextField"
                            Unit="" Value="" Visible="true" />
                <Parents Values="OME:Image" />
            </ObjectDef>
        </Definitions>
        <Configuration>
            <SetupConf Name="MyCustomSetup">
                <ObjectConf Type="OME:Image"...>
                <ObjectConf Type="OME:Objective"/>
                <ObjectConf Type="MyCustomObject" Insert="true" InsertPoint="OME:Image"/>
            </SetupConf>
        </Configurations>
     </MDEObjects>
</MDEConfiguration>

will lead into following object tree if you select the setup MyCustomSetup

mde_customObj3

Type of input fields

There are different editor input field types for the element <TagData>. You can find this example by using the example mdeConfiguration.xml and insert a Available InputFields object by right-clicking on OME-Model node or it is inserted automatically when you select the setup Example Setup:Fields.

mde_availableInputFields

You can specify the different types like:

TextField define like:

<TagData DefaultValues=""
        Name="Tag of Type TextField"
        Type="TextField"
        Unit=""
        Value=""
        Visible="true" />

TextField with unit define like:

<TagData DefaultValues=""
        Name="Tag of Type TextField with unit"
        Type="TextField"
        Unit="nm"
        Value=""
        Visible="true" />

TextArea define like:

<TagData DefaultValues=""
          Name="Tag of Type TextArea"
          Type="TextArea"
          Unit=""
          Value=""
          Visible="true" />

ArrayField define like (for an array of 2 elements):

<TagData DefaultValues="2"
          Name="Tag of Type ArrayField"
          Type="ArrayField"
          Unit=""
          Value=""
          Visible="true" />

ArrayField with unit define like (for an array of 3 elements):

<TagData DefaultValues="3"
          Name="Tag of Type ArrayField with unit"
          Type="ArrayField"
          Unit="s"
          Value=""
          Visible="true" />

ComboBox define like:

<TagData DefaultValues="Value1,Value2,Value3"
          Name="Tag of Type ComboBox"
          Type="ComboBox"
          Unit=""
          Value=""
          Visible="true" />

ComboBox with values from ontology (OMERO.insight version >= 5.5.15):

<TagData DefaultValues=""
         Name="Tag of Type ComboBox val from ontology href"
         Type="ComboBox"
         Unit=""
         Value=""
         Visible="true">
    <Ontology URL_restapi="http://data.bioontology.org" Acronym="BAO" ID_href="http://www.bioassayontology.org/bao#BAO_0150008" />
</TagData>

CheckComboBox for multiple selection (OMERO.insight version >= 5.5.15):

<TagData DefaultValues="Value1,Value2,Value3"
         Name="Tag of Type CheckComboBox"
         Type="CheckComboBox"
         Unit=""
         Value="Value1"
         Visible="true" /

TimeStamp define like:

<TagData DefaultValues=""
          Name="Tag of Type TimeStamp"
          Type="TimeStamp"
          Unit=""
          Value=""
          Visible="true" />