Getting Started with Rappture

You've already seen the simple tutorial on Rappture and you're anxious to get started using it. Here's how:

1. Install Rappture? on your local machine.

2. Try out a few of the examples included in your installation:

% cd rappture/examples/app-fermi
% ../../bin/rappture

% cd rappture/examples/graph
% ../../bin/rappture

Browse through the zoo of inputs and outputs presented here. You'll find the complete code for each example in the Rappture distribution:

% cd rappture/examples/zoo

3. Look at other examples available in the nanoHUB development area:

• ​MolCToy - Toy model for molecular conduction
• ​PNtoy - PN junction lab
• ​CNTbands - carbon nanotube band structure

In particular, look at the tool.xml file in the source code for each of these examples (i.e., ​molctoy tool.xml, ​pntoy tool.xml, ​cntbands tool.xml). See how the various inputs and outputs are described for that tool. Then, look at the wrapper script for each tool (​molcwr, ​padrewr, ​cntbandswr) and see how each wrapper used the Rappture library to access inputs, run the tool, and store outputs.

NOTE: You don't have to use a wrapper script. If possible, you should integrate the Rappture library directly into the source code for your tool. But wrapper scripts are convenient for legacy applications, where you don't want to change the source code of the original application, but rather, add a Rappture interface on top of it.

4. Browse the reference documentation as you develop your own tool.