Plugging in and into code bubbles: the code bubbles architecture

AbstractCode Bubbles is an attempt to redefine the user interface for an integrated programming environment. As it represents a whole new user interface, implementing it as a plug-in is inherently difficult. We get around this difficulty by combining two different plug-in architectures, a standard one based on registrations and callbacks and a message-based one that puts the plug-in at arm's length and defines a narrower two-way interface. This paper describes both how we have implemented Code Bubbles as a plug-in to Eclipse and how Code Bubbles itself is implemented as a set of plug-ins representing the different aspects of the environment, using both traditional and message-based plug-in architectures as appropriate. It also shows how the resultant architecture is flexible enough to support collaboration, different back ends, and a cloud-based environment. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.