Java Graph visualization and EMF

The begining

I'm actually working in a integration test team. The main goal of this team is to make software parts assembly ant then test them in a nominal to limit way.
To acheive this task they build data :  for input, result validation  and non-regression test data. This team work with (space) flight dynamics algorithm and the manipulated data are

• numerous
• have to make a consistent whole

These datas are in fact organized as a graph and a tree view does not always fit to validate/control these data...

One solution : a graph view

We work with an EMF (Eclipse Modeling Framework) data implementation. So I start reusing a generic editor  (based on a reflexive item provider, the source could be found here) and adapt it to fit our needs. But I feel that is not enough to validate, saw data.

At this point I remembered my work on  graph database named OrientDb. This tool has a graph editor and it was cool to see cross references ans so on...

So I searched a java graph visualization tool. I found fast JUNG (Java Universal Network/Graph Framework) that fit my "first order" needs :

• easily managed graph
• many provided layout (see KKlayout, FRLayout, SpringLayout, CirculeLayout and more...)

Usage

 The usage is quite easy, JUNG provide a sample project that is very usefull and run quite well.

Eclipse view Integration

My integration is actually very direct. I use  :

• the AWT_SWT eclipse bridge to integrate visualisation in a view
• a command in the generic editor popup menu to invoke an handler that call  the refresh and the show graph view.
• rely on reflexive content provider to build the graph
• set a color for each datatype (we have about 1000)

TODO Png

Next

• More integration to allow highlight from generic editor to graph view and opposite
• set a short name for vertices and tool tip for contents
• set edge view depending of containment or not
• Optimize memory usage (actually no more than one hundred vertices... due to sharing memory with eclipse ? )