Scriptconsole4j: Embed a scripting console in your Java App.

Using scripting languages in Java became very easy. The JSR 223 standardizes the usage of scripting languages in the Java Platform; and Java 6 already ships with built-in support to JavaScript (Mozilla Rhino engine).

If you need to embed a multi-language enabled scripting “visual console” to your application you may try the scriptconsole4j.

I was developing a Java application where I needed to do some coding on the fly during runtime, change variable values, run snippets of code, etc. So, I’ve created a simple scripting console to use on that application. I don’t know if something like that already existed, but my code and its usage are really simple.

I’ve extracted the classes and made a few changes on it and created a separate reusable jar library (the scriptconsole4j). It is hosted at http://code.google.com/p/scriptconsole4j/

There are two ways to use it:

• A JPanel with scripting functionality that can be embedded in another application (e.g. you can add a scripting window, or a scripting console to your app and access some of your application variables through the scripting window)
• A standalone frame that embeds the above scripting console (e.g. you can practice the scripting language of your choice with it)

This scripting console provides a standard output variable, but allows variables from your own application to be available through the scripting console.
The combobox shows all available scripting engines on the running JVM. By default, Java 6 comes with JavaScript.

By doing the following as in the example, it is possible to add you custom(s) variable(s):

import scriptconsole4j.*;
...

JFrame frame = new JFrame("[Scriptconsole4j] Default Window");
//No textual description available. The console will just display the classname as info
ScriptContextVariable myObjectVar = new ScriptContextVariable(new MyObject(),"myobj","");
//The scripting panel can take several ScriptContextVariable as parameter
ScriptingPanel panel = new ScriptingPanel(myObjectVar);
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.setSize(400, 400);
frame.add(panel);
frame.setVisible(true);

You can add any variable that you want and use it from the scripting panel. In the above code we add an object of type MyObject that will be available in the console with the alias of "myobj". There is no big deal here, since the JSR 223 allows context objects. However, we wrap it and put some additional info so other can see what are the variables that we intentionally want to let available to the console, and hopefully some (optional) textual description of it.

Other JSR 223 compliant engines of existing scripting languages are available at http://scripting.java.net .The download on that site provides the JSR 223 engines but it is still necessary to make additional downloads to the scripting libraries themselves.

Several improvements still need to be done in the console (e.g. ability to load scripts, script embelisher, undo support), but this little panel brought a lot of flexibility for me during development time of my apps.

The first release can be downloaded here.

I hope you can give it a try to see if it helps you too.