====== Drop Script ======
~~NOTOC~~
[{{ :documents:dropscript2012.png?400|Drop Script Interface in ImageJ}}]
==== Author ====
Kota Miura (miura@cmci.info)\\ 
==== History ====
2011-07-25   First release\\
2012-02-19   Additional capability for dropping jython files. Fixed a bug: Drop Script window was listed in the menu "windows" even after closing, but now it disappears as it should be.\\
2012-11-24   "Auto Run" feature. When the script file is saved in the editor, the script is automatically executed. \\

{{rss>https://github.com/cmci/IJ_DropMacro/commits/master.atom 10 date 24h}}

=== Source ===
[[https://github.com/cmci/IJ_DropMacro]]\\ \\ 

==== Installation ====

Download Drop_Script-1.0.x.jar from the link below, and place it under the plugin folder of Fiji or ImageJ. 

[[https://github.com/cmci/IJ_DropMacro/releases/download/v1.0.1/Drop_Script-1.0.1.jar|Jar file]]

In case of ImageJ, you need Jython interpreter (Fiji already comes with the Jython interpreter so you don't need to install it). To get the interpreter, you need to run a test jython script (whatever you could just write, something like "print 'test'") and "evaluate python" in ImageJ. Automatic Jython installation then starts. 

<del>**If you are using Fiji: **\\
Instead of installing manually, you could also set automatic download & updates by registering our update site. 
<code>
http://cmci.embl.de/ijplugins
</code>
For managing update site, [[http://fiji.sc/wiki/index.php/How_to_follow_a_3rd_party_update_site|see this page]].</del>
==== Requires ====
ImageJ ver 1.44h or higher ([[http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/upgrade/|ImageJ, upgrade page]]).\\ \\ 
==== Description ====

The aim of this plugin is to synchronize the script editing using external editors such as Notepad++ (windows only), Coteditor (osx) or Vim (universal) and quickly run the script in ImageJ or Fiji. Start the plugin, drag and drop the script file to the plugin window, and edit the file in the editor of your choice. Then clicking the "Run" button in the Drop-Script window will run the script. 

DropScript plugin only keeps the path to the dropped files and  accesses the code in the saved file every time when "Run" is clicked. For this reason, you could edit the code in external editor while the macro/script is keep on being listed in the DropScript drop-down menu. 

**To be more efficient:** Turning on "Auto Run" option will let you automatically trigger to run the script as soon as the script is "Save"ed in the editor. With "auto-run", the Drop script plugin continuously monitor changes in the script file, and automatically executes the script in ImageJ or Fiji whenever any change is detected.   

This plugin will appear under menu tree Plugins > EMBLtools > Drop Script. The plugin opens a small window titled "Drop Script" where you drag and drop ImageJ macro (.ijm), Javascript (.js) and Jython (.py) script files. You could drag & drop as many files as you want directly from filesystem browser such as "Windows explorer" or "Finder (osx)". 

Dropped files will be appended as a list to the drop-down menu. "Clear" button will clear the list. "Code" button will open the code (Only for Javascript and ImageJ macro) in ImageJ macro editor. 

** known bugs **

Only with Jython script, running a code with infinit loop will freeze ImageJ. This is because outputs from Jython interpretor is currently kept in a buffer ([[http://docs.oracle.com/javase/1.5.0/docs/api/java/io/ByteArrayOutputStream.html|ByteArrayOutputStream]]), converted to a String and then printed in the log window at once (IJ.log(String)). Infinite loop causes the buffer to never reaching the log window. 

 
==== Additional Information ====

Syntax Highlighter for ImageJ Macro is available in following editors. 

  * Vim
    * [[http://cmci.embl.de/downloads/vim_syntaxhighlighter|Syntax-Highlighter for ImageJ Macro]]
  * CotEditor
    * [[https://gist.github.com/1334472|Syntax-Highlighter for ImageJ Macro]]
  * Notepad++
    * [[http://cmci.embl.de/downloads/npp_syntaxhighlighter|Syntax-Highlighter for ImageJ Macro]]