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Development Guide

This guide is for developers who want to understand, modify, or contribute to the QGIS pypopRF plugin. We welcome contributions and suggestions from the community!

Project Structure

QGIS-pypopRF/  
├── core/                    # Core functionality  
│   ├── pypoprf/            # Population modeling components  
├── q_models/               # QGIS-specific models  
│   ├── console_handler.py  # Console output management  
│   ├── config_manager.py   # Configuration handling  
│   ├── covariate_table.py # Covariate UI management  
│   ├── file_handlers.py   # File operations  
│   ├── process_executor.py # Analysis execution  
│   └── settings_handler.py # Settings management  
├── qgis_pypoprf_dialog.py  # Main dialog implementation  
├── qgis_pypoprf_dialog_base.ui  # Qt UI definition  
├── metadata.txt           # Plugin metadata  
└── __init__.py           # Plugin entry point

Core Components

1. Main Dialog (qgis_pypoprf_dialog.py)

  • Manages plugin UI lifecycle
  • Connects UI signals and slots
  • Coordinates between components
  • Handles user interactions

2. Model Classes

Console and Logging (console_handler.py)

  • Real-time console output
  • Log file management
  • Progress reporting
  • Error handling

Configuration (config_manager.py)

  • YAML configuration handling
  • Settings validation
  • Project structure management
  • Default configurations

Data Management

  • CovariateTableHandler: Manages covariate inputs and table UI
  • FileHandler: Handles file operations and validation
  • ProcessExecutor: Manages analysis execution and threading
  • SettingsHandler: Manages plugin settings and preferences

3. UI Design (qgis_pypoprf_dialog_base.ui)

  • Qt Designer UI definition
  • Intuitive tab-based interface
  • Progress monitoring
  • File selection widgets
  • Advanced settings panels

Development Setup

Requirements

# Install plugin requirements  
pip install -r requirements.txt

Environment Setup

  1. Clone repository:

    git clone https://github.com/wpgp/QGIS-pypopRF.git```  

2. Install for development:  
```bash  
# Linux/macOS  
ln -s /path/to/QGIS-pypopRF ~/.local/share/QGIS/QGIS3/profiles/default/python/plugins/  

# Windows (PowerShell)  
New-Item -ItemType SymbolicLink -Path "$env:APPDATA\QGIS\QGIS3\profiles\default\python\plugins\QGIS-pypopRF" -Target "path\to\QGIS-pypopRF"

  2. Reload QGIS plugins

Development Guidelines

Code Style

  • Follow PEP 8 conventions
  • Use type hints for better code clarity
  • Write comprehensive docstrings
  • Keep methods focused and maintainable
  • Comment complex logic sections
  • Use meaningful variable names

UI Development

  • Use Qt Designer for UI modifications
  • Maintain consistent tab-based organization
  • Follow QGIS UI guidelines
  • Consider user workflow and experience
  • Ensure responsive interface

Error Handling

try:  
 # Operation process_data()except Exception as e:  
 # Log error self.logger.error(f"Operation failed: {str(e)}") # Inform user self.show_error_message("Operation failed", str(e))finally:  
 # Cleanup self.cleanup_resources()

Logging Best Practices

# Use appropriate log levels  
self.logger.debug("Detailed technical information")  
self.logger.info("General process information")  
self.logger.warning("Warning about potential issues")  
self.logger.error("Error that needs attention")

Threading and Performance

Thread Management

  • Use QThread for heavy processing
  • Emit progress signals
  • Handle cancellation properly
  • Manage memory usage 
class ProcessWorker(QThread):  
 progress = pyqtSignal(int, str) finished = pyqtSignal(bool, str)     def run(self):  
 try: # Processing steps self.progress.emit(50, "Processing...")             # Check for cancellation  
 if not self._is_running: return         except Exception as e:  
 self.finished.emit(False, str(e))

Resource Management

  • Implement block processing for large datasets
  • Monitor memory usage
  • Clean up temporary files
  • Release resources properly
  • Handle large input files efficiently

Contributing

We welcome contributions from the community! Here's how you can help:

How to Contribute

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a feature branch
  3. Make your changes
  4. Write/update tests
  5. Submit a pull request

What to Contribute

  • Bug fixes
  • New features
  • Documentation improvements
  • Performance enhancements
  • UI/UX improvements
  • Translations

Development Process

  1. Check existing issues or create a new one
  2. Discuss proposed changes
  3. Implement changes
  4. Submit pull request
  5. Respond to review comments

Code Review Process

  • All changes require review
  • Follow the pull request template
  • Include test cases
  • Update documentation
  • Maintain code quality

Getting Help

  • GitHub Issues: Report bugs and feature requests
  • Discussions: Ask questions and share ideas
  • Wiki: Additional documentation
  • Email: Contact the development team

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

We appreciate your interest in contributing to the QGIS pypopRF plugin! Your contributions help make the tool better for everyone.