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Technical Glossary

Core Concepts​

Gateway​

The central server application in Ignition that manages projects, modules, and connections.

Usage Example

The Gateway hosts Perspective sessions and serves components to clients.

public class ExampleGatewayHook extends AbstractGatewayModuleHook {
    @Override
    public void startup() {
        // Gateway initialization code
    }
}

Designer​

The application used to create and configure Ignition projects, including Perspective views.

Usage Example

The Designer provides a component palette and property editor for configuring components.

public class ExampleDesignerHook extends AbstractDesignerModuleHook {
    @Override
    public void startup() {
        // Designer initialization code
    }
}

Component​

A reusable UI element in Perspective, built with React and TypeScript.

Usage Example
export class MyComponent extends Component<MyComponentProps> {
  render() {
    return <div>{this.props.text}</div>;
  }
}

Module Structure​

MODL File​

The packaged module format used by Ignition for distribution.

Scope​

Defines where code runs: Gateway (G), Designer (D), or Client (C).

Usage Example
projectScopes.putAll(mapOf(
    ":gateway" to "G",
    ":designer" to "D",
    ":common" to "GD"
))

Hook​

A Java class that initializes and manages module functionality within a specific scope.

Development Tools​

Gradle​

Build automation tool used for compiling code and packaging modules.

Usage Example
./gradlew build

Webpack​

Module bundler for JavaScript applications, used to compile frontend assets.

Usage Example
module.exports = {
  entry: "./src/index.ts",
  output: {
    filename: "bundle.js",
  },
};

TypeScript​

A typed superset of JavaScript used for component development.

Usage Example
interface MyProps {
  text: string;
  onClick?: () => void;
}

Component Architecture​

Component Meta​

Metadata class that describes a component's configuration and behavior.

export class MyComponentMeta implements ComponentMeta {
  getComponentType(): string {
    return "example.mycomponent";
  }
}

Props​

Properties that configure a component's behavior and appearance.

interface ButtonProps {
  text: string;
  onClick?: () => void;
  style?: React.CSSProperties;
}

Component Descriptor​

Java class that defines a component's capabilities and configuration.

public static final ComponentDescriptor DESCRIPTOR = ComponentDescriptorImpl
    .ComponentBuilder.newBuilder()
    .setId(COMPONENT_ID)
    .setName(COMPONENT_NAME)
    .build();

Resource Management​

Browser Resource​

A web resource (JS/CSS) served to the client's browser.

new BrowserResource(
    "example-js",
    "/res/example/bundle.js",
    BrowserResource.ResourceType.JS
)

Resource Mounting​

Process of making resources available to the web browser from the Gateway.

Development Environment​

Docker​

Platform used for creating consistent development environments.

Usage Example
services:
  gateway:
    image: inductiveautomation/ignition:8.3.9

Hot Reload​

Development feature that serves web assets (TypeScript, React, CSS) from your working copy, so changes appear on refresh without rebuilding the module. Java, descriptor and schema changes need a rebuild and a gateway restart, because Ignition 8.3 loads modules only at startup.

Usage Example
npm run watch

Version Control​

Version Catalog​

Gradle feature for centralizing dependency versions.

[versions]
ignition = "8.3.9"

[libraries]
ignition-common = { module = "com.inductiveautomation.ignitionsdk:ignition-common", version.ref = "ignition" }

Module Version​

The semantic version number of your module.

allprojects {
    version = "1.0.0"
}

Testing & Debugging​

External Debugger​

Tool for debugging Perspective components in Designer.

tip

Access via Tools > Launch Perspective... > External Debugger

Console Logging​

Method for debugging components during development.

console.log("Component mounted:", this.props);
console.error("Error in component:", error);

Security​

Module Signing​

Process of digitally signing modules for verification.

keytool -genkeypair -alias mymodule -keystore keystore.jks

Certificate​

Digital certificate used for signing modules.

warning

Keep certificates and private keys secure and never commit them to version control.

Additional Resources​

Common Abbreviations​

  • SDK: Software Development Kit
  • API: Application Programming Interface
  • UI: User Interface
  • CSS: Cascading Style Sheets
  • JSON: JavaScript Object Notation
  • JDK: Java Development Kit
  • NPM: Node Package Manager

Additional Terms​

Want to suggest a term for this glossary? Submit an issue with the label documentation.