[NaCl SDK] Porting the "Getting Started" tutorial to ReST.

native_client_sdk/src/doc/devguide/tutorial.rst

 .. _tutorial:
 
 ########################
-Getting Started Tutorial
+C++ Tutorial: Getting Started
 ########################

[eliben, 2013/09/04 20:00:52]

These should be the same length as the text above/below them (the title text).
Hasn't Sphinx been complaining?

[binji, 2013/09/04 20:49:41]

Ah, it does but I didn't notice it :)
done.

 
-This is the tutorial.
-
+.. contents::
+  :local:
+  :backlinks: none
+  :depth: 1

[eliben, 2013/09/04 20:00:52]

I think it makes sense to consistently set it to 2 everywhere? Is there a
special reason you think 1 is better here?

[binji, 2013/09/04 20:49:41]

That is the way the current document displays it.

It doesn't change too much to use depth 2, however:

Overview
  Parts in a Native Client application
  What the application in this tutorial does
  Communication between JavaScript code and Native Client modules
Step 1
Step 2...

+
+Overview
+========
+
+This tutorial shows you how to create, compile, and run a Native Client web
+application. The Native Client module you will create as part of the web
+application will be written in C++.
+
+We recommend reading the :doc:`Native Client Technical Overview
+<../overview>` prior to going through this tutorial.
+
+Parts in a Native Client application
+------------------------------------
+
+A Native Client web application consists of at least three parts:

[eliben, 2013/09/04 20:00:52]

I have this in the technical overview too. Once we have them both in place we
should not forget to make this part consistent :)

[binji, 2013/09/04 20:49:41]

Added a TODO.

+
+* **a web page** (\*.html)

[eliben, 2013/09/04 20:00:52]

How do you expect this to be formatted? If you want a new paragraph then a blank
line is needed after this line. Also, why start with a lowercase letter?

[binji, 2013/09/04 20:49:41]

Done. Though it looks more "spread out" than in the original doc. Probably not a
big deal.
That's the way the current doc looks. I'll change it.

+  The web page can include HTML, JavaScript, and CSS (the JavaScript and CSS
+  can also go in separate .js and .css files).
+* **a Native Client module** (\*.c or \*.cc before compiling; \*.nexe after

[eliben, 2013/09/04 20:00:52]

Ah, so it's just ReST translation, no PNaCl yet?

[binji, 2013/09/04 20:49:41]

Yes, I'll mention that in the CL description.

+  compiling)
+  Native Client modules can be written in C or C++. Modules use the Pepper API,
+  included in the SDK, as a bridge between the browser and the modules.
+* **manifest file** (\*.nmf)
+  Browsers use an application's manifest file to determine which compiled Native
+  Client module to load based on the instruction set architecture of the user's
+  machine (e.g., x86-32, x86-64, or ARM).
+
+What the application in this tutorial does
+------------------------------------------
+
+The application in this tutorial shows how to load a Native Client module in a
+web page, and how to send messages between JavaScript code and the C or C++
+code in the Native Client module. In this simple application, the JavaScript
+code in the web page sends a 'hello' message to the Native Client module. When
+the Native Client module receives a message, it checks whether the message is
+equal to the string 'hello'. If it is, the Native Client module returns a
+message saying 'hello from NaCl'. A JavaScript alert panel displays the message
+received from the Native Client module.
+
+This tutorial also shows you how to create a set of template files that you can
+use as a starting point for a Native Client application. The template code sets
+up a simple message handler on the Native Client side, and includes boilerplate
+code in the HTML file for adding an event listener to the web page to receive
+messages from the Native Client module.
+
+Communication between JavaScript code and Native Client modules
+---------------------------------------------------------------
+
+Communication between JavaScript code in the browser and C or C++ code in a
+Native Client module is two-way: JavaScript code can send messages to the
+Native Client module; the C or C++ code can respond to messages from
+JavaScript, or it can initiate its own messages to JavaScript. In all cases,
+the communication is asynchronous: The caller (the JavaScript code in the
+browser or the C/C++ code in the Native Client module) sends a message, but the
+caller does not wait for, or may not even expect, a response. This behavior is
+analogous to client/server communication on the web, where the client posts a
+message to the server and returns immediately. The Native Client messaging
+system is part of the Pepper API, and is described in detail in the
+:doc:`Messaging System <coding/message-system>` chapter in the Developer's
+Guide.
+
+Step 1: Download and install the Native Client SDK, Python, and Xcode Developer Tools (if necessary).

[eliben, 2013/09/04 20:00:52]

The title should probably be shorter

[binji, 2013/09/04 20:49:41]

Done.

+=====================================================================================================
+
+Follow the instructions on the :doc:`Download <../sdk/download>` page to
+download and install the Native Client SDK.
+
+.. Note::
+  :class: caution
+
+  **Important:** A number of tools in the SDK require Python to run. Python is
+  typically included on Mac and Linux systems, but not on Windows systems. To
+  check whether you have Python installed on your system, enter the
+  '``python``' command on the command line; you should get the interactive
+  Python prompt (``>>>``). On Mac systems, you also need to install '``make``'
+  in order to build and run the examples in the SDK; one easy way to get
+  '``make``', along with several other useful tools, is to install Xcode
+  Developer Tools. Follow the instructions at the top of the :doc:`Download
+  <../sdk/download>` page if you need to install Python and/or Xcode
+  Developer Tools.
+
+Step 2: Start a local server.

[eliben, 2013/09/04 20:00:52]

Should title really end with periods?

[binji, 2013/09/04 20:49:41]

Seems strange to me too. Done.

+=============================
+
+TODO(binji): This is not necessary anymore; we can use ``make run``. Some of
+the information about why you need a webserver is still useful though...
+Remove?
+
+To protect against security vulnerabilities, you must load Native Client
+modules from a web server (either remote or local). **Simply dragging and
+dropping Native Client files into the browser address bar will not work.** For
+more information, read about the `Same Origin Policy
+<http://www.w3.org/Security/wiki/Same_Origin_Policy>`_, which protects the
+user's file system from outside access.
+
+The Native Client SDK includes a simple Python web server that you can use to
+run applications that you build (including the application in this tutorial).
+The server is located in the tools directory. To start the web server, go to
+the examples directory in the SDK bundle that you are using and run the
+``httpd.py`` script. For example, if you are using the ``pepper_28`` bundle,
+run the following commands::
+
+    cd pepper_28/examples

[eliben, 2013/09/04 20:00:52]

use naclcode with :prettyprint: 0 for all these

[binji, 2013/09/04 20:49:41]

Done.

+    python ../tools/httpd.py
+
+If you don't specify a port number, the server defaults to port 5103, and you
+can access the server at http://localhost:5103.
+
+Of course, you don't have to use the server included in the SDK---any web server
+will do. If you prefer to use another web server already installed on your
+system, that's fine. Note also that there are ways to run Native Client
+applications during development without a server, but these techniques require
+you to create additional files for your application (see :doc:`Running Native
+Client Applications <devcycle/running>` for details). For this tutorial,
+your application must come from a server.
+
+.. _step_3:
+
+Step 3: Set up Google Chrome.
+=============================
+
+Set up the Chrome browser as follows:
+
+a. Make sure you are using the minimum required version of Chrome.
+
+   * Your version of Chrome must be equal to or greater than the version of your
+     Pepper bundle. For example, if you're developing with the ``pepper_28``
+     bundle, you must use Google Chrome version 28 or greater. To find out what
+     version of Chrome you're using, type ``about:chrome`` or ``about:version``
+     in the Chrome address bar.
+
+b. Enable the Native Client flag in Chrome. (Native Client is enabled by
+   default for applications distributed through the Chrome Web Store. To run
+   Native Client applications that are not distributed through the Chrome Web
+   Store, e.g., applications that you build and run locally, you must
+   specifically enable the Native Client flag in Chrome.)
+
+   * Type ``about:flags`` in the Chrome address bar and scroll down to "Native
+     Client".
+   * If the link below "Native Client" says "Disable", then Native Client is
+     already enabled and you don't need to do anything else.
+   * If the link below "Native Client" says "Enable", click the "Enable" link,
+     scroll down to the bottom of the page, and click the "Relaunch Now" button.
+     All browser windows will restart when you relaunch Chrome.
+
+c. Disable the Chrome cache. (Chrome caches resources aggressively; you should
+   disable the cache whenever you are developing a Native Client application in
+   order to make sure Chrome loads new versions of your application.)
+
+   * Open Chrome's developer tools by clicking the menu icon |menu-icon| and
+     choosing Tools > Developer tools.
+   * Click the gear icon |gear-icon| in the bottom right corner of the Chrome
+     window.
+   * Under the "General" settings, check the box next to "Disable cache".
+
+.. |menu-icon| image:: /images/menu-icon.png
+.. |gear-icon| image:: /images/gear-icon.png
+
+Step 4: Create a set of stub files for your application.
+========================================================
+
+Create a set of stub files as follows:
+
+a. Download `hello_tutorial.zip
+   <https://developers.google.com/native-client/devguide/hello_tutorial.zip>`_.
+
+b. Unzip hello_tutorial.zip:
+
+   * On Mac/Linux, run the command "``unzip hello_tutorial.zip``" in a Terminal
+     window.
+   * On Windows, right-click on the .zip file and select "Extract All..." A
+     dialog box will open; enter a location and click "Extract".
+
+c. Unzipping hello_tutorial.zip creates a directory called ``hello_tutorial``
+   with the following files:
+
+   * ``hello_tutorial.html``
+   * ``hello_tutorial.cc``
+   * ``hello_tutorial.nmf``
+   * ``Makefile``
+   * ``make.bat`` (for Windows)
+
+d. Move the ``hello_tutorial`` directory so that it's under the ``examples``
+   directory where you started the local server. Its location should be, e.g.,
+   ``pepper_28/examples/hello_tutorial``.
+
+   * On Windows, depending on the location you entered when you unzipped the
+     file, there may be two ``hello_tutorial`` directories—one nested within
+     the other. Move only the inner (nested) directory to the ``examples``
+     directory.
+
+.. Note::
+  :class: note
+
+  **Note regarding the location of project directories:**
+
+  * In this tutorial, you are adding the ``hello_tutorial`` directory under the
+    ``examples`` directory because the ``examples`` directory is where your
+    local server is running, ready to serve your tutorial application. You can
+    place your project directory anywhere on your file system, as long as that
+    location is being served by your server.
+  * If you do place the ``hello_tutorial`` project directory in another
+    location, you must set the `environment variable
+    <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_variable>`_ ``NACL_SDK_ROOT`` to
+    point to the top-level directory of the bundle you are using (e.g.,
+    ``<location-where-you-installed-the-SDK>/pepper_28``) in order for the
+    Makefile that's included in the project directory to work.
+  * If you use the location recommended above
+    (``pepper_28/examples/hello_tutorial``), be careful when you update the
+    SDK.  The command '``naclsdk update pepper_28 --force``' will overwrite the
+    ``pepper_28`` directory, so move any project directories you want to keep
+    to another location.
+
+Step 5: Compile the Native Client module and run the stub application.
+======================================================================
+
+The files you downloaded in the previous step constitute a stub application
+that simply loads a Native Client module into a web page and updates a
+``<div>`` element on the page with the status of the module load.
+
+To compile the Native Client module ``hello_tutorial.cc,`` run '``make``'::
+
+    cd pepper_28/examples/hello_tutorial
+    make
+
+The '``make``' command runs the necessary compile and link commands to produce
+three executable Native Client modules (for the x86-32, x86-64, and ARM
+architectures). The executable files are named as follows:
+
+* ``hello_tutorial_x86_32.nexe``
+* ``hello_tutorial_x86_64.nexe``
+* ``hello_tutorial_arm.nexe``
+
+Assuming you are using the local server and the project directory specified
+above, you can load the ``hello_tutorial.html`` web page into Chrome by visiting
+the following URL: http://localhost:5103/hello_tutorial/hello_tutorial.html. If
+Chrome loads the Native Client module successfully, the Status display on the
+page should change from "LOADING..." to "SUCCESS".
+
+Step 6: Review the code in the stub application.
+================================================
+
+The section highlights some of the code in the stub application.
+
+Makefile
+  ``Makefile`` contains the compile and link commands to build the executable
+  Native Client modules (.nexe files) for your application. The Native Client
+  SDK includes multiple GCC‑based toolchains to build modules for multiple
+  architectures (x86 and ARM) using different implementations of the C library
+  (`newlib <http://www.sourceware.org/newlib/>`_ and `glibc
+  <http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/>`_). The commands in the tutorial
+  ``Makefile`` build the application using the newlib C library for the x86 and
+  ARM architectures. The commands use the toolchains located in the
+  ``pepper_28/toolchain/<platform>_x86_newlib`` and ``<platform>_arm_newlib``
+  directories. For information about how to use Makefiles and the '``make``'
+  command, see the `GNU 'make' manual
+  <http://www.gnu.org/software/make/manual/make.html>`_.
+
+hello_tutorial.nmf
+  ``hello_tutorial.nmf`` is a Native Client manifest file that tells Chrome
+  which compiled Native Client module (.nexe) to load based on the instruction
+  set architecture of the user's machine (e.g., x86-32, x86-64, or ARM). For
+  applications compiled using glibc, manifest files must also specify the
+  shared libraries that the applications use.
+
+hello_tutorial.html
+  ``hello_tutorial.html`` is the web page that corresponds to your application.
+  The page includes an ``<embed>`` element that loads the compiled Native
+  Client module::
+
+    <div id="listener">
+      <script type="text/javascript">
+        var listener = document.getElementById('listener');
+        listener.addEventListener('load', moduleDidLoad, true);
+        listener.addEventListener('message', handleMessage, true);
+      </script>
+
+      <embed name="nacl_module"
+         id="hello_tutorial"
+         width=0 height=0
+         src="hello_tutorial.nmf"
+         type="application/x-nacl" />
+    </div>
+
+  The ``src`` attribute in the ``<embed>`` element points to the Native Client
+  manifest file, which tells the browser which .nexe file to load based on the
+  instruction set architecture of the user's machine. The ``width`` and
+  ``height`` attributes in the ``<embed>`` element are set to 0 because the
+  Native Client module in this example does not have any graphical component.
+  The ``type`` attribute declares the MIME type to be ``x-nacl``, i.e., an
+  executable Native Client module.
+
+  The ``<embed>`` element is wrapped inside a ``<div>`` element that has two
+  event listeners attached—one for the 'load' event, which fires when the
+  browser successfully loads the Native Client module, and one for the
+  'message' event, which fires when the Native Client module uses the
+  ``PostMessage()`` method (in the `pp::Instance
+  <https://developers.google.com/native-client/peppercpp/classpp_1_1_instance>`_
+  class) to send a message to the JavaScript code in the application. This
+  technique of attaching the event listeners to a parent ``<div>`` element
+  (rather than directly to the ``<embed>`` element) is used to ensure that the
+  event listeners are active before the module 'load' event fires.
+
+  The simple event handlers in this tutorial are implemented in the
+  ``moduleDidLoad()`` and ``handleMessage()`` JavaScript functions.
+  ``moduleDidLoad()`` changes the text inside the 'status_field' ``<div>``
+  element. handleMessage() displays the content of messages sent from the
+  Native Client module in a browser alert panel. For a description of 'load',
+  'message', and other Native Client events, see the :doc:`Progress Events
+  <coding/progress-events>` chapter of the Developer's Guide.
+
+hello_tutorial.cc
+  Native Client includes the concept of modules and instances:
+
+  * A **module** is C or C++ code compiled into an executable .nexe file.
+  * An **instance** is a rectangle on a web page that is managed by a module.
+    The rectangle can have dimensions 0x0, in which case the instance does not
+    have a visual component on the web page. An instance is created by
+    including an ``<embed>`` element in a web page. A module may be included in
+    a web page multiple times by using multiple ``<embed>`` elements that refer
+    to the module; in this case the Native Client runtime system loads the
+    module once and creates multiple instances that are managed by the module.
+
+  The example in this tutorial includes one module
+  (``hello_tutorial_x86_32.nexe``, ``hello_tutorial_x86_64.nexe``, or
+  ``hello_tutorial_arm.nexe``, depending on the instruction set architecture of
+  the user's machine), and one instance (one ``<embed>`` element that loads the
+  module). The source code for the module is in the file ``hello_tutorial.cc``.
+  This source code contains the minimum code required in a C++ Native Client
+  module—an implementation of the `Instance
+  <https://developers.google.com/native-client/peppercpp/classpp_1_1_instance>`_
+  and `Module
+  <https://developers.google.com/native-client/peppercpp/classpp_1_1_module>`_
+  classes. These implementations don't actually do anything yet.
+
+Step 7: Modify the web page to send a message to the Native Client module.
+==========================================================================
+
+In this step, you'll modify the web page (``hello_tutorial.html``) to send a
+message to the Native Client module after the page loads the module.
+
+Look for the JavaScript function ``moduleDidLoad()``, and add the new code below
+(indicated by boldface type) to send a 'hello' message to the Native Client
+module::
+
+    function moduleDidLoad() {

[eliben, 2013/09/04 20:00:52]

.. naclcode::

[binji, 2013/09/04 20:49:41]

Done.

+          HelloTutorialModule = document.getElementById('hello_tutorial');
+          updateStatus('SUCCESS');
+          // Send a message to the NaCl module.
+          HelloTutorialModule.postMessage('hello');
+    }
+
+Step 8: Implement a message handler in the Native Client module.
+================================================================
+
+In this step, you'll modify the Native Client module (``hello_tutorial.cc``) to
+respond to the message received from the JavaScript code in the application.
+Specifically, you'll:
+
+* implement the ``HandleMessage()`` function for the module, and
+* use the ``PostMessage()`` function to send a message from the module to the
+  JavaScript code
+
+First, add code to define the variables used by the Native Client module (the
+'hello' string you're expecting to receive from JavaScript and the reply string
+you want to return to JavaScript as a response). In the file
+``hello_tutorial.cc``, add this code after the ``#include`` statements::
+
+    namespace {
+    // The expected string sent by the browser.
+    const char* const kHelloString = "hello";
+    // The string sent back to the browser upon receipt of a message
+    // containing "hello".
+    const char* const kReplyString = "hello from NaCl";
+    } // namespace
+
+Now, implement the ``HandleMessage()`` method to check for ``kHelloString`` and
+return ``kReplyString.`` Look for the following line::
+
+    // TODO(sdk_user): 1. Make this function handle the incoming message.
+
+Replace the above line with the boldface code below::
+
+    virtual void HandleMessage(const pp::Var& var_message) {
+      if (!var_message.is_string())
+        return;
+      std::string message = var_message.AsString();
+      pp::Var var_reply;
+      if (message == kHelloString) {
+        var_reply = pp::Var(kReplyString);
+        PostMessage(var_reply);
+      }
+    }
+
+See the Pepper API documentation for additional information about the
+`pp::Instance.HandleMessage
+<https://developers.google.com/native-client/peppercpp/classpp_1_1_instance.html#a5dce8c8b36b1df7cfcc12e42397a35e8>`_
+and `pp::Instance.PostMessage
+<https://developers.google.com/native-client/peppercpp/classpp_1_1_instance.html#a67e888a4e4e23effe7a09625e73ecae9>`_
+methods.
+
+Step 9: Compile the Native Client module and run the application again.
+=======================================================================
+
+Compile the Native Client module by running the '``make``' command again.
+
+Run the application by reloading hello_tutorial.html in Chrome. (The page
+should be at http://localhost:5103/hello_tutorial/hello_tutorial.html assuming
+the setup described above.)
+
+After Chrome loads the Native Client module, you should see an alert panel
+appear with the message sent from the module.
+
+Troubleshooting
+===============
+
+If your application doesn't run, see :ref:`Step 3 <step_3>` above
+to verify that you've set up your environment correctly, including both the
+Chrome browser and the local server. Make sure that you're running a version of
+Chrome that is equal to or greater than the SDK bundle version you are using,
+that you've enabled the Native Client flag and relaunched Chrome, that you've
+disabled the Chrome cache, and that **you're accessing your application from a
+local web server (rather than by dragging the HTML file into your browser)**.
+
+For additional troubleshooting information, check the `FAQ
+<https://developers.google.com/native-client/faq.html#HangOnLoad>`_.
+
+Next steps
+==========
+
+* See the :doc:`Application Structure <coding/application-structure>`
+  chapter in the Developer's Guide for information about how to structure a
+  Native Client module.
+* Check the `C++ Reference
+  <https://developers.google.com/native-client/peppercpp>`_ for details about
+  how to use the Pepper APIs.
+* Browse through the source code of the SDK examples (in the ``examples``
+  directory) to learn additional techniques for writing Native Client
+  applications and using the Pepper APIs.
+* See the :doc:`Building <devcycle/building>`, :doc:`Running
+  <devcycle/running>`, and :doc:`Debugging pages <devcycle/debugging>`
+  for information about how to build, run, and debug Native Client
+  applications.
+* Check the `naclports <http://code.google.com/p/naclports/>`_ project to see
+  what libraries have been ported for use with Native Client. If you port an
+  open-source library for your own use, we recommend adding it to naclports
+  (see `How to check code into naclports
+  <http://code.google.com/p/naclports/wiki/HowTo_Checkin>`_).