Starting the tool

RefactorErl can be started either as a standalone or as an embedded application.

Standalone application

Normal mode

To start the tool, simply execute our startup script from the base directory of your RefactorErl copy:

(In Linux)

bin/referl

(In Windows)

bin/referl.bat

Note that if you do not specify the back-end to be used, the tool uses the mnesia-based database by default. If you would like to use another back-end, for example, the NIF-based C++ graph, you should start the tool like this:

bin/referl -db nif

Options

The following table details the possible startup options. You can get this list any time by using the -help option.

-build TARGET	Build TARGET (e.g. tool, doc, clean)
-bufsrv	Build bufferserver (use with '-build tool')
-igraph PATH	Path to the Igraph lib directory (use with '-build tool')
-qt_gui	Build Qt GUI (use with '-build tool')
-client	Start in client mode (no server is started)
-db DB	[mnesia|nif|kcmini] The database engine to use (default: mnesia)
-dir DIR	Sets the RefactorErl data directory
-base PATH	Path to the RefactorErl base directory
-pos POS	[abs|rel] The positioning mode to use (default: abs)
-erl PATH	Path to the Erlang executable to use
-g++ PATH	Path of the g++ compiler to use
-synchronize	Database synchronization
-help	Print this help text
-server	Start in server mode (no shell is started)
-sname NAME	Short name of the Erlang node
-name NAME	Full name of the Erlang node
-srvname NAME	Name of the Erlang server node to connect
-client	Start in client mode (no server is started)
-emacs	Start as an Emacs client
-vim	Start as a Vim client
-wx	Start as a Wx client
-web	Start with the web interface
-yaws_path PATH	Path to the Yaws ebin directory (need /ebin at the end)
-yaws_name NAME	Set Yaws server name
-yaws_port PORT	Set Yaws port
-yaws_listen IP	Set Yaws IP
-browser_root	Set the file browser root directory
-restricted_mode	Set restricted mode on the web interface or on a RefactorErl started as server

Configuration File

The same Options may be used in the user configuration file ${HOME}/.referlrc.
This can be useful when multiple long command line switches are required to start the bin/referel tool.
The tool first reads the specified switches from the ${HOME}/.referlrc and then applies the command line arguments, if any.
Please note, this feature is currently not available on Windows.

Example configuration file:

% User configuration file
% single entries are just plain strings like: nitrogen
% entries with user defined second argument are tuples eg.: {erl, path_to_erl}
%
% {erl,path_to_erl}
% {base,basedir}
% {name,instancename}
% {sname,servername}
% {srvname,yourservername}
% server
% emacs
% wx
% qt
% vim
% web
% {browser_root,browserroot}
% yaws
% {yaws_path,path}
% {yaws_name,name}
% {yaws_port,port}
% {yaws_listen,ipaddress}
% gcc
% g++
% build
% no_cpp
% bufsrv
% ericsson
% {igraph,path}
% yaws_189
% client
% synchronize
% {wrangler,path}
% dbtype = mnesia nif kcmini
% {db,dbtype}
% {dbmod,dbmod}
% {dir,referldir}
% {dbargs,dbargs}
% {pos,posi}
% qt_gui

Server mode

RefactorErl can be run as a server, you only have to specify a name with -name or -sname when starting the tool. If you do not need a command line access to the server, you can use the -server option, which starts the tool in server-only mode.

Client mode

If you already have a running RefactorErl instance (a running "server") started with -name or -sname, then you can connect to this server with a command line client and you can enter Erlang commands that will be executed on the server. To start a client, use the -client option and specify the name of the server (the name you have used in -name or -sname while starting the server) with the -srvname option.

Embedded application

User interfaces like Emacs are capable of starting their embedded instance of RefactorErl. For further information visit the pages of various interfaces.