openLCA

This repository contains the source code of openLCA. openLCA is a Java application that runs on the Eclipse Rich Client Platform (Eclipse RCP). The source code is structured in the following sub-projects:

• olca-app: contains the source code of the openLCA RCP application.
• olca-app-build: contains the build scripts creating the distribution packages for Windows, Linux, and macOS.
• olca-app-html: contains the source code for the HTML views in openLCA (like the start page or the report views).
• olca-refdata: contains the build scripts fro the reference databases (with units, flows, locatios, etc.) that are packaged with openLCA.

See also the README files of these sub-projects for more information.

Running from source

In order to compile and run openLCA from source, you need to have the following tools installed:

• a Java Development Kit >= v25
• Maven
• the Eclipse package for RCP developers
• Node.js
• (Python and uv in case you want to build the distribution packages )

When you have these tools installed, you can build and run the application with the following steps:

Install the openLCA core modules

The core modules contain the application logic that is independent from the user interface and can be also used in other applications. These modules are plain Maven projects and can be installed via mvn install. See the olca-modules repository for more information. Note that we also distribute the latest stable version of the modules on the Maven Central repository. However, if you want to test the current openLCA development branch, you probably need to install them first. There is also a script for installing them when you put them next to the olca-app folder:

./update_modules.sh
# or on Windows
./update_modules.bat

Building the HTML pages

To build the HTML pages of the user interface, navigate to the olca-app-html and run the following commands:

cd olca-app/olca-app-html
# install the dependencies
npm install
# build and package the HTML pages for the app
npm run build

Prepare the Eclipse workspace

Download the current Eclipse package for RCP and RAP developers, start it and create a workspace directory. Import the projects into Eclipse via Import > General > Existing Projects into Workspace (select the olca-app directory). You should now see the olca-app, olca-app-build, projects in your Eclipse workspace.

Loading the target platform

The file platform.target in the olca-app project contains the definition of the target platform of the openLCA RCP application. Just open the file with the Target Editor and click on Set as target platform on the top right of the editor.

This will download the resources of the target platform into your local workspace and, thus, may take a while. Unfortunately, setting up and configuring Eclipse can be quite challenging. If you get errors like Unable locate installable unit in target definition, this discussion may help.

Copy the Maven modules

Go back to the command line and navigate to the olca-app/olca-app folder:

cd olca-app/olca-app

and run

mvn package

This will copy the installed openLCA core modules and dependencies (see above) to the folder olca-app/olca-app/libs.

Test the application

Refresh your Eclipse workspace (select all and press F5). Open the file olca-app/openLCA.product within Eclipse and click on the run icon inside the openLCA.product tab. openLCA should now start.

If you want to build an installable product, see the description in the olca-app-build sub-project or simply use the Eclipse export wizard (Export/Eclipse product).

Build the database templates

The openLCA application contains database templates that are used when the user creates a new database (empty, with units, or with all reference data). There is a Maven project olca-refdata that creates these database templates and copies them to the olca-app/olca-app/db_templates folder from which openLCA loads these templates. To build the templates, navigate to the refdata project and run the build:

cd olca-app/olca-refdata
mvn package

License

Unless stated otherwise, all source code of the openLCA project is licensed under the Mozilla Public License, v. 2.0. Please see the LICENSE.txt file in the root directory of the source code.