# Algorithm Developers

While the layout algorithms implemented in ELK already cover a wide range of layout styles, your particular application may have more specific requirements. In these cases, it may become necessary to implement your own layout algorithm, which is what this part of the documentation is all about.

Implementing your own layout algorithm basically consists of the following steps:

1. Install the Eclipse Layout Kernel SDK into your Eclipse development environment.
2. Create and configure a new Eclipse plug-in project.
3. Create and register a `melk` file that describes your algorithm and its support of layout properties.
4. Implement your algorithm, updating the `melk` file along the way.
5. Debug your algorithm.

Note that we have deliberately left out the part of “pulling your hair out while trying to understand which wretched detail of your complicated algorithm causes it to fail spectacularly” (we’ve been there…).

Before you start: This section assumes that you have basic knowledge of how the Eclipse Layout Kernel works. You should at least have worked through the Graph Data Structure and Using Algorithms Directly sections.

Once you are ready to start: Use the navigation bar to the right to work your way through each of those steps.

- Tool Developers
- Graph Data Structure
- Coordinate System
- Layout Options
- JSON Format
- ELK Text Format
- Using Algorithms Directly
- Using Plain Java Layout
- Using Eclipse Layout
- Connecting to ELK
- Advanced Configuration
- Layout View Support
- Dependency Injection
- Algorithm Developers
- Getting Eclipse Ready
- Creating a New Project
- ELK Metadata Language
- Automatic Builds
- Algorithm Implementation
- Structuring Algorithms
- Algorithm Debugging
- ELK Contributors
- Development Setup
- Development Workflow
- Installing With Oomph
- Building ELK