diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 31220fe87030cc1f0658c3b2fa2e13ab736c0fcd..3a036adb393a89179638f3184df65caf954abab4 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ add_custom_target( dist
COMMENT "Creating a source distribution from ${MODULE_NAME}..."
)
-add_subdirectory(demos)
+add_subdirectory(examples)
if ( BUILD_SHARED_LIBS )
# When building shared libraries, also create a module for loading at runtime
diff --git a/demos/brunel_simulation/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/CMakeLists.txt
similarity index 55%
rename from demos/brunel_simulation/CMakeLists.txt
rename to examples/CMakeLists.txt
index 6fd813ebf9dbf4b4c0e2db0852fcc1879ec51b1a..ca7ba80c448f8a5f3b629d289b2b15cc03a41a30 100644
--- a/demos/brunel_simulation/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -19,19 +19,22 @@
# limitations under the License.
#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-get_filename_component(NEST_DIR ${with-nest} DIRECTORY)
+option(EXAMPLE_BRUNEL_SIMULATION "Build the brunel simulation" ON)
+option(EXAMPLE_IZHIKEVICH_SIMULATION "Build the izhikevich simulation" ON)
+option(EXAMPLE_QVTK_VISUALIZATION "Build the QVTK visualization demo" OFF)
+
+include(cmake/PythonExample.cmake)
+
+if (${EXAMPLE_BRUNEL_SIMULATION})
+ add_subdirectory(brunel)
+endif (${EXAMPLE_BRUNEL_SIMULATION})
+
+if (${EXAMPLE_IZHIKEVICH_SIMULATION})
+ add_subdirectory(izhikevich)
+endif (${EXAMPLE_IZHIKEVICH_SIMULATION})
+
+if (${EXAMPLE_QVTK_VISUALIZATION})
+ add_subdirectory(QVTK-Demo)
+endif (${EXAMPLE_QVTK_VISUALIZATION})
-set(SCRIPT_FILENAME "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/run_sim.sh")
-execute_process(
- COMMAND ${NEST_CONFIG} --python-executable
- RESULT_VARIABLE RES_VAR
- OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_EXECUTABLE
- OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
-)
-message(STATUS "PYTHON_EXECUTABLE ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}")
-configure_file(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/run_sim.sh.in ${SCRIPT_FILENAME})
-file(COPY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/brunel_example.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/nest_sim.py DESTINATION ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
-add_custom_target(brunel_simulation ALL chmod "+x" "run_sim.sh"
- WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
- DEPENDS ${SCRIPT_FILENAME} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/brunel_example.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/nest_sim.py)
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/QVTK-Demo/CMakeLists.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/CMakeLists.txt
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/CMakeLists.txt
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/Readme.txt b/examples/QVTK-Demo/Readme.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/Readme.txt
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/Readme.txt
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-app/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-app/CMakeLists.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-app/CMakeLists.txt
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-app/CMakeLists.txt
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-app/include/qvtk_app/application.hpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-app/include/qvtk_app/application.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-app/include/qvtk_app/application.hpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-app/include/qvtk_app/application.hpp
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-app/src/application.cpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-app/src/application.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-app/src/application.cpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-app/src/application.cpp
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-app/src/main.cpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-app/src/main.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-app/src/main.cpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-app/src/main.cpp
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/CMakeLists.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/CMakeLists.txt
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/CMakeLists.txt
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/animate.hpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/animate.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/animate.hpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/animate.hpp
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/data_stream.hpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/data_stream.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/data_stream.hpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/data_stream.hpp
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/interaction.hpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/interaction.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/interaction.hpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/interaction.hpp
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/main_widget.hpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/main_widget.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/main_widget.hpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/main_widget.hpp
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/main_window.hpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/main_window.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/main_window.hpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/main_window.hpp
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/point_data.hpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/point_data.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/point_data.hpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/point_data.hpp
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/visualize.hpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/visualize.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/visualize.hpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/include/qvtk-lib/visualize.hpp
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/animate.cpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/animate.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/animate.cpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/animate.cpp
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/data_stream.cpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/data_stream.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/data_stream.cpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/data_stream.cpp
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/interaction.cpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/interaction.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/interaction.cpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/interaction.cpp
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/main_widget.cpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/main_widget.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/main_widget.cpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/main_widget.cpp
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/main_window.cpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/main_window.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/main_window.cpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/main_window.cpp
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/point_data.cpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/point_data.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/point_data.cpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/point_data.cpp
diff --git a/demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/visualize.cpp b/examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/visualize.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/visualize.cpp
rename to examples/QVTK-Demo/qvtk-lib/src/visualize.cpp
diff --git a/demos/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/brunel/CMakeLists.txt
similarity index 74%
rename from demos/CMakeLists.txt
rename to examples/brunel/CMakeLists.txt
index 406fe9e6e986f14f50b815e53eacb80d1dafea05..4129a5e8806173e490a9aa19e79ce728daca456c 100644
--- a/demos/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/brunel/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -19,15 +19,8 @@
# limitations under the License.
#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-option(BUILD_BRUNEL_SIMULATION "Build the brunel simulation" ON)
-option(BUILD_QVTK_DEMO "Build the QVTK visualization demo" OFF)
-
-if (${BUILD_BRUNEL_SIMULATION})
- add_subdirectory(brunel_simulation)
-endif (${BUILD_BRUNEL_SIMULATION})
-
-if (${BUILD_QVTK_DEMO})
- add_subdirectory(QVTK-Demo)
-endif (${BUILD_QVTK_DEMO})
-
-
+add_python_example(
+ NAME brunel
+ PYTHON_FILES nest_sim.py brunel_example.py
+ ENTRY_POINT nest_sim.py
+)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/demos/brunel_simulation/brunel_example.py b/examples/brunel/brunel_example.py
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/brunel_simulation/brunel_example.py
rename to examples/brunel/brunel_example.py
diff --git a/demos/brunel_simulation/nest_sim.py b/examples/brunel/nest_sim.py
similarity index 100%
rename from demos/brunel_simulation/nest_sim.py
rename to examples/brunel/nest_sim.py
diff --git a/examples/cmake/PythonExample.cmake b/examples/cmake/PythonExample.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..6a3776d8defda528be2861e6cc05d899fb5f618a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/cmake/PythonExample.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+get_filename_component(NEST_DIR ${with-nest} DIRECTORY)
+
+execute_process(
+ COMMAND ${NEST_CONFIG} --python-executable
+ RESULT_VARIABLE RES_VAR
+ OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_EXECUTABLE
+ OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
+)
+
+set(SOURCE_SCRIPT_FILE
+ ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/run_example.sh.in
+)
+
+function(ADD_PYTHON_EXAMPLE)
+set(options)
+set(oneValueArgs NAME ENTRY_POINT)
+set(multiValueArgs PYTHON_FILES)
+cmake_parse_arguments(APE "${options}" "${oneValueArgs}" "${multiValueArgs}" ${ARGN})
+
+set(TARGET_SCRIPT_FILE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/run_${APE_NAME}_example.sh")
+configure_file(${SOURCE_SCRIPT_FILE} ${TARGET_SCRIPT_FILE})
+
+add_custom_target(
+ ${APE_NAME}_example
+ ALL
+ COMMAND chmod "+x" ${TARGET_SCRIPT_FILE}
+ COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_if_different ${APE_PYTHON_FILES} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
+ WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
+ DEPENDS ${TARGET_SCRIPT_FILE} ${APE_PYTHON_FILES})
+
+endfunction(ADD_PYTHON_EXAMPLE)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/demos/brunel_simulation/run_sim.sh.in b/examples/cmake/run_example.sh.in
similarity index 66%
rename from demos/brunel_simulation/run_sim.sh.in
rename to examples/cmake/run_example.sh.in
index dd5c5c1b65105d5bd99b67e3b61314d2e362be64..bf784f91d6a14cfb2be60c60b86cbee8e13ac203 100644
--- a/demos/brunel_simulation/run_sim.sh.in
+++ b/examples/cmake/run_example.sh.in
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
#!/bin/bash
source ${NEST_DIR}/nest_vars.sh
-LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$NEST_MODULE_PATH:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/nest_sim.py
\ No newline at end of file
+LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$NEST_MODULE_PATH:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${APE_ENTRY_POINT}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/izhikevich/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/izhikevich/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..d6961202e1c6aef27dbb588c305173e4389ba3d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/izhikevich/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# nest-streaming-module
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2018 RWTH Aachen University, Germany,
+# Virtual Reality & Immersive Visualization Group.
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# License
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+# http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+add_python_example(
+ NAME izhikevich
+ PYTHON_FILES izhikevich.py
+ ENTRY_POINT izhikevich.py
+)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/izhikevich/izhikevich.py b/examples/izhikevich/izhikevich.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..0c966f0c6379fd5b0571f0bd4bca75b8f9a05c63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/izhikevich/izhikevich.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import nest
+nest.Install("streamingmodule")
+
+population = nest.Create("izhikevich", 1)
+spike_detector = nest.Create("spike_detector", 1)
+nest.SetStatus(spike_detector, {"record_to": ["streaming"]})
+nest.Connect(population, spike_detector)
+
+# regular spiking
+nest.SetStatus(population, {"a": 0.02,
+ "b": 0.2,
+ "c": -65.0,
+ "d": 8.0,
+ "U_m": 0.0,
+ "V_m": -75.0,
+ "I_e": 6.0})
+nest.Simulate(4000)
+nest.SetStatus(population, {"I_e": 0.0})
+nest.Simulate(500)
+
+# fast spiking
+nest.SetStatus(population, {"a": 0.1,
+ "b": 0.2,
+ "c": -65.0,
+ "d": 2.0,
+ "U_m": 0.0,
+ "V_m": -75.0,
+ "I_e": 6.0})
+nest.Simulate(4000)
+nest.SetStatus(population, {"I_e": 0.0})
+nest.Simulate(500)
+
+# chattering
+nest.SetStatus(population, {"a": 0.02,
+ "b": 0.2,
+ "c": -50.0,
+ "d": 2.0,
+ "U_m": 0.0,
+ "V_m": -75.0,
+ "I_e": 6.0})
+nest.Simulate(4000)
\ No newline at end of file