Example: Creating a .

NET Addin

In this example you’ll create a simple addin in Visual Studio. The addin will register a command with the
command manager which will show a docked form containing database attributes.

Add a Class: AttributeBrowserAddin

1 Create a new C# class library called
AttributeBrowserAddin

Set the namespace in Project

Settings to:
Aveva.TechCon.Examples

2 using Aveva.ApplicationFramework; Add a new class

using Aveva.ApplicationFramework.Presentation; AttributeBrowserAddin.
using Aveva.Pdms.Shared;
using Aveva.Pdms.Database; Add references to
using Aveva.Pdms.Utilities;
Aveva.ApplicationFramework
Aveva.ApplicationFramework.P
namespace Aveva.TechCon.Examples resentation;
{ Aveva.Pdms.Shared;
public class AttributeBrowserAddin : IAddin Aveva.Pdms.Database;
{ Aveva.Pdms.Utilities;
public string Description
{
implement the IAddin interface
get
methods Description, Name, Start
{
return "a simple attribute browser"; and Stop
}
}

public string Name

{
get
{
return "AttributeBrowserAddin";
}
}

public void Start(ServiceManager

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 serviceManager)
{
}

public void Stop()

{
}
}
}
Add a Class: AttributeListControl
3 Add a new user control
AttributeListControl to the project.

4 In the designer add a ListView to the

user control and set it’s dock
property to Fill
(Use View>Toolbox)

Add 2 columns Attribute and Value

to the ListView

Set the GridLines property to True

Set the View property to Details

Build the project

5 public void AddAttribute(string name, string value) Add methods to the control to add an
{ attribute to the list and clear the list
ListViewItem newItem = new ListViewItem(name);

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 newItem.SubItems.Add(value);
this.listView1.Items.Add(newItem);
}

public void Clear()

{
this.listView1.Items.Clear();
}
Add a Class: ShowAttributesCommand
6 Add another new class
ShowAttributesCommand to the
project. This command will show the
attributes browser.

7 using Aveva.ApplicationFramework.Presentation;
using System; The command needs to derive from
Aveva.ApplicationFramework.Presen
namespace Aveva.TechCon.Examples tation.Command and implement the
{ Execute() method which will be
public class ShowAttributesCommand : Command
called when the tool associated with
{
it is clicked.
private DockedWindow _window;

public ShowAttributesCommand(DockedWindow
window)
{
}

public override void Execute()

{
}
}
}
8 this.Key = "Aveva.ShowAttributeBrowserCommand"; In the constructor set the command
key
9 _window = window; Save the docked window
10 _window.Closed += new EventHandler(_window_Closed); Add an event handler for when the
window closes. This will update the
void _window_Closed(object sender, EventArgs e) command state when the window is
{ closed
this.Checked = false;
}
11 WindowManager.Instance.WindowLayoutLoaded += new Add an event handler for when the
EventHandler(Instance_WindowLayoutLoaded); window is first loaded. Update the
command state to match initial

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 void Instance_WindowLayoutLoaded(object sender, window visibility
EventArgs e)
{
this.Checked = _window.Visible;
}
12 public override void Execute() Show or hide the window in the
{ Execute() method.
if (this.Checked)
{
_window.Show();
}
else
{
_window.Hide();
}
}
Update the class: AttributeBrowesrAddin
13 private DockedWindow attributeListWindow; Going back to the addin class
private AttributeListControl attributeListControl; (AttributeBrowserAddin), add 2
private members
14 WindowManager windowManager = In the Start() method Get the
(WindowManager)serviceManager.GetService(typeof(Windo WindowManager service
wManager)); and create the Addin window
attributeListControl = new AttributeListControl();

15 attributeListWindow = Create a docked window to host an

windowManager.CreateDockedWindow("Aveva.AttributeBrow AttributeListControl
ser.AttributeList", "Attributes",
attributeListControl, DockedPosition.Right);
attributeListWindow.Width = 200;
16 attributeListWindow.SaveLayout = true; Docked windows created at addin
start should ensure their layout is
saved between sessions.

17 CommandManager commandManager = Get the CommandManager and

(CommandManager)serviceManager.GetService(typeof(Comm create and register addins commands
andManager));

ShowAttributesCommand showCommand = new

ShowAttributesCommand(attributeListWindow);
commandManager.Commands.Add(showCommand);
18 CurrentElement.CurrentElementChanged += new Add event handler for current
CurrentElementChangedEventHandler(CurrentElement_Curr element changed event.
entElementChanged);

void CurrentElement_CurrentElementChanged(object
sender, CurrentElementChangedEventArgs e)
{
}
19 string windowTitle = "Attributes of element " + In the event handler populate the
CurrentElement.Element.GetAsString(DbAttributeInstanc ListView
e.FLNM);

attributeListWindow.Title = windowTitle;
attributeListControl.Clear();

foreach (DbAttribute attribute in

CurrentElement.Element.GetAttributes())
{

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 attributeListControl.AddAttribute(attribute.Name,
CurrentElement.Element.GetAsString(attribute));
}
Build the Project
20 Build the project and copy the
assembly to your %PDMSEXE%
directory
Update Addins XML file: DesignAddins.xml
21 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> Add the AttributeBrowserAddin to
<ArrayOfString the DesignAddins.xml file. This will
xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" then be loaded when the application
xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema- runs.
instance">
<string>ExplorerAddin</string>
<string>DrawListAddin</string>
<string>MyDataAddin</string>
<string>HistoryAddin</string>
<string>ReferenceListAddin</string>
<string>PipeCheckAddin</string>
<string>OutputAddin</string>
<string>FindAddin</string>
<string>LinksAddin</string>
<string>AttributesAddin</string>
<string>ScheConnMapAddin</string>
<string>CatalogSearchAddin</string>
<string>AttributeBrowserAddin</string>
</ArrayOfString>
Enter PDMS Design and add a menu to show the addin
22 Create a CommandBar state button
and attach it to the command
ShowAttributeBrowserCommand

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 Run the Addin
24 Execute the command to show the
form.

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