This document covers the following topics:
An installed plug-in.
The following properties are available:
Used to navigate to the parent interface of this interface.
Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark |
---|---|---|
HANDLE OF OBJECT | VT_DISPATCH (INatAutoPlugIns) | Get only |
Used to navigate to the root interface.
Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark |
---|---|---|
HANDLE OF OBJECT | VT_DISPATCH (INatAutoStudio) | Get only |
The global unique ID by which the plug-in is identified in Natural Studio. It is equal to the ID of the ActiveX component implementing the plug-in.
Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark |
---|---|---|
A | VT_BSTR | Get only |
The type of the plug-in.
Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark |
---|---|---|
A | VT_BSTR | Get only |
The possible values are:
Value | Meaning |
---|---|
Single server | The plug-in runs in its own Natural server process, distinct from all other Natural-written plug-ins. |
Shared server | The plug-in runs in the same Natural server process as the Plug-in Manager. |
The descriptive name of the plug-in that is displayed in the Plug-in Manager.
Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark |
---|---|---|
A | VT_BSTR | Get only |
The CLSID of the ActiveX component implementing the plug-in. For a
Natural-written plug-in this is the ID defined in the
DEFINE CLASS
statement.
Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark |
---|---|---|
A | VT_BSTR | Get only |
The ProgID of the ActiveX component implementing the plug-in. For a
Natural-written plug-in this is the class name defined in the
DEFINE CLASS
statement.
Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark |
---|---|---|
A | VT_BSTR | Get only |
Indicates if the plug-in is currently active. Modifying this property activates and deactivates the plug-in respectively.
Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark |
---|---|---|
L | VT_BOOL |
Indicates if the plug-in is automatically activated when Natural Studio is started, or if it must be manually activated with the Plug-in Manager. Modifying this property changes the activation mode accordingly.
Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark |
---|---|---|
L | VT_BOOL |
A string containing an XML document that describes the current option value setting for this plug-in.
Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark |
---|---|---|
A | VT_BSTR |
The XML document is formatted according to the following DTD.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!ELEMENT optvals (optval*)> <!ELEMENT optval (name, value)> <!ELEMENT name (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT value (#PCDATA)>
Element | Meaning |
---|---|
name | The name of the option. If this name does not correspond to a
name defined in the DefineOptions
method, this is a hidden option. This means that the user cannot see and modify
the option value in the Options dialog. Otherwise the
option is represented in a property page in the Options
dialog as specified in the method
DefineOptions .
|
value | The option value. |
The following methods are available:
Defines the options for this plug-in and their layout in a property page in the Options dialog.
Name | Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark |
---|---|---|---|
OptionDefinition | A | VT_BSTR |
A string containing an XML document that describes the options of the plug-in and their layout in a property page in the Options dialog. The XML document is formatted according to the following DTD.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!ELEMENT optdef (caption, helpfile?, helptopic?, option*, groupbox*, statictext*)> <!ELEMENT option (name, (checkbox | edittext | radiobuttons | spinbutton))> <!ELEMENT checkbox (left, top, title, default)> <!ELEMENT edittext (left, top, width, height, default)> <!ELEMENT radiobuttons (radiobutton+, default)> <!ELEMENT radiobutton (left, top, title, value)> <!ELEMENT spinbutton (left, top, width, height, min, max, default)> <!ELEMENT groupbox (title, left, top, width, height)> <!ELEMENT statictext (title, left, top, width, height)> <!ELEMENT caption (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT helpfile (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT helptopic (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT name (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT title (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT value (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT default (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT left (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT top (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT width (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT height (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT min (#PCDATA)> <!ELEMENT max (#PCDATA)>
Element | Meaning |
---|---|
caption | The caption displayed on the property page. |
helpfile | The full path name to a help file containing help information about the options. |
helptopic | A help topic to be displayed when the user chooses the | button on the property page.
name | The name of the option. This name is used only internally to refer to the option in the OptionValues DTD. |
value | The value assigned to a radio button. |
default | The default value of the option. |
term | The term displayed with a dialog control. |
left, top, width, height | The position and size of a dialog control. |
min, max | The minimum and maximum value displayed in a spinbutton control. |
Returns the custom interface of this plug-in, or NULL-HANDLE, if the plug-in does not provide a custom interface.
Plug-ins can provide a custom interface in order to provide services to
clients other than Natural Studio itself. These clients can be, for instance,
other plug-ins or programs running inside or outside Natural Studio. In order
to provide a custom interface, a plug-in must implement an additional interface
beside the two predefined interfaces INaturalStudioPlugIn
and INaturalStudioPlugInTree
and make this interface the default dispatch interface. For a plug-in
implemented in Natural this means placing this interface at the first position
in the DEFINE CLASS
statement.
Name | Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark |
---|---|---|---|
Return value | HANDLE OF OBJECT | VT_DISPATCH |
The custom interface of this plug-in.
Sends a specific command to the plug-in.
Name | Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark |
---|---|---|---|
CommandID | I4 | VT_I4 |
Contains the command ID the plug-in has chosen when it defined the
command with the method Add
of the
interface INatAutoCommands
.
Checks whether a specific command of the plug-in is currently enabled or checked.
Name | Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark |
---|---|---|---|
CommandID | I4 | VT_I4 | |
Enabled | L | VT_BOOL | By reference |
Checked | L | VT_BOOL | By reference |
Contains the command ID the plug-in has chosen when it defined the
command with the method Add
of the
interface INatAutoCommands
.
If the command is currently enabled, the method returns TRUE in this parameter.
If the command currently has a check mark, the method returns TRUE in this parameter.