INatAutoStudio

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# INatAutoStudio

This document covers the following topics:

- Purpose

- Properties

- Methods

## Purpose

The root interface of the Natural Studio Automation interface. A handle to this interface is passed to each plug-in during activation (`INaturalStudioPlugIn::OnActivate`) and deactivation (`INaturalStudioPlugIn::OnDeactivate`).

## Properties

The following properties are available:

- Objects

- ControlBars

- Types

- PlugIns

- ResultViews

- System

### Objects

Used to navigate to the `INatAutoObjects` interface.

Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark
--- | --- | ---
HANDLE OF OBJECT | VT_DISPATCH (INatAutoObjects) | Get only

### ControlBars

Used to navigate to the `INatAutoControlBars` interface.

Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark
--- | --- | ---
HANDLE OF OBJECT | VT_DISPATCH (INatAutoControlBars) | Get only

### Types

Used to navigate to the `INatAutoTypes` interface.

Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark
--- | --- | ---
HANDLE OF OBJECT | VT_DISPATCH (INatAutoTypes) | Get only

### PlugIns

Used to navigate to the `INatAutoPlugIns` interface.

Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark
--- | --- | ---
HANDLE OF OBJECT | VT_DISPATCH (INatAutoPlugIns) | Get only

### ResultViews

Used to navigate to the `INatAutoResultViews` interface.

Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark
--- | --- | ---
HANDLE OF OBJECT | VT_DISPATCH (INatAutoResultViews) | Get only

### System

Used to navigate to the `INatAutoSystem` interface.

Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark
--- | --- | ---
HANDLE OF OBJECT | VT_DISPATCH (INatAutoSystem) | Get only

## Methods

The following methods are available:

- Refresh

- MessageBox

- ShowHelp

- ProgressIndicator

### Refresh

Initiates an automatic refresh in Natural Studio.

#### Parameters

Name | Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark
--- | --- | --- | ---
RefreshObject | A | VT_BSTR | Optional

> RefreshObject

>   This parameter is either not specified (unspecific refresh) or contains the refresh object formatted as an XML document (specific refresh). The object is formatted according to the following DTD. The meaning of the individual elements is analog to the DTD describing `INatAutoSelectedObjects::SelectedObjects`.

>       <!ELEMENT ritem (rguid?, rtype, rkey, rinfo?, (ntype, nkey, nname?)?)>
>       <!ELEMENT rguid (#PCDATA)>
>       <!ELEMENT rtype (#PCDATA)>
>       <!ELEMENT rkey  (#PCDATA)>
>       <!ELEMENT rinfo (#PCDATA)>
>       <!ELEMENT ntype (#PCDATA)>
>       <!ELEMENT nkey  (#PCDATA)>
>       <!ELEMENT nname (#PCDATA)>

### MessageBox

Displays a standard message box in Natural Studio.

#### Parameters

Name | Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark
--- | --- | --- | ---
Return value | I4 | VT_I4 |
Text | A | VT_BSTR |
Caption | A | VT_BSTR | Optional
Style | I4 | VT_I4 | Optional

> Return value

>   Indicates the button that the user pressed in response to the message box.

>   1: OK
>   2: CANCEL
>   3: ABORT
>   4: RETRY
>   5: IGNORE
>   6: YES
>   7: NO

> Text

>   The text to be displayed in the message box.

> Caption

>   The caption of the message box.

> Style

>   The message box style is specified by adding one of the following styles

>   0: OK
>   1: OKCANCEL
>   2: ABORTRETRYIGNORE
>   3: YESNOCANCEL
>   4: YESNO
>   5: RETRYCANCEL

>   to one of the following styles:

>   16: MB_ICONHAND
>   32: MB_ICONQUESTION
>   48: MB_ICONEXCLAMATION
>   64: MB_ICONASTERISK

>   The default is 0.

### ShowHelp

Displays a specific help topic in a specific help file.

#### Parameters

Name | Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark
--- | --- | --- | ---
Return value | L | VT_BOOL |
HelpTopic | I4 | VT_I4 | Optional
HelpFile | A | VT_BSTR | Optional

> Return value

>   If the specified help file or topic is not found, FALSE is returned, otherwise TRUE.

> HelpTopic

>   A topic in the specified help file. If HelpTopic is omitted, the contents page of the help file is displayed.

> HelpFile

>   A help file specified with full path name. If HelpFile is omitted, the specified topic in the Natural Studio help file is displayed. If both HelpTopic and HelpFile are omitted, the contents page of the Natural Studio help file is displayed.

### ProgressIndicator

Creates and returns a new progress indicator.

#### Parameters

Name | Natural Data Format | Variant Type | Remark
--- | --- | --- | ---
Return value | HANDLE OF OBJECT | VT_DISPATCH (INatAutoProgressIndicator) |
Steps | I4 | VT_I4 |
Style | I4 | VT_I4 | Optional
Frequency | I4 | VT_I4 | Optional
Caption | A | VT_BSTR | Optional
Animation | A | VT_BSTR | Optional

> Return value

>   The newly created progress indicator.

> Steps

>   The number of steps this by which the progress indicator can be advanced.

> Style

>   The style of the progress indicator. Possible values are:

>   0 | Status bar. The progress of the operation is displayed as a text in the status bar.
>   1 | Gradient bar. The progress of the operation is displayed as a percentually growing gradient bar. Optionally an additional text can be displayed in the status bar.
>   2 | Dialog. The progress of the operation is displayed as a dialog box containing an animation.

> Frequency

>   By default, the progress indicator is redrawn after each step. If Frequency is specified, it is redrawn only each Steps/Frequency steps. This can be used to avoid flickering.

> Caption

>   Applicable with progress indicators of style Dialog. The caption to display in the dialog.

> Animation

>   Applicable with progress indicators of style Dialog. Path and file name of an animation file (.avi) to display in the dialog.

### On this page

- Purpose
- Properties
- Methods