- Start a new .NET Framework project like this:
Note: make sure it is a WPF User Control Library and the Framework is .NET Framework 4.5.2
- Download Eqqon.Director.Plugin.dll and reference it in your project.
Create a class that derives from Eqqon.Director.Plugin.PluginController. The name of the class as well as the namespace it resides in is completely up to you:
namespace TestPlugin
{
public class TestPlugin : Eqqon.Director.Plugin.PluginController
{
}
}Now you are ready to add your own functionality by overriding any virtual method of the base class. The typical methods to override are:
| Method | Effect |
|---|---|
| DisposeHook() | Free resources here. |
| GetCommands() | List of command names which will let other components invoke functions in the plugin via EventBinding |
| GetEvents() | List of events names which the plugin can use to interact with other components via EventBinding |
| GetPropertiesHook() | List of config settings or runtime values to show up in the property dialog of the plugin or can be bound against other components with Binding |
| GetViewHook() | Create and return a WPF user element that will serve as the user interface of the plugin. Note that Director may call this more than once if the plugin is displayed in more than one location and expects a new instance every time. You must not return return the same view multiple times. |
| Initialize0() | Set up your plugin's internals here and allocate resources |
| Initialize1() | Set up everything that depends on anything in Director, will be called after Initialize0() |
| InvokeCommand(string name, Dictionary<string, object> data) | Implement this to react to commands called by other Director components via EventBinding |
| OnPropertyValueChanged(PluginProperty p, object old_value, object new_value) | Overload this to react to property changes. Override only if base behavior is not sufficient |
| UpdateView(FrameworkElement view) | Override to implement the plugin GUI's reaction to changes in the properties |
Here is an example of how the overridden GetPropertiesHook() method could look like:
/// <summary>
/// Overwrite this to define the properties of the plugin
/// </summary>
protected virtual IEnumerable<PluginProperty> GetPropertiesHook()
{
yield return new PluginProperty() { Name = "StringProperty", Type = typeof(string), Value = "Initial value"};
yield return new PluginProperty() { Name = "BoolProperty", Type = typeof(bool), Value = true };
yield return new PluginProperty() { Name = "DoubleProperty", Type = typeof(double), Value = 50.0};
}To write logs into Director's excellent logging framework use the base class' method Log(string message, DirectorLogLevel level, string messag)
Even if your logging load at level DEBUG is high it won't impact performance as long as the respective logger is not set to DEBUG in Director.