CTExtension Class

Base class for all CUSTOMTOOLS extensions.

Inheritant must implement Hook(CTInterface) and UnHook(CTInterface). Inheritant should have minimal or no constructor at all. For (un)initialization purposes implementations of InitNotify and UnInitNotify can be overridden.

To provide various funtionalities for core product, inheritant should implement GetInterface2(ctExtensionInterface) which must return valid object in every state of this extension. However, functions of the interfaces are not called unless the status is at least ctExtensionStatusInitialized.

Inheritance Hierarchy

SystemObject
CTExtensionsCTExtension

Namespace: CTExtensions
Assembly: CTInterface (in CTInterface.dll)

Syntax

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public abstract class CTExtension : IClassFactory

Public MustInherit Class CTExtension
	Implements IClassFactory

The CTExtension type exposes the following members.

Constructors

	Name	Description
	CTExtension	Constructor

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Properties

	Name	Description
	Database	Currently active database
	LicensedName	Name used in licensing
	LicensedVersion	Version used in licensing
	LicenseState	Indicator of current license state. Null = not checked True = value False = invalid
	Profile	Currently active profile
	SilentMode	If silent mode is set, this extension should not try to interact with user at all.
	SldWorksInstance	SOLIDWORKS Instance, if available. SolidWorks.Interop.SldWorks.SldWorks;
	SWDocumentManager	Document Manager Instance, if available. SolidWorks.Interop.swdocumentmgr.SwDMApplication;

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Methods

	Name	Description
	CreateObjectT	Allows Class Factory pattern for objects that have public parameterless constructor.
	FriendlyName	Name of current extension in user-friendly manner. Can be localized. Short name of current type by default.
	GetExportProfileLinkToDBObject	Read id of the linked object stored by your extension using StoreExportProfileLinkToDBObject(ICTExportProfile, SQLObjectType, Int32, Int32). Use intData to identify specific link or otherwise first to found is returned.
	GetInterface	Obsolete. Implementation of this function should return object implementing the requested type in every case if this extension supports the interface, including when this extension is not initialized. If this extension is not initialized, the only function that might get called is GetParent().
	GetInterface2	Implementation of this function should return objects implementing the requested type in every case if this extension supports the interface, including when this extension is not initialized. If this extension is not initialized, the only function that might get called is GetParent().
	GetInterfaceCapabilities	Returns all interfaces this extension is capable of.
	GetSpecificInterface	Obsolete. Calls GetInterface2(ctExtensionInterface) and verifies that returned type is valid before passing it to the core.
	GetSpecificInterfaces	Calls GetInterface2(ctExtensionInterface) and verifies that returned types are valid before passing it to the core.
	GetStatus	Status of this extension as defined int CTEngineLib.ctExtensionStatus
	Hook	Implementation of this function is the only valid and supported place to hook into CTInterface events. Additional event -hooking is not allowed anywhere else. This is called after this object is initialized in case the current environment supports CTInterface events. Must not be called by anything else than internal implementation.
	IdentifyingName	By default identifying name of each extensions is their full typename. This can be overridden but is not couraged as each add-in should have unique and non-changing identifying name.
	InitNotify	Notification that this object is now initialized: Database and Profile are now valid. Inheritance may return false to prevent initialized status for eg. licensing purposes.
	IsInitialized	Getter to indicate if this extension is currently initialized or not.
	NotifyLoaded	Notification that this extension is now loaded.
	NotifyUnLoaded	Notification that this extension is now UnLoaded.
	ReadExportSettings	Read arbitrary data for your extension stored with StoreExportSettings(ICTExportProfile, String, Int32, Byte).
	RequestLicense	RequestLicense
	SetGeneralParam	Possibility to provide some extension specific parameters.
	StoreExportProfileLinkToDBObject	Store link-data of your extension from export profile to given DB object type with given id. ID's stored using this function are kept linked to correct objects even in profile import/export -cases. Use intData to distinct different links of same type.
	StoreExportSettings	Store arbitrary data to given export profile's data slot for your extension. You may store easily one string and one integer per export profile, or even unlimited bytearray. To store settings that consider links to other CT objects, use StoreExportProfileLinkToDBObject(ICTExportProfile, SQLObjectType, Int32, Int32) so the object IDs are handled correctly in import/export.
	UnHook	Implementation of this function must release all event hooks added at Hook(CTInterface). This function may be called multiple times. This is called before the object is going to be uninitialized, re-initialized or if CTInterface object is changed. Must not be called by anything else than internal implementation.
	UnInitNotify	Notification that this object is now un-initialized: Database and Profile are not valid anymore.
	Unload	Unloads this extension.

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Examples

Minimal CTExtension -style script Add-in:

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// @AUTO-REFERENCE { [CT_INSTALL_PATH]\CTInterface.dll }
// @AUTO-REFERENCE { [CT_INSTALL_PATH]\Interop.CTEngineLib.dll }

using ATR.CT.CTInterface;
using CTExtensions;
using CTEngineLib;

public class MyAddin : CTExtension
{

  public override bool Hook(CTInterface oCTInterface)
  {
    bool bHooked = false;
    if (oCTInterface != null)
    {
      // Hook to CTInterface events and set bHooked = true.
    }
    return bHooked;
  }

  public override void UnHook(CTInterface oCTInterface)
  {
    if (oCTInterface != null)
    {
      // Un-Hook all handlers from CTInterface
    }
  }

}

Availability

CUSTOMTOOLS 2017 SP1

Reference

CTExtensions Namespace