Creating Add-in Hooks (C#)

This topic shows how to program an add-in to have SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional notify your add-in whenever a file is added, checked out, or checked in to a vault.

NOTE: Because SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional cannot force a reload of add-ins if they are written in .NET, all client machines must be restarted to ensure that the latest version of the add-in is used.

1. Follow Creating Menu Commands (C#) to create a basic add-in.
    
2. In your add-in's IEdmAddIn5::GetAddInInfo implementation, call IEdmCmdMgr5::AddHook for each SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional activity that you want your add-in to be notified about. Implement IEdmAddIn5::GetAddInInfo as follows:

public void GetAddInInfo(ref EdmAddInInfo poInfo, IEdmVault5 poVault, IEdmCmdMgr5 poCmdMgr)
{
       //Specify information to display in the add-in's Properties dialog box
       poInfo.mbsAddInName = "My first add-in";
       poInfo.mbsCompany = "The name of my company";
       poInfo.mbsDescription = "This is a very nice add-in.";
       poInfo.mlAddInVersion = 1;
 
       //Specify the minimum required version of SolidWorks PDM Professional
       poInfo.mlRequiredVersionMajor = 5;
       poInfo.mlRequiredVersionMinor = 2;
 
       //Register hooks

       //Notify the add-in when a file has been added
       poCmdMgr.AddHook(EdmCmdType.EdmCmd_PostAdd);
 
       //Notify the add-in when a file has been checked out
       poCmdMgr.AddHook(EdmCmdType.EdmCmd_PostLock);
 
       //Notify the add-in when a file is about to be checked in
       poCmdMgr.AddHook(EdmCmdType.EdmCmd_PreUnlock);
 
       //Notify the add-in when a file has been checked in
       poCmdMgr.AddHook(EdmCmdType.EdmCmd_PostUnlock);
}

3. Implement IEdmAddIn5::OnCmd as follows:

public void OnCmd(ref EdmCmd poCmd, ref Array ppoData)
{
       //Handle the hook
       string name = null;
       switch (poCmd.meCmdType)
       {
           case EdmCmdType.EdmCmd_PostAdd:
               name = "PostAdd";
               break;
           case EdmCmdType.EdmCmd_PostLock:
               name = "PostLock";
               break;
           case EdmCmdType.EdmCmd_PreUnlock:
               name = "PreUnlock";
               break;
           case EdmCmdType.EdmCmd_PostUnlock:
               name = "PostUnlock";
               break;
           default:
               name = "?";
               break;
       }
 
       //Check the upper and lower bounds of the array
       string message = null;
       message = "";
       int index = 0;
       index = Information.LBound(ppoData);
       int last = 0;
       last = Information.UBound(ppoData);
 
       //Append the paths of all files to a message string
       while (index <= last)
       {
           message = message + ((EdmCmdData)(ppoData.GetValue(index))).mbsStrData1 + Constants.vbLf;
           index = index + 1;
       }
 
       //Display a message to the user
       message = "The following files were affected by a " + name + " hook:" + Constants.vbLf + message;
 
       EdmVault5 vault = default(EdmVault5);
       vault = (EdmVault5)poCmd.mpoVault;
       vault.MsgBox(poCmd.mlParentWnd, message);
}

SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional calls OnCmd whenever one of the hooks registered in GetAddInInfo triggers an event. You can tell which hook triggered the call by inspecting EdmCmd.meCmdType that is returned in OnCmd's poCmd argument. meCmdType contains an EdmCmdType constant that indicates which hook triggered the call.

The second argument to OnCmd, ppoData, contains an array of EdmCmdData structures. The array contains one structure for each file that is affected by the hook. The contents of the structure members vary, depending on the hook. See EdmCmdData for a complete list of members and their descriptions.

4. Click Build > Build Solution to build the add-in.

5. Install the add-in through the SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional Administration tool:
    
   1. Open the SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional Administration tool.
       
   2. Expand the vault where you want to install this add-in and log in as Admin.
       
   3. Right-click Add-ins and click New Add-in.
       
   4. Browse to project_path\project_name\project_name\bin\Debug, click project_name.dll and Interop.EdmLib.dll.
       
   5. Click Open.
       
   6. Click OK.
       
   7. Click OK.

6. Add, check out, or check in one or more vault files. A message box displays with the files added, checked out, or checked in.

NOTE: OnCmd is not called during check-in if the file is not modified. During check-in of unmodified files, SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional triggers an "undo check-out" event. To handle this "undo check-out" event, register EdmCmdType.EdmCmd_PreUndoLock and EdmCmdType.EdmCmd_PostUndoLock hooks in your add-in's implementation of IEdmAddIn5::GetAddInInfo.