Arc: AddIns

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Arc AddIns

• Dr Andy Evans

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Java

• Direct access to ArcObjects Framework inside and
  outside Arc.
• Ability to add components to the GUI.
• Ability to communicate with external applications.

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AddIns

• Button Icon on toolbar.
• Tool Changes mouse operations.
• Combo box Dropdown list and editable box.
• Toolbar For grouping AddIns.
• Menu Dropdown and right-click.
• Tool palette Floating container for other
  AddIns.
• Dockable window Floating window that can be
  locked into the GUI.
• Application extension Additional functionality
  within, e.g. Arc extensions.

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Form

• jar zip file, with a .esriaddin extension
• Contains
• config.xml metadata describing the addin
• Java class files
• Other resources needed e.g. data, images

5
Installing

• File is just dropped into
• USERPROFILE\
• My Documents\ArcGIS\AddIns\Desktop10.2 
• or
• USERPROFILE\
• Documents\ArcGIS\AddIns\Desktop10.2
• There are easy install options for users (double
  clicking on the addin will bring up a wizard to
  walk through installing it)

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Installing a sent AddIn

• AddIn Manger

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Installing a sent AddIn

• Choose Add from file and navigate to the file.
• Should then see it under the commands list in
  whatever Category youve created for it in the
  XML file.
• Drag and drop from here, onto the interface.

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Managing AddIns

• Admin Registry Keys (regedit.exe)
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ESRI\Desktop10.2 \
  Settings
• BlockAddIns
• 0 - Load all.
• 1 - Load signed only.
• 2 - Load ESRI only.
• 3 - Load from administrator folders only.
• 4 - Do not Load any Add-Ins.
• AddInFolders
• AdminAddInLock - stop tampering with these.

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Digital signing

• See
• http//help.arcgis.com/en/sdk/10.0/Java_AO_ADF/con
  ceptualhelp/engine/index.html/Digitally_signed_ad
  d_ins/0001000004zq000000/

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Making an AddIn

• Rather than writing the config.xml ourselves, and
  zipping it up manually with the java files,
  theres an Eclipse IDE plugin.
• This does all the basic class generation for us,
  and prepares the file.
• Details for installing the IDE and plugin on the
  website.

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Eclipse
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Eclipse
Project area
Editor area, currently showing config.xml, but
shown as a form, not text.
Show xml text source
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Config.xml
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Eclipse

• Should check code as you write.
• Will compile when you save the file.
• Errors reported in problems panel
• Note that the javadoc panel displays the javadocs
  of known classes.

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Eclipse

• Will autocomplete as you type. Will also suggest
  potential quick fixes if you click on hover over
  an issue.

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Debugging

• No System.out.println()
• Best bet is
• JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, String)
• E.g.
• JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Hello
  World")
• Or for exception checking
• catch (Exception e)
• JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,
  e.getStackTrace())

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Help coding

• Course Code Cookbook
• Theres no point in you struggling to find key
  bits of code on ESRIs site.
• So, there are many useful code examples,
  stripped down to be a simple as possible, on the
  course website.
• The quid pro quo
• Send us useful code you get working.
• Read and try and understand the code, dont just
  cut- and-paste it. Ask questions!

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Help coding

• Intro to Eclipse
• Help -gt Welcome -gt Overview / Tutorials
• Arc Programming pages
• http//resources.arcgis.com/en/help/arcobjects-jav
  a/concepts/engine/
• Java ArcObjects Developer Guide -gt
• Developing extensions -gt
• ArcGIS Desktop customizations using add-ins

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Help coding

• API
• http//resources.arcgis.com/en/help/arcobjects-jav
  a/api/arcobjects/index.html
• Note that the API docs are a re-write of the VB
  pages, and still contain some VB code
• If it says This parameter is optional, it
  usually isnt.
• If it says If you dont want this parameter,
  just pass in zero or Nothing, then pass in
  null.
• If it gives Variant as a return type, it returns
  java.lang.Object.

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Select the AddIn
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If you are developing, you need to reboot Arc to
get changes to appear, but you dont need to
re-add the addIn.
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Extensions

• Classes that extend Arc functionality
• Custom feature renderers
• Custom geoprocessing tools can be added to
  ArcToolbox and ModelBuilder
• Class extensions Change form of data
• Plug-in data sources
• Utility objects Combine other tools

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Installing

• Jar file placed in
• ltArcGIS Install Dirgt/java/lib/ext