Automation Add-Ins [Jesse Kaplan]

First off I'd like to apologize for the long pause between posts. We've been working heads down on some pretty exciting add-in stuff that we can't announce just yet and haven't had as much time as we'd like to spend on this blog. We're wrapping that work up now though so you should see the stream of posts picking up.

To start us off I'd like to post a quick sample to responds to a lot of questions I've been getting.

All of our samples so far have been pretty simplistic with very shallow object models that are focused on the add-ins providing a service to the host. The two most common questions I recieve about our model is how it applies when the host is actually providing a service to the add-in (think of an automation scenario) and how to express events in the pipeline. Attached is a sample that shows a complete pipeline demonstrating some typical patterns in a host automation scenario. It doesn't include an actual host or add-in but as you'll see when you look at the two views that the programming experience for both would still be smooth even with the more complex object model.

 

Note: The attached samples was built for a pre-RTM version of .NetFX 3.5 and will not work on the RTM build. For an updated sample please see our codeplex site: https://www.codeplex.com/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ProjectName=clraddins&ReleaseId=9474

Additionally there is a sample available demonstrating add-ins exposing events to hosts and includes both the host and the add-in so you can easily step through it and follow the code. It is available here:  https://www.codeplex.com/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ProjectName=clraddins&ReleaseId=10199

 

 

MyAutomationApplication.zip