4.3.1 Customizing I/O Plugins

(1) Creating the icon of the [Plugins] palette and Plugin Parts

If necessary, change the icon of the Plugins palette and Plugin Parts displayed in the Operational Content Editing Window. The following figure shows the location of the icon of the Plugins palette and Plugin Part.

Figure 4‒1: Location of the icon of the Plugins palette and Plugin Part

When you execute the template plugin creation command, the icons provided by Navigation Platform by default are displayed in the Plugins palette and Plugin Parts.

To develop multiple plugins, you can create a different icon for each plugin to identify plugins by displayed icons. Store the created icons in the following directory:

Navigation-Platform-for-Developers-installation-directory\pluginSDK\plugin\plugin-ID\images

Create icons in the format shown in the following table.

Table 4‒1: Format for creating icons

No.	Item	Description
1	File name	See (2) Editing I/O plugin XML files, and then specify the file name. Note that the file name of the default icon provided by Navigation Platform is sample_icon.gif.
2	File format	You can use any format that can be displayed in the Web browser. Note that the file format of the default icon provided by Navigation Platform is GIF format.
3	Size	Create an icon in 24 x 24 pixels.

Note:

If a user without Windows administrator roles creates an icon in a directory such as the OS-installation-drive:\Program Files directory (by adding or copying a file), the file might be redirected to a user folder. Therefore, the user that adds the file must have Windows administrator roles.

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(2) Editing I/O plugin XML files

The I/O plugin XML file (ioaction.xml) is created when a template plugin is created. Edit the I/O plugin XML file to change the following information:

• I/O Plugin execution order

• I/O parameter definition

• Information displayed in the Plugins palette, for Plugin Parts, and for tool tips in the Operational Content Editing Window

The following figure shows the correspondence between the information specified in the I/O plugin XML file and the information displayed in the Operational Content Editing Window.

Figure 4‒2: Correspondence between the I/O plugin XML file and the information displayed in the Operational Content Editing Window

Tip

If you change the I/O plugin XML file (ioaction.xml) for a plugin associated with Operational Content, you also need to perform tasks such as replacing the plugin by exporting Operational Content. When you design I/O Plugins, make sure that item settings are suitable for operation of Operational Content, so that you do not have to modify the I/O plugin XML file later.

The following describes how to edit the I/O plugin XML file (ioaction.xml). This file is stored in the following directory.

Navigation-Platform-for-Developers-installation-directory\pluginSDK\plugin\plugin-ID\WEB-INF\conf

To edit the I/O plugin XML file, start the editor by selecting Run as administrator.

The following shows an example of editing the I/O plugin XML file (ioaction.xml). Edit the bold text.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<ioaction xmlns="http://model.xml.ioaction.navi.plugin.ucnp.soft.hitachi.co.jp" id="sample.OutputGuideData" name="OutputGuideData" version="2.0">
  <iopart id="io_part_1">
    <iotype name="sample.OutputGuideData" />
    <iconURL url="/ucnpPlugins/OutputGuideData/images/ogdIcon.gif"/>
    <priority value="700" />
    <execConfirm value="false" />
    <execPreview value="true" />
    <disableButtonType legacy="false" value="show_next_page" />
    <parameters type="title">
      <param name="OutputGuideData" description="description-of-OutputGuideData"/>
    </parameters>
    <parameters type="input">
      <param name="inputItemName1" description="description-of-inputItemName1"/>
      <param name="inputItemName2" description="description-of-inputItemName2"/>
      <param name="inputItemName3" description="description-of-inputItemName3"/>
    </parameters>
    <parameters type="output">
      <param name="outputItemName1" description="description-of-outputItemName1"/>
      <param name="outputItemName2" description="description-of-outputItemName2"/>
      <param name="outputItemName3" description="description-of-outputItemName3"/>
    </parameters>
  </iopart>
</ioaction>

The table below describes how to edit the I/O plugin XML file (ioaction.xml). You need to edit only the parts shown in the table.

Table 4‒2: How to edit the I/O plugin XML file (ioaction.xml)

No.	Information to be edited	Description	Character strings specifiable for the attribute value, and their meanings	String length specifiable for the attribute value
1	url attribute of the <iconURL> tag (file name part)	Specify the file name of the icon displayed in the Plugins palette and for Plugin Parts in the Operational Content Editing Window. Change the file name in the url attribute only when you want to change the file name of the icon created in (1) Creating the icon of the [Plugins] palette and Plugin Parts from the default.	Single-byte alphanumeric characters Single-byte underscores (_) Single-byte periods (.) Single-byte hyphens (-)	Maximum of 1,024 bytes (including /ucnpPlugins/plugin-name/images/)
2	value attribute of the <priority> tag	Specify the execution order of the I/O Plugin. The default value is 700. 700 is the intermediate value of the execution order of System Plugins and User Plugins. If the priority element is omitted, the default value is assumed.	The following single-byte numeric values: 100-500 600-900	--
3	value attribute of the <execConfirm> tag	If necessary, specify whether to display a confirmation dialog box during execution of the I/O Plugin. Specify true if you want to notify users that processing might require some time. If the execConfirm element is omitted, false is assumed.	true Displayed false Not displayed	--
4	value attribute of the <execPreview> tag	If necessary, specify whether to execute the I/O Plugin in the preview window.#1 If the execPreview element is omitted, true is assumed.	true Executed false Not executed	--
5	legacy attribute of the <disableButtonType> tag	Specify whether to provide compatibility of execution suppression of the I/O Plugin. Specify true to suppress execution of the I/O Plugin in Navigation Platform 10-10 the same way as in earlier versions. If the disableButtonType element is omitted, true is assumed.	true Compatible false Not compatible	--
6	value attribute of the <disableButtonType> tag	If necessary, specify whether to suppress execution of the I/O Plugin depending on the button type.#2 Set the legacy attribute to false to suppress the execution depending on whether transition occurs, by clicking the button or by directly selecting a node. To specify multiple values, use a single-byte comma to separate each value. If the disableButtonType element is omitted, an empty character string is assumed.	start show_next_page show_previous_page show_complete_page forward_jump Valid only if the value of the legacy attribute is false back_jump Valid only if the value of the legacy attribute is false	--
7	description attribute of the <param> tag	If necessary, specify the description (tool tip) of the I/O Plugin.	Any character string#3	0 to 64 characters
8	name attribute of the <param> tag under <parameters type="input">	Specify the input parameter name. Specify a unique value in the <parameters type="input"> tag. You can specify 0 to 100 <param> tags. Specify the <param> tags for the number of input parameters.	Single-byte alphanumeric characters Single-byte underscores (_) Single-byte periods (.) Single-byte spaces Single-byte hyphens (-)	1 to 64 bytes#4
9	description attribute of the <param> tag under <parameters type="input">	If necessary, specify the description (tool tip) of the input parameter.	Any character string#3	0 to 64 characters
10	name attribute of the <param> tag under <parameters type="output">	Specify the output parameter name. Specify a unique value in the <parameters type="output"> tag. You can specify 0 to 100 <param> tags. Specify the <param> tags for the number of output parameters.	Single-byte alphanumeric characters Single-byte underscores (_) Single-byte periods (.) Single-byte spaces Single-byte hyphens (-)	1 to 64 bytes#4
11	description attribute of the <param> tag under <parameters type="output">	If necessary, specify the description (tool tip) of the output parameter.	Any character string#3	0 to 64 characters

Reference

Values specified for the name attribute of the <param> tag under <parameters type="input"> and <parameters type="output"> are used for the param parameter and return values of the inputFromNode and outputToNode methods of the server processing implementation interface (IIoPluginController).

The following shows where the values specified for the name attribute are used.

param parameter

• Map object name for the value corresponding to the name ucnp.current.params.map in the inputFromNode method

• Map object name for the value corresponding to the name ucnp.next.params.map in the outputToNode method

Return values

• Map object name for the value corresponding to the name ucnp.current.params.map in the inputFromNode method

• Map object name for the value corresponding to the name ucnp.next.params.map in the outputToNode method

The following figure shows the correspondence between the values specified for the name attribute and the server processing implementation interface (IIoPluginController).

Figure 4‒3: Correspondence between the values specified for the name attribute and the server processing implementation interface (IIoPluginController)

For details about the server processing implementation interface (IIoPluginController), see 5.2 IIoPluginController (server processing implementation interface).

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(3) Setting tool tips for parameter descriptions

If you set a description text as a tool tip in the I/O plugin XML file (ioaction.xml), the description appears when you point the Plugin Part in the Operational Content Editing Window. You can set the following tool tips:

• I/O Plugin description

  A tool tip displayed in the title of the Plugin Part

• Input parameter description

  A tool tip displayed for input parameters of the Plugin Part

• Output parameter description

  A tool tip displayed for output parameters of the Plugin Part

For details about how to set the tool tips and details about the values, see (2) Editing I/O plugin XML files.

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(4) Specifying the plugin execution order

In the I/O plugin XML file (ioaction.xml), you can change the plugin execution order. You can specify the following values for the execution order:

• 100-500

• 600-900

If multiple I/O Plugins are placed in the same node, they are executed in the ascending order specified for the execution order. If the same execution order is specified for multiple I/O Plugins, the execution order will be undefined.

For details about the values, see (2) Editing I/O plugin XML files.

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(5) Specifying whether to display a confirmation dialog box

In the I/O plugin XML file (ioaction.xml), you can specify whether to display a confirmation dialog box during execution of the I/O Plugin. You can specify the following values:

• true

• false

If true is specified for a plugin placed in the node, a confirmation dialog box for the I/O Plugin appears when the inputFromNode method is executed. Even if true is specified for multiple plugins in the node, a confirmation dialog box appears only once. If Cancel is selected in the confirmation dialog box, the KDCZ00266-Q message is displayed, and then processing of all plugins set in the node is not executed.

For details about the values, see (2) Editing I/O plugin XML files.

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(6) Specifying whether to execute plugins in the preview window

In the I/O plugin XML file (ioaction.xml), you can specify whether to execute the I/O Plugin in the preview window. You can specify the following values:

• true

• false

If multiple plugins are placed in the node, only the I/O Plugins for which true is specified are executed.

For details about the values, see (2) Editing I/O plugin XML files.

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(7) Specifying the button type for suppressing execution

In the I/O plugin XML file (ioaction.xml), you can specify the button type for suppressing execution of I/O Plugins. You can specify the values shown below.

Table 4‒3: Button type for suppressing execution of I/O Plugins

No.	Compatibility option (value of the "legacy" attribute)	Setting of the button type for suppressing execution (value of the "value" attribute)	Operation to suppress execution of the I/O Plugin
1	false	start	Switch from the Terminal Node (start) to a Process Node. Alternatively, display the first Process Node not connected to the Terminal Node (start).
2		show_next_page	Switch to the next node by clicking the button. Note, however, that if you switch to a Process Node for which the transition destination node does not exist and for which the Back button is hidden, show_complete_page is set.
3		show_previous_page	Switch to the previous node by clicking the button.
4		show_complete_page	Switch to a node with the Done button displayed. Alternatively, switch to a Process Node that does not have the transition destination node and for which the Back button is not displayed.
5		back_jump	Switch to the next node by directly selecting the node.
6		forward_jump	Switch to the previous node by directly selecting the node.
7	true	start	Switch from the Terminal Node (start) to a Process Node. Alternatively, display the first Process Node not connected to the Terminal Node (start).
8		show_next_page	Switch to a node by clicking the button or directly selecting the node. Note, however, that if you switch to a Process Node for which the transition destination node does not exist and for which the Back button is hidden, show_complete_page is set.
9		show_previous_page	Switch to the previous node by clicking the button or directly selecting the node.
10		show_complete_page	Switch to a node with the Done button displayed. Alternatively, switch to a Process Node for which the transition destination node does not exist and for which the Back button is hidden.

If multiple I/O Plugins are placed in the node, the I/O Plugins for which execution is suppressed are not executed.

For details about the values, see (2) Editing I/O plugin XML files.

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(8) Implementing processing to be performed by the plugin

To implement the server processing in the I/O Plugin, specify the processing in the class whose name is specified by the userplugin.server.controller.ioaction key in the plugin information property file. At this time, specify the processing to be performed during node transition.

If you need to perform processing during plugin initialization or termination, see 4.5 Implementing processing to be performed during plugin initialization or termination.

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