[CONNECT C#] add custom property type to item type array property.

Editing the XML directly sounds like a recipe for disaster...

All the EC stuff originated as C# code. The API is extremely broad. I believe it is documented separately as part of the ECFramework.

In this particular case your "values" property is an IECArrayValue. IECArrayValue.Add() appends a new entry to the array and returns it. You can then modify the properties of that returned object (assuming it is a struct type).

Robert Hook can hopefully tell you where to find the ECFramework documentation.

Paul Connelly said:

Editing the XML directly sounds like a recipe for disaster...

I did not want to edit the xml just wasn't seeing anything else.

I swear the first thing I tried was exactly what your saying but there was no Add function.

Just went back and checked and I had it as a ECDArrayValue but casting it to IECArrayValue then gives me the add method.

I figured it was going to be something simple, cant tell you how long I was messing around with this

THANK YOU!..ill post some code in a little bit for anyone that might find it beneficial..

....side note...

it appears if the array property does not have an entry yet it wont show up as a property when looping the itemtype properties.

            CustomItemHost host = new CustomItemHost(Views.LinkSetup._MainWindowViewModel.selTextElement, false);
            IList<BD.DgnEC.IDgnECInstance> ItemTypes = host.CustomItems;
            foreach (BD.DgnEC.IDgnECInstance curItemType in ItemTypes)
            {
                if (curItemType.ClassDefinition.Name.ToUpper().Contains(Globals.itemTypeName.ToUpper()))
                {//found, update
                    foreach (var curprop in curItemType)
                    {//entpy array property wont show up in this loop!!
                    
                    }
                }
            }

have to look into this.. but thinking you need to use something like this

curItemType.ClassDefinition.FindLocalProperty("Values");

then somehow add it to the item type instance...

Hi John,

can you post your DGN to illustrate, how your ItemType definition looks like? E.g. DGN with ItemType definition plus one element with some data attached?

Regards,

  Jan

yeah its attached,

4118.testing.dgn

So basically in SS4 we had a cross reference app.when a plan sheet had a text element that called out to another sheet like "FOR DETAILS SEE SHEET 7" we had an app that would make the the sheet number a data entry region and would store details about the dgn file/model that sheet 7 existed at. then the app  has an update mode. so if at the end of the project the page number changed you could run this app and it would update the text element to show the correct sheet number.

So im remaking that for CONNECT and thought text fields and item types would be easier.

basically i want to do exactly what a text field does. but i cant have a text field link to an element property from another file/model thats not referenced. so i made a item type that will get applied to the text element. this item type contains the needed information to find the correct value(sheet number) in another dgn file. The app will add a text field to the text element that represents the sheet number. this text field is linked to the property in the item type that represents the sheet number. 

the item type property as an array because the text element could have more then one cross reference. Now all the app needs to do to update the values is to just update the item type value and the text field will automatically get updated so i dont actually have to edit the text element itself to update the value.

hopefully that made sense. but regardless. my example code above is just adding a new struct to an array property then updating the property values for that new struct in the array. dont know why its not working. but it could be applied to numerous cases. 

wow i cant believe i forgot to use .WriteChanges() on my item type to apply the changes...ugh that was stupid my code above works.

Hi John,

John Drsek said:

wow i cant believe i forgot to use

Welcome to the club! :-))) ... such things happen every day

John Drsek said:

here is my code 

The code looks a bit weird to me, even when I guess functional (when WriteChanges() is used). Maybe it's only because of using full classes names including namespaces (which I treat as very bad habit personally). But e.g. to use DisplayString to evaluate anything is wrong idea generally.

Not sure whether I will find enough time, but I should think whether better code (whatever it means) can be written.

John Drsek said:

So im remaking that for CONNECT and thought text fields and item types would be easier.

I agree. Not because of text fields and item types specifically, but because of using standard MicroStation features.

And item types are always good, because when not sufficient, can be extended to general EC data, that can handle ... anything ;-)

John Drsek said:

basically i want to do exactly what a text field does.

Well, you can ... but you can't. The text fields background is (I guess) really complex, implemented using more other technologies (DependencyManager at the first case), so to achieve the same functionality is about to use C++ (NET is not enough) and many months of work. But it's probably not your aim in fact.

John Drsek said:

so i dont actually have to edit the text element itself to update the value.

This behavior makes the whole solution much (much much much) easier :-)

John Drsek said:

hopefully that made sense

Yes, it does :-)

Of course when I read your explanation, some questions arose, but the main idea is fine I think.

With regards,

  Jan

John Drsek said:

i want to do exactly what a text field does

The API for text and text node elements in CONNECT revolves around the TextBlock class.  The C++ MicroStationAPI provides TextBlock.InsertField() etc., but I don't see those methods in the DgnPlatformNet .NET API.

File a request to have the .NET TextBlock expanded to include TextField manipulation.

John Drsek said:

all the app needs to do to update the values is to just update the item type value and the text field will automatically get updated

Correct!  Unfortunately, C++ is again ahead of .NET.  The MicroStationAPI provides the TextField class, but I can't find that in the .NET documentation (but that could be me — I often fail to find things in the multi-file .NET documentation).

File another request to have the TextField included in .NET.

Jan Šlegr said:

the main idea is fine I think

I agree with Jan, but you're hamstrung by deficiencies in the .NET API.

Jan Šlegr said:

The code looks a bit weird to me, even when I guess functional (when WriteChanges() is used). Maybe it's only because of using full classes names including namespaces (which I treat as very bad habit personally).

i dont normally use full namespaces but when i post code i copy the part and edit it up to either show the using statements or add in the full namespaces to help other users. i guess i could also add what dll they are coming from to be complete. Also this code was after 2 hours of trying many different ways of doing the same thing trying to get it to work so it got a little messy in my frustration (until i remembered the write changes). i have since cleaned it up a little bit.

Jan Šlegr said:

But e.g. to use DisplayString to evaluate anything is wrong idea generally.

i just gravitate towards the display string because i normally try to write the app as dynamic as i can so others can apply it. so ill have the app read a config variable to get names of things like item types. and its easier for others to use the name they see in their item types when setting the config variable. I still have a validation method to ensure the found item type meets the min. requirements. so i see what your saying but i think i built in enough safe guards to use it. so i hardcoded some text with i will be reading in instead in the final app.

Jan Šlegr said:

The text fields background is (I guess) really complex, implemented using more other technologies (DependencyManager at the first case), so to achieve the same functionality is about to use C++ (NET is not enough) and many months of work. But it's probably not your aim in fact.

yeah i have figured that out. i had another post where i posted my c++ function exported to C and then wrapper in c# to just add the text field.for now thats all i need.

as always thanks for your input

Jon Summers said:

Correct!  Unfortunately, C++ is again ahead of .NET.  The MicroStationAPI provides the TextField class, but I can't find that in the .NET documentation (but that could be me — I often fail to find things in the multi-file .NET documentation).

File another request to have the TextField included in .NET.

yes i had to export a c++ function to c and then wrap it in C# to add a text field, it was a pain but got it working. thats all i need for now. didnt even try to figure out how to enter the field to a specific spot..maybe version 2.

i can put in a S.R. for get it added. last time i submitted a defect on an api call can was told all SDK related stuff should be posted to the communities. 

John Drsek said:

Last time I submitted a defect on an API call can was told all SDK related stuff should be posted to the communities

Others have implied that to summon Robert Hook is our best (and possibly only) recourse.  Prepare a pentagram and light candles.

Jon Summers said:

Prepare a pentagram and light candles.

Maybe also to make a floral sacrifice and to do some invocation? :-)

Regards,

  Jan

Enhancement # 1040579 

has been filed to add textfield to .net

Enhancement # 1040579 

has been filed to add textfield to .net