Lesley Bross,August 25, 2010

ArcGIS 10 Add-In Components and Controls

Add-in Components

Button

• Wizard generates a class that extends ESRI Button class to implement run-time behavior of button

• Buttons can be added to toolbars, menus, or tool palettes in the add-in configuration file

• Users can add buttons to their toolbars through Customize… dialog

• Example: override onClick() event with action to be taken; Buttons have no inherent action

Tool

• Wizard generates a class that extends ESRI Tool class to implement run-time behavior of tool

• Tools can be added to toolbars, menus, or tool palettes in the add-in configuration file

• Users can add tools to their toolbars through Customize… dialog

• Tools are different from buttons because they require interaction with the map

• Example: override onMouseDown(), onMouseUp()

Button or Tool ?

• Button and tool images are packaged with the add-in

• Tools stay active until a different tool is selected• Buttons trigger single actions

Tool

Button

Combo Box

• Wizard generates a class that extends ESRI ComboBox class to implement run-time behavior of tool

• A combo box contains a drop-down list optionally headed by an editable field

• Combo boxes can be added to toolbars in the add-in configuration file

• Users can add combo boxes to their toolbars through Customize… dialog

• Example: Items are added to the Combo Box in the New() method

• Example: Respond to user selection by overriding OnSelChange() method

Editable combo box

Combo Box

Multi-item

• Wizard generates a class that extends ESRI MultItem class to implement run-time behavior of menu items

• A MultiItem contains a drop-down list of menu items may be dynamically built

• MultiItem objects are linked to Menus in the add-in configuration file

• MultiItem objects cannot be accessed outside a Menu

• Example: A list of menu items is generated in the OnPopup() method; Updates on every access

• Example: Respond to user selection by overriding OnClick() method

Multi-item menu

Multi-item menu

• Note that the items on the menu are dynamically derived from the layers present on the map

Extension

• Wizard generates a class that extends ESRI Extension class to implement run-time behavior of the extension

• Coordinates activities between user components in an add-in• Can store state associated with an add-in and

respond to events thrown by ArcMap• Example: Override Initialize() method to set

defaults• Example: Override Uninitialize() method to clean

up

Editor Extension

• Wizard generates a class that extends ESRI Extension class to implement run-time behavior of the editor extension

• Generated class integrates with ArcMap editor framework and extension loads/unloads with edit session

• Can automatically respond to selected events; Use for custom validation

• Attributes window and digitizer extension are examples of editor extensions that ship with ArcMap

• Example: Override Events_OnCreateChangeFeature() method to validate updates

Dockable Window

• Wizard generates a class that extends ESRI DockableWindow class to implement design and run-time behavior of the dockable window

• Toggle window display with a combo box, menu item, or button

• Use as a form to display/gather user information• Use toolbox in design mode to create form. Both

Windows and ArcMap tools are available• Example: Override onClick() method for a button

on the dockable window to process information on the form

Dockable Window example

dockable window

button to open/close window

Add-in Command Bars

Tool Palette

• Configured in XML only• A compact way to group sets of tools or buttons.

Columns attribute determines width• Grouping may include add-in tools that you create

or built-in ArcMap tools• Tool palettes can be added to toolbars in the add-

in configuration file• Users can add tool palettes to their toolbars

through Customize… dialog

Tool Palette example

tool palette

Toolbar

• Configured in XML only• May contain buttons, tools, menus, tool palettes,

and combo boxes • Toolbars can include commands that you create

or built-in ArcMap tools• Toolbars may be configured to pop-up

automatically when the add-in is added to ArcMap• Users can add toolbars to ArcMap through

Customize… dialog

Toolbar example

Menu

• Configured in XML only• Drop-down list comprised of multi-items, buttons,

and submenus• Menus can access commands that you create or

built-in ArcMap tools• Menus are usually added to a toolbar but may

appear independently• A multi-item is added to a menu and a menu is

added to a toolbar

Menu example

submenu

menu

Context Menu

• Configured in XML only• Similar to menus except they appear

independently as pop-up menus linked to controls on a form

• Positioned relative to the mouse position

Context menu example

context menu

clicked button