EXTENDING A DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT WITH ADD-INS
A design time extension framework provides a set of application programming interfaces that are used by a developer to create extensions to the development environment.
1 . A computing system, comprising:
an add-in generation component, in a development system, configured to generate an add-in creation user interface with creation user input mechanisms that are actuated to generate add-in functionality for an add-in designer element; and
an add-in deployment component configured to deploy the add-in designer element in the development system.
2 . The computing system of claim 1 wherein the add-in deployment component is configured to expose an automation application programming interface invoked by the add-in generation component to generate the add-in designer element in the development system.
3 . The computing system of claim 2 wherein the automation application programming interface is configured to be invoked by the add-in generation component to modify an existing designer element in the development system to generate the add-in designer element.
4 . The computing system of claim 2 wherein the add-in deployment component is configured to expose a metadata application programming interface that is invoked by the add-in designer element to modify metadata defining objects under development.
5 . The computing system of claim 4 wherein the add-in generation component is configured to access an add-in template and to generate the add-in creation user interface based on the add-in template.
6 . The computing system of claim 5 wherein the add-in generation component is configured to generate a template selection user input mechanism that is actuated to select the add-in template from a plurality of different add-in templates.
7 . The computing system of claim 5 and further comprising:
an add-in discovery component configured to identify a context in the development system being accessed by a user and, in response, generate an add-in selection user interface display with an add-in selection user input mechanism that is actuated to select the add-in designer element.
8 . The computing system of claim 7 and further comprising:
an add-in factory that generates an instance of the add-in designer element for user interaction in response to actuation of the add-in selection user input mechanism.
9 . A computing system in a developer environment, comprising:
a metadata visualization component configured to generate a visualization of metadata for a system under development, based on a context of the developer system being accessed by a user;
an add-in discovery component configured to identify the context in the developer environment that is being accessed and to generate an add-in user interface display, based on the context, with an add-in selection user input mechanism that is actuated to select an add-in designer element in the developer environment; and
an add-in factory configured to generate an instance of the selected add-in designer element in the developer environment, the instance having properties that define functionality for modifying the metadata.
10 . The computing system of claim 9 wherein the selected add-in designer element instance is configured to invoke a metadata application programming interface to modify the metadata based on the functionality defined in the selected add-in designer element instance.
11 . The computing system of claim 10 wherein the metadata visualization component is configured to generate a visualization of metadata for a business system under development, the metadata defining objects in the business system.
12 . The computing system of claim 11 wherein the add-in discovery component is configured to generate the add-in user interface display by identifying add-in designer elements relevant to the context and to generate context menus for the relevant add-in designer elements.
13 . A method, comprising:
displaying an add-in creation user interface, in a development system, with creation user input mechanisms;
receiving actuation of a creation user input mechanism;
in response to the received actuation, generating add-in functionality for an add-in designer element; and
deploying the add-in designer element in the development system.
14 . The method of claim 13 and further comprising:
exposing an automation application programming interface; and
invoking the automation application programming interface to generate the add-in functionality of the add-in designer element in the development system.
15 . The method of claim 14 wherein generating add-in functionality comprises:
modifying an existing designer element in the development system to generate the add-in functionality to obtain the add-in designer element.
16 . The method of claim 14 wherein deploying the add-in designer element comprises:
exposing a metadata application programming interface; and
invoking the metadata application programming interface to modify metadata defining objects under development, in the development system.
17 . The method of claim 13 wherein displaying an add-in creation user interface display comprises:
accessing an add-in template; and
generating the add-in creation user interface based on the add-in template.
18 . The method of claim 17 wherein accessing the add-in template comprises:
generating a template selection user input mechanism; and
receiving actuation of the template selection user input mechanism to select the add-in template from a plurality of different add-in templates.
19 . The method of claim 17 and further comprising:
identifying a context in the development system being accessed by a user; and
generating an add-in selection user interface display with an add-in selection user input mechanism that is actuated to select the add-in designer element, based on the identified context.
20 . The method of claim 19 further comprising:
receiving actuation of the add-in selection user input mechanism; and
instantiating an instance of the add-in designer element for user interaction in response to actuation of the add-in selection user input mechanism.