Copyright: Copyright (C) 1994-1996 MDL Information Systems


Using the ISIS Add-in Manager

The ISIS Add-in Manager is accessible to the user of ISIS/Draw or ISIS/Base through a menu command on the Options menu. Selecting this command displays a dialog that has two pages: the Add-in Dialog and the Installation Dialog .

The ISIS Add-in Manager provides a framework for run-time extensions to ISIS/Draw or ISIS/Base for the Microsoft Windows and Macintosh environments. These extensions are called ISIS Add-ins or simply Add-ins.

Add-ins can take the form of additional menu commands, changes to the standard menu commands, and/or additional toolbar buttons.

Using the Add-in Manager you can:

Install an Add-in

Remove an Add-in

Disable an Add-in

Enable an Add-in

Obtain information about an Add-in

Set Add-in preferences

Get System Information


Removing an Add-in

To remove an Add-in, display the Installation Dialog and click the Remove an Add-in... button. A file open dialog appears.  Select an Add-in install file and click the OK button to proceed, or use the Cancel button to quit the installation.

After you have selected the Add-in information file, the Add-in Manager asks you to confirm that you want to deinstall the Add-in you selected. If you proceed, the Add-in is removed. To complete the installation of some Add-ins, you may be asked to re-start ISIS/Draw or ISIS/Base.


Installing an Add-in

To install an Add-in, display the Installation Dialog and click the Install an Add-in... button. A file open dialog appears.  Select an Add-in information file and click the OK button to proceed, or use the Cancel button to quit the installation.

After you have selected the Add-in information file, the Add-in Manager checks the Add-in you selected to make sure that it is compatible with ISIS/Draw or ISIS/Base (whichever you are currently running).

The Add-in Manager also checks to see if the Add-in being installed is already installed, and if so, if the version being installed is later than the version installed. If this is not the case, you are asked to confirm that you want to install an older version or re-install the current version of the Add-in.

The Add-in is then installed into the current installation location. To change the installation directory, see Setting the location for installing Add-ins. Once the Add-in is installed, it is automatically run. To complete the installation of some Add-ins, you may be asked to re-start ISIS/Draw or ISIS/Base.


Setting the location for installing Add-ins

Add-ins are installed into the directory displayed as the Install to: on theInstallation Dialog. By default, this is the local Add-in directory. To change the installation directory, select the desired directory from the Add-in directories list and click the Set As Installation Directory button.


Obtaining information about an Add-in

You can obtain information about an Add-in, display the Add-in Dialog, select the Add-in and clicking on the About button, or double-clicking on the Add-in name. The About button is only available for use with running Add-ins.

The information displayed is specific to the Add-in, but generally the information includes the Add-in name, description, version number and date of release, and authorship of the Add-in. Some Add-ins may also provide access to on-line help. For example, the dialog below is from the MDL Add-in "Change Hview in Database".


Setting Add-in preferences

Some Add-ins have preference settings or configuration options. You configure an Add-in when viewing the Add-in Dialog by selecting the Add-in and clicking on the Configure... button. The dialog displayed depends on the Add-in.

If the Configure... button is disabled (grayed), then the Add-in is either not running or it does not have any preferences.


Disabling an Add-in

To disable an Add-in when viewing the Add-in Dialog, move the mouse cursor to the left of the Add-in name (in Windows, you will see the cursor change to an outline of a checkmark) and click. You can also disable an Add-in by selecting it and clicking the check mark at the bottom of the dialog box. The checkmark next to the Add-in will disappear, and any menu commands or toolbar buttons from the Add-in are removed. Once disabled, an Add-in remains unavailable until you re-enable it (see Re-enabling an Add-in ).

If the Add-in can not be disabled while ISIS/Draw or ISIS/Base is running, you should see the Add-in documentation for information on how to disable or remove the Add-in.


Re-enabling an Add-in

To re-enable or run a disabled Add-in when viewing the Add-in Dialog , move the mouse cursor to the left of the Add-in name (in Windows, you will see the cursor change to an outline of a checkmark) and click. You can also enable an Add-in by selecting it and clicking the check mark at the bottom of the dialog box. The checkmark next to the Add-in will appear, and any menu commands or toolbar buttons from the Add-in are added. Once enabled, an Add-in remains available until you disable it.


Adding a directory of Add-ins

To add a directory of Add-ins to your existing set of Add-ins for ISIS/Draw or ISIS/Base, display the Installation Dialog. Click on the Add... button, select the directory that contains the Add-ins, and click the OK button. The directory is then added to the list of Add-in directories. If you select a network directory, you should read Using Add-in directories on networks .


Removing a directory of Add-ins

To remove all the Add-ins in a directory, select the Installation Dialog from the Add-in Manager dialog. Select the directory to remove and click the Remove button. You cannot remove the local Add-in directory (the first directory in the list).


Using Add-in directories on networks

If an Add-in directory is located on a network file service, the file service should be already connected when you start ISIS/Draw or ISIS/Base. If the Add-in Manager is unable to find an Add-in directory, you will see a message displayed when you start ISIS/Draw or ISIS/Base.

For Windows, when this message appears, you can switch to the File Manager and connect to the network directory you need, then return to ISIS/Draw or ISIS/Base and click on the Retry button.

You can also click on the Proceed button to continue without running the Add-ins in the missing directory. After ISIS/Draw or ISIS/Base starts, you can switch to the File Manager, connect to the network directory, then return to ISIS/Draw or ISIS/Base and use the Add-in Manager to re-enable the Add-ins that were not run because the directory was not found.

For the Macintosh, when this message appears, click on the Proceed button to continue without running the Add-ins in the missing directory. After ISIS/Draw or ISIS/Base starts, use the Chooser to connect to the network volume, then return to ISIS/Draw or ISIS/Base and use the Add-in Manager to re-enable the Add-ins that were not run because the Add-in directory was not found.


Getting System Information

To display general system information, display the System Information Dialog.  This will display general system information for both ISIS/Base and ISIS/Draw, which includes ISIS/Base or ISIS/Draw and Add-in Manager configuration settings, Windows or Macintosh settings and hardware settings.  This is especially useful when trying to isolate the cause of system problems or user errors.  For more info see the System Information Dialog.


Installation Dialog

The Installation page is displayed when you click on the Installation tab. This page allows you to include Add-ins installed in multiple directories or folders. The Add-in Directories list box contains all the directories that contain Add-ins that are run when ISIS/Draw or ISIS/Base starts. There is always at least one directory in the list, and it is called the local Add-in directory or the PL startup directory.

The Add-in Dialog is displayed when you click on the tab labeled Add-ins.

The buttons along the side and bottom of the dialog box are commands that control the ISIS Add-in Manager.

The Install an Add-in... and Remove an Add-in... buttons lets you install and remove Add-ins. See Installing an Add-in and Removing an Add-in.

The Close button closes the ISIS Add-in Manager dialog. You can also use the Enter or Escape keys under Windows to close the dialog, and the Enter key or Command-period on the Macintosh.

The Help button displays on-line help for the ISIS Add-in Manager.

The Add... button lets you select a new directory that contains Add-ins that you want to use. For more information, see Adding a directory of Add-ins.

The Remove button removes the selected directory of Add-ins. You can not remove the first Add-in directory in the list. See Removing a directory of Add-ins.

The Set As Installation Directory button sets the directory to use for the next time you install an Add-in. See Setting the location for installing Add-ins.


Add-in Dialog

The Add-ins page is displayed when you ask for the Add-in Manager, and it shows a list of all installed Add-ins. Add-ins that are currently running have a checkmark next to their name. Disabled Add-ins are listed, but have no checkmark.

The Installation Dialog page is displayed when you click on the tab labeled Installation.

The buttons along the side and bottom of the dialog box are commands that control the ISIS Add-in Manager.

The Close button closes the ISIS Add-in Manager dialog. You can also use the Enter or Escape keys under Windows to close the dialog, and the Enter key or Command-period on the Macintosh.

The Help button displays on-line help for the ISIS Add-in Manager.

The Configure... button lets you change configuration or default options for the Add-in that you have selected in the list box. If this button is disabled (grayed), then the Add-in does not have any options that require configuration. See Setting Add-in preferences.

The About... button displays information about the Add-in that you have selected in the list box. If this button is disabled (grayed), then the Add-in does not have an information message to display. See Obtaining information about an Add-in.

If you move the mouse to the left side of the names of the Add-ins, in Windows you will see the mouse cursor change into a checkmark outline. Clicking the mouse when the checkmark outline is displayed will change the Add-in that you click from running (with a solid checkmark) to disabled (with no checkmark), and back again. See Disabling an Add-in and Re-enabling an Add-in.

Not all Add-ins can be disabled: if you click with the mouse and the Add-in does not change, see the documentation on the Add-in.


System Information Dialog

This scrollable list-box is displayed when the System Information dialog is selected from the Add-in Manager dialog.  It contains ISIS/Base, ISIS/Draw and Add-in Manager configuration settings,

along with Windows or Macintosh system and hardware settings.  The following

describes the listed information:

ISIS/Base or ISIS/Draw version number

Add-in Manager version number

CPU type

Floating-point processor (Macintosh only)

Addressing mode (Macintosh only)

Operating System version

Available memory (Macintosh - application heap, Windows - total available memory)

Physical memory (the amount of physical memory installed)

Virtual memory (Macintosh only)

System resources (Windows only - GDI and USER resources)

Display type (Windows only)

Default printer

System directory

Mounted disk-drives (or volumes) and available free-space

Currently running processes (Macintosh - all, Windows - tasks only)

Extensions (Windows - installed exes and DLLs)

Add-ins installed

Add-ins currrently running

The buttons along the side and bottom of the dialog box are commands that control the ISIS Add-in Manager.

The Close button closes the ISIS Add-in Manager dialog. You can also use the Enter or Escape keys under Windows to close the dialog, and the Enter key or Command-period on the Macintosh.

The Help button displays on-line help for the ISIS Add-in Manager.

The Save As... button enables the System Information to be saved in a user-supplied file.  Values in the file may differ from the values displayed in the dialog, since they are calculated separately.

The Copy to Clipboard button copied the current text to the cut-and-paste clipboard so that users may paste this text into other documents, such as on-line mail, problem discrepancy reports to MDL, etc.