Testing plugins that implement the IVHooks interface

If your VWorks plugin implements the IVHooks interface, you can perform additional tests.

To test your plugin:

1	In your project code for the ProtocolStarted method, add the following code:

Visual Basic

 

Public Sub ProtocolStarted(ByVal sXML As String, →byRef sResultXML As String)   MsgBox(“Hello from VWorks VHooks Plugin”)   End Sub

C#

 

Public void ProtocolStarted(String sXML, Ref String sResultXML) {   System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show(“Hello from VWorks VHooks →Plugin”);   }

2	Compile your plugin and copy the appropriate *.dll files into the …\Agilent Technologies\VWorks\Plugins folder as follows:

•	For Visual Basic, copy the project *.dll and TLB files

•	For C#, copy the project *.dll, TLB, and interop *.dll files

Note: To save time during testing, temporarily remove all other plugins from the …\Agilent Technologies\VWorks\Plugins folder to a temporary location. This enables your plugin to load faster in VWorks software and limits the number of messages in the log file to those related to your new plugin.

IMPORTANT When you finish testing, be sure to restore your original plugin files from the temporary location to the …\Agilent Technologies\VWorks\Plugins folder.

3	Run VWorks software.

4	Check the log to verify that your plugin loaded successfully.

If you do not see your plugin listed in the log, then it failed to load. Typically this is due to either a missing dependency or a missing type library. Any *.dll dependencies must be placed into the …\Agilent Technologies\VWorks folder and not into the …\Agilent Technologies\VWorks\Plugins folder.

5	Create a simple protocol and run it.

You should see a message box open when the protocol starts with the message from your plugin.

6	Open your plugin’s user interface by selecting Tools > Open Hooks Plugin for…

Related information

 

For information about...	See...
IVHooks interface	“IVHooks interface”