I have created a winform that represents the information I wish to capture
for a custom adapter I am writing and I want to know is it possible to
display a custom winforms page as the configuration page for a custom
adapter.

I read in 'BizTalk 2004 Server Unleased' that a custom adapter has to
implement IAdapterConfig interface that uses a predefined Xml schema to
display the configuration information. I wish not only to display complex
information but when the user enters some information some business logic is
performed in the background and the results are displayed in the
configuration screen so the use of a simple Xml schema will not provide the
functionality required.

Is it possible to display a config page that has been created in .net
winforms or another format that is not defined by a Xml schema?

Am I missing something? 


Cheers

Ollie Riches
http://www.phoneanalyser.net


Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this forum are my own, and not
representative of my employer.
I do not answer questions on behalf of my employer.  I'm just a programmer
helping programmers.

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Ollie,

>I have created a winform that represents the information I wish to capture
>for a custom adapter I am writing and I want to know is it possible to
>display a custom winforms page as the configuration page for a custom
>adapter.

Practically speaking, yes (you might need to do some adjustments, but you
can get the effect you want). Quite a few of the standard adapters included
use custom configuration property pages. You might wan to check this:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/e...
me=true

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...madapt_iafd.asp




> I read in 'BizTalk 2004 Server Unleased' that a custom adapter has to
> implement IAdapterConfig interface that uses a predefined Xml schema to
> display the configuration information.

Yep, although it's not the adapter class itself that does this but the
Management class, which implements the design time aspects.


> I wish not only to display complex information but when the user enters
> some information some business logic is performed in the background and
> the results are displayed in the configuration screen so the use of a
> simple Xml schema will not provide the functionality required.

You still need the XML schema, since your settings will still be persisted
as XML. That said, one option I've used successfuly is to use the standard
editor, but then implement  IAdapterConfigValidation::ValidateConfig
uration()
and do all custom processing there, modifying the XML.


--
Tomas Restrepo
tomasr@mvps.org
http://www.winterdom.com/

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Tomas,

Thanks for the info and links:

Will read and attempt to create a simple recieve adapter with a custom
property page first i think.

I presume what ever properties I define in the Xml schema will be available
when the adapter is bound and enabled in a working biztalk environment?

Ollie

"Tomas Restrepo (MVP)" <tomasr@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:e$mwPU6dFHA.1040@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Ollie,
> 
>
> Practically speaking, yes (you might need to do some adjustments, but you
> can get the effect you want). Quite a few of the standard adapters
> included use custom configuration property pages. You might wan to check
> this:
>
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/e...r />
rame=true
>
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...madapt_iafd.asp
>
>
>
> 
>
> Yep, although it's not the adapter class itself that does this but the
> Management class, which implements the design time aspects.
>
> 
>
> You still need the XML schema, since your settings will still be persisted
> as XML. That said, one option I've used successfuly is to use the standard
> editor, but then implement
>  IAdapterConfigValidation::ValidateConfig
uration() and do all custom
> processing there, modifying the XML.
>
>
> --
> Tomas Restrepo
> tomasr@mvps.org
> http://www.winterdom.com/
>
>

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Tomas,

What exactly is the converter section for?

Cheers

Ollie Riches

"Tomas Restrepo (MVP)" <tomasr@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:e$mwPU6dFHA.1040@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Ollie,
> 
>
> Practically speaking, yes (you might need to do some adjustments, but you
> can get the effect you want). Quite a few of the standard adapters
> included use custom configuration property pages. You might wan to check
> this:
>
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/e...r />
rame=true
>
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...madapt_iafd.asp
>
>
>
> 
>
> Yep, although it's not the adapter class itself that does this but the
> Management class, which implements the design time aspects.
>
> 
>
> You still need the XML schema, since your settings will still be persisted
> as XML. That said, one option I've used successfuly is to use the standard
> editor, but then implement
>  IAdapterConfigValidation::ValidateConfig
uration() and do all custom
> processing there, modifying the XML.
>
>
> --
> Tomas Restrepo
> tomasr@mvps.org
> http://www.winterdom.com/
>
>

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Ollie,
> Tomas,
>
> What exactly is the converter section for?

Converters are used to internally handle conversions from what the user
entered in the property grid (and what is shown to the user) and the real
value stored in the configuration. One of the examples in the SDK
documentation, for example, uses one to store a string that the user entered
in the configuration with brackets [] around it.


--
Tomas Restrepo
tomasr@mvps.org
http://www.winterdom.com/

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Hi Ollie,

> I presume what ever properties I define in the Xml schema will be
> available when the adapter is bound and enabled in a working biztalk
> environment?

Yep, it should.


--
Tomas Restrepo
tomasr@mvps.org
http://www.winterdom.com/

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

If you want a custom winform to do the configuration, take a look at the
registry settings that you can use to specify your own page.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...madapt_ocjk.asp

You'll need your Winform to be accessible as a COM component with a ClassID
and registered for Interop.  You might have to use a UserControl instead of
winform, but I'm not sure.

This allows you the flexibility to use the built in pages where you want to,
and add your own when you need more control.

You can also look at the IDynamicAdapterConfig interface, which lets you
create your own interface and return WSDL to the IDE, but this is used to
get functionality like the SQL Adapter when you use teh Add Generated Items
menu option to create your adapter metadata, not in the UI for the actual
adapter configuration.

Matt




"Ollie Riches" <ollie.riches@phoneanalyser.net> wrote in message
news:umKSXz1dFHA.580@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>I have created a winform that represents the information I wish to capture
>for a custom adapter I am writing and I want to know is it possible to
>display a custom winforms page as the configuration page for a custom
>adapter.
>
> I read in 'BizTalk 2004 Server Unleased' that a custom adapter has to
> implement IAdapterConfig interface that uses a predefined Xml schema to
> display the configuration information. I wish not only to display complex
> information but when the user enters some information some business logic
> is performed in the background and the results are displayed in the
> configuration screen so the use of a simple Xml schema will not provide
> the functionality required.
>
> Is it possible to display a config page that has been created in .net
> winforms or another format that is not defined by a Xml schema?
>
> Am I missing something? 
>
>
> Cheers
>
> Ollie Riches
> http://www.phoneanalyser.net
>
>
> Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this forum are my own, and not
> representative of my employer.
> I do not answer questions on behalf of my employer.  I'm just a programmer
> helping programmers.
>
>
>

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

check out the adapter @:

http://www.funkybunker.com/forums/11/ShowPost.aspx

Cheers

Ollie

"Tomas Restrepo (MVP)" <tomasr@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:Oz7GlZ%23dFHA.2128@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> Ollie, 
>
> Converters are used to internally handle conversions from what the user
> entered in the property grid (and what is shown to the user) and the real
> value stored in the configuration. One of the examples in the SDK
> documentation, for example, uses one to store a string that the user
> entered in the configuration with brackets [] around it.
>
>
> --
> Tomas Restrepo
> tomasr@mvps.org
> http://www.winterdom.com/
>

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

check out the adapter @:

http://www.funkybunker.com/forums/11/ShowPost.aspx

Cheers

Ollie

"Matt Milner" <matt.milner@m3technologypartners dot com> wrote in message
news:eX$cbV9hFHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> If you want a custom winform to do the configuration, take a look at the
> registry settings that you can use to specify your own page.
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...madapt_ocjk.asp
>
> You'll need your Winform to be accessible as a COM component with a
> ClassID and registered for Interop.  You might have to use a UserControl
> instead of winform, but I'm not sure.
>
> This allows you the flexibility to use the built in pages where you want
> to, and add your own when you need more control.
>
> You can also look at the IDynamicAdapterConfig interface, which lets you
> create your own interface and return WSDL to the IDE, but this is used to
> get functionality like the SQL Adapter when you use teh Add Generated
> Items menu option to create your adapter metadata, not in the UI for the
> actual adapter configuration.
>
> Matt
>
>
>
>
> "Ollie Riches" <ollie.riches@phoneanalyser.net> wrote in message
> news:umKSXz1dFHA.580@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl... 
>
>

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]