Question
Ford Motor Company Ltd
IN
Last activity: 23 May 2023 4:45 EDT
How to use Type & Component Extension's.
I have gone through some Pega articles and Support forms, but no where I found how to use component/type extensions with examples. The doc/articles are not informative. Please provide examples for excel connecter and one for not-interrogatable controls. I'm looking for the initial code(C#) to access that component existing properties and method. - how/where to start? Thank you..
Pegasystems Inc.
US
Below are links to the documentation. Essentially, you can use Component extensions to enhance a specific instance of a component with more functionality. More common though would be a Type extension. These are essentially the same except that the latter applies to all instances of that type within a solution. For example, if you needed a specific Excel Connector to have some extra functionality, you'd use a component extension. If you wanted all connectors to have additional functionality, you would use a type extension. The latter is most common since you generally want functionality to be present everywhere in the solution. I have attached an old, yet fairly extensive Excel connector that is no longer necessary since its functionality was incorporated into the product. You can get an idea though on how it was built.
Below are links to the documentation. Essentially, you can use Component extensions to enhance a specific instance of a component with more functionality. More common though would be a Type extension. These are essentially the same except that the latter applies to all instances of that type within a solution. For example, if you needed a specific Excel Connector to have some extra functionality, you'd use a component extension. If you wanted all connectors to have additional functionality, you would use a type extension. The latter is most common since you generally want functionality to be present everywhere in the solution. I have attached an old, yet fairly extensive Excel connector that is no longer necessary since its functionality was incorporated into the product. You can get an idea though on how it was built.
As for UI Connectors, they are similar in that they allow you to create your own translator for custom controls within an application. This only applies to controls that you can interrogate. If you cannot interrogate a control, then you cannot enhance it. The idea here is that for most controls, Pega Robotics can determine what they are and how to trigger their functionality; a text box for example can have its text property set or retrieved. If you interrogate a control that you know is a text box, but it is being reported as a generic control, perhaps it is because the text property isn't exposed as it should be. You can then use the Native Control Explorer window to view the control's properties, methods, and events and determine what functionality the control has. You can then use a UI Connector to expose it. Unfortunately, I don't have a demo example of these as they are mainly used on custom applications that are specific to an organization. If you do have a public application that you are trying to automate however, let me know and I can download it and take a look.
Ford Motor Company Ltd
IN
@ThomasSasnett Thanks for the information. Will check it.