Custom Button Ribbon

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enendza
Posts: 75
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2019 12:22 pm

Custom Button Ribbon

Post by enendza »

Hi -

Here is what we want to do:

Add a button to the order toolbar
Button click display a screen that shows the user the contact information associated with the order
Allow user to select a contact
Enter verbiage into a summary area
Press Send to send a text message to the user

So our research shows that we have to do this:

Add button to toolbar following the example in the SDK Help file topic: Cookbook\Shell Packages\How do I add custom buttons to a SoftPro Tab?
Develop a Shell Program that has a reference to the SDK for data display
On button click in the Shell Program call our custom API EndPoint that sends a text message

Couple of questions:

Does the Shell Package create an EXE that has to be installed on each users machine? OR is it a ascx file? Either way it looks like an install on each user machine?
The Shell Package development does that include a form files - how to we build a UI to display
Does the custom Shell Package needs to be recompile with each SDK version change?

What is the easiest way to implement this feature? We are a little lost and wondering if there isn't an easier way than the Shell Template.

Can the button click on the order toolbar launch a browser window with a certain URL?

Sorry for the long post any advice as always is appreciated.

Thanks

Emma
BobRichards
Posts: 1376
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2014 3:50 pm
Location: Raleigh, NC
Contact:

Re: Custom Button Ribbon

Post by BobRichards »

Hey Emma. You asked a lot of questions but they are all good ones.

Does the Shell Package create an EXE that has to be installed on each users machine? OR is it a ascx file? Either way it looks like an install on each user machine?
Shell packages in Select 4.3 are DLL files that must be installed on each individual user machine that needs the new capability. There is no central way to install them. Shell packages in Select 4.6 are SPSPKG files and they are installed on the Select server and downloaded automatically when the Select client application start up. (I don't know which version of Select you have.) Installation steps are in SDK - How-To / Shell Package Development / Register/Deploy a Package for Select 4.3.

The Shell Package development does that include a form files - how to we build a UI to display.
Select is developed using WinForms. Since it does not appear like you need much screen real estate, you might want to add your controls to a custom Tool Window (SDK - How-To / Shell Package Development / Add an Editor Window).

Does the custom Shell Package needs to be recompile with each SDK version change?
No. As long as the first two version digits (major/minor) don't change, you can use the same SPSPKG for multiple versions.

What is the easiest way to implement this feature? We are a little lost and wondering if there isn't an easier way than the Shell Template.
Sadly, no. That is the way we have to deal with it in the Custom Development group.

Can the button click on the order toolbar launch a browser window with a certain URL?
Automatically - no. You would have to write WinForms code to implement this. Google "winforms browser control" to see the many options for controls to use. You would put all control creation code in the MyToolWindow.OnCreateControl() method (for example).
Bob Richards, Senior Software Developer, SoftPro
enendza
Posts: 75
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2019 12:22 pm

Re: Custom Button Ribbon

Post by enendza »

Bob -

As ALWAYS thanks so much for your quick and detailed response.

Emma
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