This tutorial will take you through the basic steps of how to create a 4D plug-in using the 4D Plug-In Wizard and how to compile and run the new plug-in.
What exactly is the 4D Plug-In Wizard? Put simply, the 4D Plug-In Wizard is an application written in 4D that generates a Project for Codewarrior and Visual C++ that lets a developer write a plug-in. The Wizard has a simple user interface that lets you create the Themes (how commands are grouped together), Commands, External Areas, Constants, and 4D Dialogs. Our main focus here is to let you become familiar with creating and writing commands for a 4D plug-in. Later tutorials will cover the creation of External Areas, using 4D Dialogs in a plug-in, and other functions.
There are a few items that should be noted about the 4D Plug-In Wizard. The Plug-In Wizard will generate the outline of the Command syntax with the associated resources, but you the developer will have to fill in the "guts" of the code. For simple API calls, a plug-in can probably be produced in less than 10 minutes. Of course the more complex the plug-in the longer it will take to write, but the 4D Plug-In Wizard should reduce the development time.
In our example we will be making calls to the API commands PA_Request and PA_Confirm. As you can probably tell these two calls are identical to the REQUEST and CONFIRM commands in 4D. Our sample plug-in will mimic these 4D commands.
One note is that before beginning any of the tutorials on the 4D Plug-In Wizard it is highly recommended that you read the "4D Plug-In Wizard User's Manual (PDF)". The manual contains information not found in this tutorial that may be beneficial.
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