Advanced Configuration Details for the Data Standard Dialog

You can use some of the embedded scripts in the Data Standard dialog to leverage some of the features found in PowerShell. By doing so, you can further customize the Data Standard dialog so that value updates are automated

Basic Functions

Prop [ ] Function

Prop[ ] is an essential function for binding. With it you can access the properties of a file in Vault. If you want to map a text box to the property Engineer, write: <TextBox text="{Binding Prop[Engineer].Value}"/>. When the text box is created, Prop[ ] returns the value of that property. Every time the text box gets updated, it notifies the Prop[ ] function which writes the new value to the mapped file property.

• Value You can set the current value or read it.
• .ListValue Returns a field(array) for properties that contain a fixed list of values you can set. In Data Standard you automatically get the predefined list back.
• .IsValid Checks if the property is valid. For example, it returns TRUE if you select a value from the predefined list you got from .ListValue. Data Standard for Autocad and for Inventor checks the value with the regularexpression, if set. Data Standard Vault checks it with the rules defined in properties.
• .IsInvalid is the negation of .isValid. You need this in the .xaml because you cannot negate a value.

Ps Function

There are three scripts that provide the connection between the dialog story and the PowerShell world. The difference between them is that they return different values.

The other three functions are PsCmd[ ], PsVal[ ] and PsList[ ] These three functions call the scripts/functions that are avaible in Data Standard. Data Standard loads all files it finds in the module folder and then Data Standard executes them using thes three Ps functions. This module folder is located at C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Vault 2014\Extensions\DataStandard\Vault\addinVault. Only the .ps1 files in this folder are loaded. Data Standard does not look for subfolders.

PsCmd[ ] can only execute a script function. It does not return any values.

PsVal[ ] can execute a script function and returns strings.

PsList[ ] can execute a script function and returns an array of values.

EditMode and CreateMode

EditMode and CreateMode are boolean type functions that let you enable or disable UI-elements. These are boolean type functions.

For example:

<TextBox:Name="myTextBox"IsEnabled="{Binding
CreateMode}"/>

or

<TextBoxx:Name="myTextBox"IsEnabled="{Binding
EditMode}"/>

Binding for Scripts

By binding scripts to functions, you can invoke events on changed fields in the Data Standard dialog. This binding ability creates many possibilities for customizing your dialog.

For example, you can hide and show advanced fields for special purposes. One scenario might be if a user creates a new file. You do not have to fill in the Company field. However, if the field is filled in, the Engineer or Designer's name field can display for additional user entry. Or the dialog can simply validate the inserted field values before the user clicks OK.

Data Standard System Properties

Data Standard has three system properties. They are read-only. If you use a binding on them, the binding is for only one direction (read only).

The system properties are:

• _FileName contains the file name without the extension.
• _FileExt contains the file extension.
• _FilePath contains the file path without the file name.

You can connect these three system properties to obtain the whole path for a document, including the file name and extension.

Debugging

Use "$dsDiag.inspect()" to create a window that shows you all variables with their containing members and values at that moment in your PowerShell script enviroment. This is a useful tool for debugging.

Note: $MyViewDiag and $MyViewWindow have been renamed to $dsDiag and $dsWindow, respectively. In order to remain compatible with previous customizations, the old variable names still work. They will, however, be removed in future releases. For this reason, it is recommended that the variable names be changed in existing customizations.