Configuration Editors

Custom configuration editors are written as ActiveX Controls. The controls are registered into the M&M Custom Attribute Editors component category. Once the configuration editor is registered with the custom attribute editor component category, it can be assigned to an object class or feature class via the ArcFM Properties Manager (Figure 1). When a CU of that type is selected in the ArcFM Attribute Editor, its configuration editor is loaded when the Attribute Editor’s Configuration tab is activated. Note that configuration editors can be assigned at the subtype level, so that subtype-specific editors can be written.

A GIS feature or object (an instance of an object class) can have multiple CUs assigned to it. Custom configuration editors can be written to handle special implementation-specific tasks during the assignment of CUs to the GIS feature or object.

Like metadata editors, configuration editors are assigned to feature and object classes using the ArcFM Properties Manager. Also like the metadata editors, a configuration editor can be assigned at the subtype level for feature classes. Configuration editors are loaded into the ArcFM Attribute Editor’s Configuration Tab when it is selected.

Interfaces:
IMMCustomFieldEditor
IMMCustomFieldEditor2

Component Category:
MMCustomAttributeEditor

Figure 1, custom configuration editor

Basic Strategy

You can apply the following workflow when developing a custom configuration editor:

Set up VB project: Your VB project should be created as an ActiveX Control project.
Create new user control: Add a new userControl object to the project. The control should implement the IMMCustomFieldEditor interface. The IMMCustomFieldEditor2 interface should also be implemented so that a reference to the parental GISUNIT object can easily be set.
Specify the EditorType: On the IMMCustomFieldEditor interface, use the EditorType property to specify that the editor is loaded into the metadata tab.
Add controls to the userControl form: Use controls from the Miner and Miner Common Controls library to handle CU selection tasks. These controls handle drag/drop actions of CU items, allowing CUs to be dragged into the control from the CU Tab.
Update the GISUNIT with the new CU configuration: Update the GIS unit with the CUs that have been added by the user. You can do this as the CUs are selected by the configuration editor, but it is recommended that you perform the update at a single point in time. A good idea is to listen to the GU’s events (onUpdate, onCreate, etc.) and perform the update based upon these events.