Obtaining Tools API Services

Go Up to Extending the IDE Using the Tools API

To do anything useful, packages that extend the IDE need access to its editors, windows, menus, and so on. This is the role of the service interfaces.

List of Common Tools API Service Interfaces

The Tools API includes many services, such as action services to perform file actions, editor services to access the source code editor, debugger services to access the debugger, and so on. The following table shows some of the most important service interfaces:

Interface	Description
INTAServices	Provides access to native IDE objects: main menu, action list, image list, and toolbars. See Using Native IDE Objects.
INTACodeEditorServices	Allows users to register for editor events.
INTAWelcomePageBackgroundService	Interface to implement the Welcome Page background.
INTAWelcomePagePluginService	Provides services of the Welcome Page Service.
IOTAActionServices	Performs basic file actions: open, close, save and reload a file.
IOTACodeCompletionServices	Provides access to code completion, allowing a wizard to install a custom code completion manager.
IOTADebuggerServices	Provides access to the debugger.
IOTAEditorServices	Provides access to source code editor and its internal buffers.
IOTAIDEThemingServices	Provides access to the IDE's StyleServices, allows you to check if theming is enabled, lets you register your forms to be drawn in the same style as the IDE's inbuilt forms, and more.
IOTAKeyBindingServices	Permits a wizard to register custom keyboard bindings.
IOTAKeyboardServices	Provides access to keyboard macros and bindings.
IOTAKeyboardDiagnostics	Toggle Debugging of keystrokes.
IOTAMessageServices	Provides access to message view.
IOTAModuleServices	Provides access to open files.
IOTAPackageServices	Queries the names of all installed packages and their components.
IOTAServices	Miscellaneous services.
IOTASplashScreenServices	Splash screen interface.
IOTAToDoServices	Provides access to the To-Do list, allowing a wizard to install a custom To-Do manager.
IOTAToolsFilter	Registers tools filter notifiers.
IOTAVersionSKUInfoService	Queries the list of installed platforms, SKU, and if the running IDE is a Trial version.
IOTAWizardServices	Registers and unregisters wizards.

High DPI Images in the Tools API

All APIs that pass images, such as the splash screen services, about box, IDE Insight, and other areas, support high DPI images.

Each interface has a new overload of relevant methods that take a TGraphicArray, defined as an array of TGraphic. This allows you to pass in multiple resolutions of the same icon, which are added to the internal image collection and used with a virtual image list.

Although the methods take an array of any TGraphic, we recommend PNG images.

Using a Service Interface

To use a service interface, cast the BorlandIDEServices variable to the desired service using the global Supports function. For example:

Delphi:

procedure SetKeystrokeDebugging(Debugging: Boolean);
var
  Dialog: IOTAKeyboardDiagnostics
begin
  if Supports(BorlandIDEServices, IOTAKeyboardDiagnostics, Dialog) then
    Dialog.KeyTracing := Debugging;
end;

C++:

void SetKeystrokeDebugging(bool Debugging)
{
  _di_IOTAKeyboardDiagnostics Dialog;
  if (BorlandIDEServices->Supports(Dialog))
    Dialog->KeyTracing = Debugging;
}

If your wizard needs to use a specific service often, you can keep a pointer to the service as a data member of your wizard class.

Topics

The following topics discuss special considerations when working with the Tools API service interfaces:

• Using Native IDE Objects
• Debugging a Wizard
• Interface Version Numbers

See Also

• Working with Files and Editors
• Creating Form and Project Wizards
• Notifying a Wizard of IDE Events