IOutputPlugin Interface

This interface enables you to create an output plug-in.  Once you have created the plugin, when you are assembling a document, you can see the plug-in by selecting  File > Send Document To...  The plug-in also adds a new End of Interview output option.  You can, for example, create a plug-in that outputs documents to places like Google Drive or SkyDrive.

When HotDocs starts up, it attempts to load each registered plug-in.  If it finds a plug-in that implements the IOutputPlugin interface, HotDocs calls:

1. Initialize to load and initialize the plug-in. (If initialize returns a failure code, HotDocs will stop calling plug-in functions.)

2. LibraryIntialized to complete initialization of the plug-in.

3. GetPlugInfo to retrieve the plug-in information.

When a user selects your plug-in's menu, HotDocs then calls:

4. DocumentAssembled to perform output options on the assembled template.

Functions

Function
DocumentAssembled	After document is assembled, this is called to output the plug-in to its destination repository.
GetPlugInfo	This function is called to get information about plug-in functionality.
Initialize	This function is called when HotDocs starts up and add-in is loaded.
LibraryInitialized	This function is called when HotDocs starts up and add-in is loaded and the main window is created.

Properties

Property	Description
CommandId	This property is called to get the command Id (such as menu ID) associated with this plug-in.

Example

The following Visual C# example implements the HotDocs.IOutputPlugin interface along with using the HotDocs.IPluginPreferences interface:

[ComVisible(true)]
[Guid("12345678-1111-2222-AAAA-DDDDDDDDDDDD")]
public class SendToFolder : HotDocs.IOutputPlugin, HotDocs.IPluginPreferences
{
    private string _dlgfolderPath;
    private int _commandId = 0;
    private string _outputPath = "OutputFolder";
     
    //Copy assembled template to folder of user choice.
    public bool DocumentAssembled(string filePath, bool bIsTempFile, string templateTitle, string templateFilePath)
    {
        RegistryKey getKey = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey(_outputPath, true);
        if (getKey != null)
        {
            string folderPath = (string)getKey.GetValue(_outputPath);
            string getExt = System.IO.Path.GetExtension(filePath);
             
            if (System.IO.File.Exists(System.IO.Path.Combine(folderPath, templateTitle) + getExt))
            {
                int i = 0;
                while (System.IO.File.Exists(System.IO.Path.Combine(folderPath, templateTitle) + i + getExt))
                {
                    i++;
                }
                System.IO.File.Copy(filePath, System.IO.Path.Combine(folderPath, templateTitle) + i + getExt);
            }
            else
            {
                System.IO.File.Copy(filePath, System.IO.Path.Combine(folderPath, templateTitle) + getExt);
            }
        }
        else
        {
            createFolderPath();
        }
        return true;
    }
     
    public void GetPluginInfo(ref string UI_Name, ref string pluginToken, ref bool bIncludeAtInterviewEnd, ref Icon Icon, ref string supportedFileExtensions)
    {
        UI_Name = "Output Folder";
        pluginToken = "HDSendToFolderOutputPlugin";
        bIncludeAtInterviewEnd = true;
        Icon.LoadIcon(@"C:\images\SendToFolder.ico");
        supportedFileExtensions = ".docx;.rtf;.pdf";
    }
     
    public void Initialize()
    {
    }
     
    public void LibraryInitialized()
    {
    }
     
    public int commandId
    {
        get
        {
            return _commandId;
        }
        set
        {
            _commandId = value;
        }
    }
     
    //Preference: Calls method, opens a dialog and allows users to set a folder path that is written to the registry.
    public void Edit(IntPtr parentWindowHandle)
    {
        createFolderPath();
    }
     
    //Opens dialog form to allow user to set preferences.
    public void createFolderPath()
    {
        dlgChooseFolder dlg = new dlgChooseFolder();
        dlg.Show();
        _dlgfolderPath = dlg.folderPath;
    }
     
    [ComRegisterFunction]
    public static void RegisterPlugin(Type t)
    {
        HotDocs.Application app = new HotDocs.Application();
        app.Plugins.Register("{12345678-1111-2222-AAAA-DDDDDDDDDDDD}", "SendToFolder Output Plugin", 100, 1);
        System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(app);
    }
     
    [ComUnregisterFunction]
    public static void UnRegisterPlugin(Type t)
    {
        HotDocs.Application app = new HotDocs.Application();
        app.Plugins.Unregister("{12345678-1111-2222-AAAA-DDDDDDDDDDDD}");
        System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(app);
}