Plugins

You can extend the capabilities of Source by adding new component models or data processing tools. Some of these "plugin" tools extend Source’s user interface. Other plugins, especially those written by third parties, may look and operate differently from the normal user interface. Refer to Assign catchment models when working with catchment model plugins.

Plugins are files which have a .DLL or .EXE extension, and work with specific versions of Source. Plugins that are external to Source, and must be downloaded from the Internet, must be handled differently. Refer to Externally created plugins for more information..

Note: Many of the existing eWater CRC Toolkit tools (or components of these tools) can be used as Source plugins; however, you must ensure that the plugin version is compatible with the Source version. In other words, the plugin .dll files have been compiled against the Source version that the plugin is to be used with. Also note that plugins are compatible with different version of Source, provided that the first three digits of the Source version number are the same. For example, a plugin that is compatible with different versions of Source 3.7.0 will not be compatible with 3.5.0.

There are several plugins included with Source that have been verified by the Source development team. This documentation is only developed and maintained for these included plugins. Table 1 provides plugin file and location details of plugins that are discussed in more detail.

Table 1. Plugins

Plugin	Plugin file	Location in Source
Contributor	C:\Program Files\eWater\<Source version>\Plugins\RiverSystem.Plugins.Contributor.dll	Tools » Plugins » Contributor » Contributor
GWLag Plugin	C:\Program Files\eWater\<Source version>\Plugins\RiverSystem.Plugins.PerfectGWLag.dll	Tools » Plugins » <various related folders>
River Analysis Package	C:\Program Files\eWater\<Source version>\Plugins\RiverSystem.Plugins.RAP.dll	Tools » Plugins » Ecology.RAP » <name of RAP tool>
Spatial data pre-processor	C:\Program Files\eWater\<Source version>\Plugins\RiverSystem.Plugins.SpatialDataPreProcessor.dll	Tools » Plugins » RiverSystem.Plugins.SpatialDataPreProcessor

Note: Follow these guidelines when working with plugins in Source:

No projects must be open when loading plugins; and
Restart Source when unloading plugins (ensure that they are enabled in the Plugin Manager first).

Working with the Plugin Manager

The Plugin Manager allows you to install, load and manage all plugins in Source. Available via Tools » Plugin Manager, this dialog (shown in Figure 1) shows all plugins that have been installed either:

Manually; or
Via the online store hosted by eWater.

The Details panel in the Plugin Manager provides the following information for the selected plugin:

Version - a four-digit number used to uniquely identify which version of Source the plugin was compiled against; and
Tags - the version of Source that the plugin can be opened in.

Installing plugins

Manually installing plugins

When manually installing plugins in Source, you must have administrator access on your computer. Plugins that are installed as part of Source are located in the following folder:

C:\Program Files\eWater\<Source version>\Plugins

where:

<Source version> refers to the version of Source currently in use.

To install a plugin manually:

Click Browse... to open an Explorer dialog;
Select the plugin; and
Click OK.

Figure 1. Plugin manager

Note: If a required plugin is not loaded, Source might have a problem running. In this instance, you will be notified with a warning dialog (example in Figure 2).

Figure 2. Error without installed plugin

Installing via the online store

Choose Online to view a complete list of plugins available from the store; and
Click Install.

Upgrading plugins

There are two possible scenarios that warrant an upgrade:

The version of Source has been upgraded - in this case, Source will attempt to install the same plugin version that was installed in the previous version of Source; or
The plugin version is different - if the plugin was originally installed from the online store, clicking Update will remove the old version and install the new one. Note that this happens only once when Source is opened for the first time with the new plugin version.

Writing your own plugins

To write your own plugins using .NET and C#, refer to /wiki/spaces/SC/pages/51643422.

When you install Source, instructions for writing your own plugins are included in the following location (depending on your operating system). It also contains a series of templates to help you get started.

Operating system	Standard plugin location
Windows XP	C:\Program Files\<Source version>\Plugins\ExamplePlugins.zip
Windows 7	C:\Program Files\eWater\<Source version>\Plugins\ExamplePlugins.zip

If you boot Windows from a different hard disk drive or have otherwise customised your installation, you should make the necessary adjustments.

Please consult your system administrator if local security policies prevent you from accessing this package.

Externally created plugins

For plugins that have been developed externally to Source (such as DERMTools), you must manually unblock them in Windows after downloading. By default, Windows blocks the execution of programs downloaded from the internet (including the .dlls used as Source plugins) in order to reduce the risk of the computer being infected by a virus or some other form of malicious software.

The use of the unblock option carries with it risk, in that it removes a key defence against malicious software. You should only use unblock a DLL or EXE when you are confident that the software in question does not contain malicious code.

Once downloaded, open as follows:

Open Explorer. Right click on the dll file and choose Properties; and
In the resulting dialog (shown in Figure 3), click Unblock at the bottom of the screen, then OK.

The plugin can then be loaded as normal in Source.