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Wide Open Means "No Limits"Customizing ArcInfo 8The new applications in ArcInfo 8 bring sophisticated GIS functionality to nearly anyone familiar with desktop computing. Although ArcInfo 8 provides out-of-the-box usability, it also provides "no-limits" customization. ArcMap and ArcCatalog are based on Microsoft's Component Object Model (COM). This makes it easy to plug in a toolbar, script, custom object, or tool into the application framework of these two applications. Three levels of customization are available for ArcMap and ArcCatalog. At the first level, users can modify the interface without any programming. The second level is using Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), the embedded development environment included "in the box." Finally, developers can use COM-compliant programming languages such as Visual Basic (VB), Visual C++, Delphi, or PowerBuilder to extend, embed, and focus GIS as part of a total software solution. Although designed to be flexible and easy to use, the user interfaces of ArcMap and ArcCatalog can be modified graphically to reflect your own preferences and the way you work. The Customize dialog box permits changes such as turn toolbars on and off; create new toolbars; add, delete, and move controls (buttons and menus); create new controls; and manage shortcut keys. All this can be done without writing a single line of code. COM applications such as ArcMap and ArcCatalog use Automation (formerly OLE Automation) to expose their objects to development tools, macro languages, and other applications. For example, ArcMap exposes a Map, a PageLayout, a LineFillSymbol, and so on, each as different objects. The underlying objects of ArcInfo 8, known as ArcObjects, are left wide open for advanced users and developers. VBA and other programming languages can manipulate these objects by invoking methods or setting the objects' properties. VBA is embedded in ArcMap and ArcCatalog and includes the full VB language syntax, a debugger, and a comprehensive integrated development environment. You can use this interactive development environment to create macros for automating repetitive tasks or extending functionality. The primary difference between a full programming language such as Visual Basic and VBA is that customization done with VBA is hosted with the ArcInfo 8 application. In contrast, functionality developed with programming languages can be distributed outside the application. Custom commands or tools created outside VBA are often distributed as ActiveX libraries (.dll files). The customization environment in ArcInfo 8 is more robust and flexible than ever before. Customization from simple graphical manipulation of the user interface to embedding GIS components inside total enterprise software solutions is viable. For more information, download the Esri white paper titled Customizing ArcInfo 8 from www.esri.com/library. |
