Customization summary

Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager Customization Guide > Customization summary

Customizing Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager and deploying the customizations are easier than ever. New build and packaging tools simplify the process of creating and deploying customizations and extensions.

For more information:

• Basic customization and deployment lab

XML configuration

The extends clause makes XML configuration much easier and less error prone, so you might want to change your customizations to use this approach.

Some XML tags have been added and others removed. Existing XML configurations should work in Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager 20.6.

For more information

• XML change summary

• XML File Management

• XML Troubleshooting Tips

• How to

◦ Use a localization catalog

◦ Extend an existing class

◦ Create a pseudo attribute

◦ Define versions

◦ Configure Table Column Models

◦ Use Frame Filters

◦ Add attributes to a class

◦ Configure integer effectivities

◦ Configure the release process

◦ Add states to the release process

◦ Enable Subscriptions and Notifications

◦ Deploy XML customizations

◦ Disable Event Notification

◦ Edit Preferences

◦ Task Agent Configuration Files

◦ Job configuration xml files

◦ Macro customization

• XML customization lab

• Customizing TableColumnModels lab

• ColType attributes lab

• Extending consolidated BOM calculations lab

Java customization

Prerequisites

You should already be an experienced Java programmer, with a good understanding of

• Object-oriented programming concepts.

• The ability to read and write Java code.

• Familiarity with non-GUI Java classes.

You should also

• Have a solid understanding of Creo Elements/Direct Manager Server (formerly called OneSpace Manager or WorkManager).

• Know how to use Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager, Creo Elements/Direct Drawing Manager, and the Creo Elements/Direct Manager Server Client.

Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager may be customized by extending the Java code. Since the Java source code is available, it is also possible to change the Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager code, though your code changes will not be supported and are unlikely to continue working in the next release.

Most existing business logic customizations should continue to work in Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager 20.6, including those developed for Project Data Manager.

In CoCreate Model Manager 13.20 the handling of attribute business objects changed, which could break some customizations. When an attribute business object is called for, Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager checks to see whether one exists for that attribute instance. If it exists, Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager calls the business object's setValue method to set the value into that business object and return that business object instance. In previous releases, Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager created a new business object each time and passed the value into the constructor. This means that the setValue method can now be called with a null value. Reusing attribute business objects improves performance.

Java-based user interface customization has never been supported, so those customizations are likely to be broken by the new Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager user interface.

For more information:

• Business logic extension lab

• Load rule customization lab

• Action menu extension lab

• Extension guidelines

• Extensions for multiple customers

• Extension debugging strategies

• Extension performance strategies

• How to run Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager unit tests

• See the Java API differences on the main Creo Elements/Direct Manager Server documentation page.

Connectivity API

The connectivity API is unchanged, so integrations should continue to work.

The connectivity API was deprecated for CoCreate Model Manager 2005. Creo Elements/Direct recommends that new integrations to the database be implemented using Web services.

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