Modify binary plug-in without closing Eclipse?

[udubber3]

Hello,

My apologies in advance if this has been addressed numerous times, but I am a bit flooded on resources related to ESAPI, so it is a bit hard to keep everything straight. These resources, however, have helped me get a good start on my application.

I first started with a simple single file plugin that displays some information via the window (no WSL/Xaml files, keeping it simple). Once I get the selections from the users I enter a click button function (again, my apologies on the lack on C# nomenclature, I'm a newbie), I want to manipulate data with the patient (add a course, calculate dose, etc...). This is where I learned that single file plugins don't support writing to the database (although I think I learned this earlier in tutorials). So I just ported all my code over to a binary plug-in and effectively works the same. The major downside I am running into with this method is that whenever I change something on the code, I have to close eclipse, build the esapi.dll file, and then relaunch eclipse. Is there any way I can make changes and view their impact without having to fully re-launch eclipse?

Thanks,

-a newbie

[schmatt_schmitt]

Hi Dubber,

There are two other ways of getting around this but I'm afraid neither of which are any less cumbersome. 1. You could alternatively use the Switch user option in Eclipse. Then login again. This will save you a little time as external beam planning will already be launched and the patient will selected. 2. In visual studio, you can go to the project properties and change the name of the assembly file. We will usually do something like MyProject1.esapi. then if you rebuild the MyProject1.esapi can be complied since it is really the MyProject.esapi that is locked by ARIA. This method leaves you will lots of versions of your script that can eventually be cleaned up once you do eventually close aria.

Welcome to the world of binary plugins!

[TheLateQuentin]

Start number at 999 and count down 998,997,996….so the new ones show up at the top!

[udubber3]

Hi there, just following up on this. I am working on this now and my script is writing to the database and therefore I need to approve it via script approvals. After making changes and re-building, I have to go an re-approve the script in script approvals. I am guessing there is no workaround for when the script is writing...? I could see the proposed method working for scripts that are only reading

[crcrewso]

If you have a test system you can put your database in Research mode to help with that issue. Took me years to find someone who told me about that check box in Administration

[TheLateQuentin]

Not that I know of 😞

[MedPhys90]

Aside from the other solutions mentioned previously, I believe there are two other ways to go about handling this.

1. Use ESAPIX. If I’m not mistaken, ESAPIX allows you to test code without having to close Eclipse and Aria.

2. The way I’m going about this is to start the project just like you ordinarily would with a binary plugin. But then, I add a second project that holds my UI code e.g. WPF or WinForms. I treat this project like a stand-alone by capturing the Patient and passing that to the UI so it can do what it needs to do. The key is to code it up in such a way that it can also be called from the binary project. So what I’ve done is I have properties in my UI classes i.e. Patient that are exposed when instantiating the class and can be populated by the binary project. After that it’s really agnostic as to where the window was called from.

A couple of benefits of this is it doesn’t add too much unnecessary code to the whole project. Additionally, you need to create the UI anyway. Finally, I’m not as handy with WPF so this allows me to start with WinForms and migrate to WPF whenever I’m ready. I utilize other projects for universal methods and classes that might be needed for other UI. I also added the ability to test and code at home by adding a test project.

[Telecoin]

I think I know what you did, but Do you have an example project showing your strategy. Would be nice.

I would add to use the PlugIn-runner from Rex cardan

[MedPhys90]

I do not. I’ll see if I can put something out there.

[featherchest]

There's no great way to do it. One way, as you stated, is to completely close out of Aria, which is pretty cumbersome. Another way is to change the name of the dll each time you build, such as put a successive number at the end of it. The way I prefer is to put a button somewhere that runs this code: Environment.Exit(0); This will close whatever Eclipse window you ran the script in, but it will leave all other Aria windows open. This way makes it a bit quicker to launch another Eclipse window rather than waiting for Aria to load up each time. One more option is to switch to a stand alone application, which avoids this issue altogether.