Automation Interface Examples: Calling Applications from EA

Enterprise Architect inclues a powerful feature, the Automation Interface that enables users to retrieve and update data contained within an Enterprise Architect model via the programming language of their choice.

Deployment

To deploy Add-Ins to users' sites, follow the steps below:

1.	Add the Add-in DLL file to an appropriate directory on the user's computer i.e. C:\Program Files\ [new dir].

If compiled as a native Win32 DDL, such as VB6 or C++, register the DDL using the regsvr32 command from the command prompt; for example:
```
regsvr32 "C:\Program Files\MyCompany\EAAddin\EAAddin.dll"
```
If compiled as a .NET DLL, such as C# or VB.NET, register the DLL using the RegAsm command from the command prompt; for example:
```
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\RegAsm.exe "C:\Program Files\MyCompany\EAAddin\EAAddin.dll" /codebase
```

3.	Place a new entry into the registry so that EA recognizes the presence of your Add-in by using the registry editor (run regedit).

4.	Add a new key value EAAddIns under the following location:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Sparx Systems

5.	Then add a new key under this key with the project name.

Note: [ProjectName] is not necessarily the name of your DLL, but the name of the Project. In VB, this is the value for the property "Name" corresponding to the project file.

6.	Then specify the default value by modifying the default value of the key.

7.	Enter the value of the key by entering the [project name].[class name]; for example, EaRequirements.Requirements, where EaRequirements is the project name as shown in the example below.

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