HowTo:Provide system definitions with a custom plugin - Revision history

DEH at 07:15, 6 May 2026

2026-05-06T07:15:31Z

NWE at 13:42, 10 March 2026

2026-03-10T13:42:23Z

NWE: /* See also */

2025-10-06T07:46:40Z

‎See also

NWE at 11:09, 28 February 2025

2025-02-28T11:09:25Z

NWE: /* See also */

2025-02-28T10:50:06Z

‎See also

NWE at 16:25, 26 November 2024

2024-11-26T16:25:01Z

NWE at 16:23, 26 November 2024

2024-11-26T16:23:08Z

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NWE at 15:48, 26 November 2024

2024-11-26T15:48:34Z

NWE at 15:43, 26 November 2024

2024-11-26T15:43:11Z

NWE at 14:43, 26 November 2024

2024-11-26T14:43:40Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:15, 6 May 2026
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	<!-- DO NOT REMOVE THIS -->{{Template:HowTo/End}}<!-- DO NOT REMOVE THIS -->		<!-- DO NOT REMOVE THIS -->{{Template:HowTo/End}}<!-- DO NOT REMOVE THIS -->
		+	==Plugin Initialization Timing==
		+	The Plugin initialization and upgrade mechanism has been improved and stabilized.{{Version/ServerSince\|5.2.0}}
		+
		+	Previously, each plugin was fully initialized one after another — meaning all initialization steps (system definitions, database schema update, content initialization) were completed for plugin A before plugin B was started.
		+	As of this change, the initialization follows a phase-based approach: each phase is executed for all plugins before the next phase begins. The phases are:
		+
		+	* System Definitions – All MetaClasses, MetaProperties, Classifications, and SelectiveLists for all plugins are registered first. This ensures that all system meta definitions are known before any database or content work begins.
		+	* Preprocess DB Update – Pre-processing of the database update runs for all plugins.
		+	* Update DB Schema – The database schema is adapted for all plugins.
		+	* Postprocess DB Update – Post-processing runs for all plugins.
		+	* Initialize Content – System content is initialized and updated for all plugins.
		+
		+	Plugins are processed in dependency order — if Plugin A depends on Plugin B, Plugin B is always initialized first within each phase.
		+	This approach prevents issues that previously occurred when a plugin tried to access MetaClasses or MetaProperties from another plugin that had not yet been initialized.

	==See also==		==See also==

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:42, 10 March 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	This tutorial explains how to provide any kind of preconfigured {{UBIK}} system definitions using a custom plugin (or more specific: module).		This tutorial explains how to provide any kind of preconfigured {{UBIK}} system definitions using a custom plugin (or more specific: module).
		+
		+	{{Hint\|It is now possible to [[UBIK_Plugin_Design\|generate a {{UBIK}} Plugin C# Solution]] from a custom data model configured in {{UBIK}} Studio.{{Version/ServerSince\|5.0.0}}}}

	== General concept ==		== General concept ==

@@ Line 1,058: / Line 1,058: @@
 * [[Injection_Management]]
 * [[Plugins]]
 [[Category:How-To|Provide system definitions with a custom plugin]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-This tutorial explains how to provide any kind of preconfigured {{UBIK}} data (system definitions) using a custom plugin.
+This tutorial explains how to provide any kind of preconfigured {{UBIK}} system definitions using a custom plugin (or more specific: module).
 == General concept ==
@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 = Big Picture =
-The Plugin hosts a SystemDefinitionProvider, which in turn gives access to a set of versioned SystemDefinitions. The latter can contain any kind of {{UBIK}} data like MetaClasses, MetaProperties, instances of any type and scripts to execute when the package is installed or initialized.
+The Module implementation hosts a System Definition Provider, which in turn gives access to a set of versioned System Definitions. The latter can contain any kind of {{UBIK}} data like MetaClasses, MetaProperties, instances of any type and scripts to execute when the package is installed or initialized.
 [[File:Systemdefinitions2.drawio.png]]
@@ Line 1,060: / Line 1,060: @@
 [[Category:How-To|Provide system definitions with a custom plugin]]
 [[Category:Injecting|Provide system definitions with a custom plugin]]
 [[Category:Plugin|Provide system definitions with a custom plugin]]

@@ Line 1,056: / Line 1,056: @@
 * [[HowTo:Create_UBIK_Module|Create your own module]]
 [[Category:How-To|Provide system definitions with a custom plugin]]
 [[Category:Module|Provide system definitions with a custom plugin]]

@@ Line 903: / Line 903: @@
              InitStrings(NAME, NAMESPACE, DESCRIPTION);
-             SetModuleId(CustomInterfacePlugin.ID);
+             SetModuleId(MyPlugin.ID);
              List<Guid> metaProperties = new List<Guid>();

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 {{UBIK}} plugins are detected when an Environment is initialized, and the user is prompted with a database upgrade if necessary. The technical maintenance of the database is automatic and allows for arbitrary adaptations.
-The plugin developer can decide whether to make meta definitions immutable or further customizable by the user. Custom scripts can be executed everytime the Environment is connected or just during an upgrade.
+The plugin developer can decide whether to make meta definitions immutable (as system design objects in the System namespace) or further customizable by the user (as regular content). Custom scripts can be executed every time the Environment is connected or just during an upgrade.
 == Prerequisites ==
-To understand the code, knowledge about the {{UBIK}} ER-model and the plugin injection mechanism is required.
+To understand the code, knowledge about the {{UBIK}} [[Entity_Data_Model|ER-model]] and the [[Injection_Management|plugin injection mechanism]] is required.
 == Instructions ==

@@ Line 735: / Line 735: @@
              this.CodedNamespace = "System.MyPlugin";
              this.CodedDescription = "My classification";
-−
-			// Derives from SystemDesignMetaClass, see above for metaproperty definition
+            // Derives from SystemDesignMetaClass, see above for metaproperty definition
+         }
+     }
@@ Line 764: / Line 764: @@
          #endregion System Classifications
-−
          // ...
+     }
@@ Line 789: / Line 789: @@
          public override UBIKClassList<SelectiveList> DefineSystemSelectiveLists(UBIKEnvironment environment)
+         {
-		    UBIKClassList<SelectiveList> selectiveLists = new UBIKClassList<SelectiveList>();
+            UBIKClassList<SelectiveList> selectiveLists = new UBIKClassList<SelectiveList>();
-−
-		    SystemSelectiveList fromEnum = new SystemSelectiveList(environment, typeof(MyEnumType)); // MyEnumType should be an integer enum
+            // MyEnumType should be an integer enum
              fromEnum.SetUID(GuidUtility.SLFROMENUM);
-			selectiveLists.Add(fromEnum);
+            selectiveLists.Add(fromEnum);
-−
-			SystemSelectiveList customList = new SystemSelectiveList(environment);
+            SystemSelectiveList customList = new SystemSelectiveList(environment);
-			customList.SetItemValueType(PropertyTypes.String);
+            customList.SetItemValueType(PropertyTypes.String);
-			customList.AddSelectiveItem("any object of supported type", "description");
+            customList.AddSelectiveItem("any object of supported type", "description");
-			customList.Name = "SL_STR";
+            customList.Name = "SL_STR";
-			customList.SetUID(GuidUtility.SLSTR);
+            customList.SetUID(GuidUtility.SLSTR);
-			selectiveLists.Add(customList);
+            selectiveLists.Add(customList);
-−
-			return selectiveLists;
+            return selectiveLists;
+         }
          #endregion System Selective Lists
-−
          // ...
+     }
@@ Line 827: / Line 828: @@
+     {
          // ...
-−
          public override void PreProcessDatabaseUpdate(Version previousVersion, UBIKEnvironment environment)
+         {
              base.PreProcessDatabaseUpdate(previousVersion, environment);
-−
              // This code will be executed whenever the system is upgraded,
-			// before a schema upgrade for this SystemDefinitions package
+            // before a schema upgrade for this SystemDefinitions package
+         }
@@ Line 839: / Line 840: @@
+         {
              base.PostProcessDatabaseUpdate(previousVersion, environment);
-−
              // This code will be executed whenever the system is upgraded,
-			// after a schema upgrade and before content initialization and upgrade
+            // after a schema upgrade and before content initialization and upgrade
-			// for this SystemDefinitions package
+            // for this SystemDefinitions package
+         }
-−
          public override void InitializeSystemContent(UBIKEnvironment env)
+         {
-		    base.InitializeSystemContent(env);
+            base.InitializeSystemContent(env);
-−
              // This code will be executed whenever the system is initialized,
-			// after an optional schema upgrade and before an optional content adaptation
+            // after an optional schema upgrade and before an optional content adaptation
-			// for this SystemDefinitions package
+            // for this SystemDefinitions package
+         }
-−
          public override void UpdateSystemContent(UBIKEnvironment env)
+         {
-		    base.UpdateSystemContent(env);
+            base.UpdateSystemContent(env);
-−
              // This code will be executed whenever the system is upgraded,
-			// after all other steps for this SystemDefinitions package
+            // after all other steps for this SystemDefinitions package
-−
+        }
-−
          // ...
+     }

@@ Line 292: / Line 292: @@
      public class MyMetaProperties
+     {
-         public const string NS_MY_PLUGIN = "System.MyPlugin;
+         public const string NS_MY_PLUGIN = "System.MyPlugin";
          public static readonly Guid PROPERTY_UID_MYPROPERTY = Guid.Parse("d90b50e0-17d9-40ac-b89d-18f4a01cd5cb");