CFPlugIn

Overview

CFPlugIn provides a standard architecture for application extensions. With CFPlugIn, you can design your application as a host framework that uses a set of executable code modules called plug-ins to provide certain well-defined areas of functionality. This approach allows third-party developers to add features to your application without requiring access to your source code. You can also bundle together plug-ins for multiple platforms and let CFPlugIn transparently load the appropriate plug-in at runtime. You can use CFPlugIn to add plug-in capability to, or write a plug-in for, your application.

Topics

Creating Plug-ins

CFPlugInCreate

Creates a CFPlugIn given its URL.

CFPlugInInstanceCreate

Creates a CFPlugIn instance of a given type using a given factory.

Registration

CFPlugInRegisterFactoryFunction

Registers a factory function and its UUID with a CFPlugIn object.

CFPlugInRegisterFactoryFunctionByName

Registers a factory function with a CFPlugIn object using the function's name instead of its UUID.

CFPlugInRegisterPlugInType

Registers a type and its corresponding factory function with a CFPlugIn object.

CFPlugInUnregisterFactory

Removes the given function from a plug-in’s list of registered factory functions.

CFPlugInUnregisterPlugInType

Removes the given type from a plug-in’s list of registered types.

CFPlugIn Miscellaneous Functions

CFPlugInAddInstanceForFactory

Registers a new instance of a type with CFPlugIn.

CFPlugInFindFactoriesForPlugInType

Searches all registered plug-ins for factory functions capable of creating an instance of the given type.

CFPlugInFindFactoriesForPlugInTypeInPlugIn

Searches the given plug-in for factory functions capable of creating an instance of the given type.

CFPlugInGetBundle

Returns a plug-in's bundle.

CFPlugInGetTypeID

Returns the type identifier for the CFPlugIn opaque type.

CFPlugInIsLoadOnDemand

Determines whether or not a plug-in is loaded on demand.

CFPlugInRemoveInstanceForFactory

Unregisters an instance of a type with CFPlugIn.

CFPlugInSetLoadOnDemand

Enables or disables load on demand for plug-ins that do dynamic registration (only when a client requests an instance of a supported type).

Callbacks

CFPlugInDynamicRegisterFunction

A callback which provides a plug-in the opportunity to dynamically register its types with a host.

CFPlugInFactoryFunction

Callback function that a plug-in author must implement to create a plug-in instance.

CFPlugInUnloadFunction

Callback function that is called, if present, just before a plug-in's code is unloaded.

Data Types

CFPlugInRef

A reference to a CFPlugin object.

Constants

Information Property List Keys

A plug-in’s information property list can contain these keys used for registering types, factories, and interfaces.