ActiveX Integration
The XMLSpy user interface and the functionality described in this section can be integrated into custom applications that can consume ActiveX controls. ActiveX technology enables a wide variety of languages to be used for integration, such as C++, C#, and VB.NET. All components are full OLE Controls. Integration into Java is provided through wrapper classes.
To integrate the ActiveX controls into your custom code, the XMLSpy Integration Package must be installed (see https://www.altova.com/components/download). Ensure that you install XMLSpy first, and then the XMLSpy Integration Package. Other prerequisites apply, depending on language and platform (see Prerequisites). |
You can flexibly choose between two different levels of integration: application level and document level.
Integration at application level means embedding the complete interface of XMLSpy (including its menus, toolbars, panes, etc) as an ActiveX control into your custom application. For example, in the most simple scenario, your custom application could consist of only one form that embeds the XMLSpy graphical user interface. This approach is easier to implement than integration at document level but may not be suitable if you need flexibility to configure the XMLSpy graphical user interface according to your custom requirements.
Integration at document level means embedding XMLSpy into your own application piece-by-piece. This includes implementing not only the main XMLSpy control but also the main document editor window, and, optionally, any additional windows. This approach provides greater flexibility to configure the GUI, but requires advanced interaction with ActiveX controls in your language of choice.
The sections Integration at the Application Level and Integration at Document Level describe the key steps at these respective levels. The ActiveX Integration Examples section provides examples in C# and Java. Looking through these examples will help you to make the right decisions quickly. The Object Reference section describes all COM objects that can be used for integration, together with their properties and methods.
For information about using XMLSpy as a Visual Studio plug-in, see XMLSpy in Visual Studio.