Simple PluginFunction example please - sob!

[JamesWestoby]

Have a plugin HS3 (Paraphrase which gives a random response back to commands) and it worked fine. Porting and converting to HS4 and I can't get the PluginFunction to work (Legacy or HS4).

What it gets is simple an [Ini] file section - like 'Motion Detect' and an Arrary of Ini style replacement markers (Location=Study, Time=14:00).

Here's the call line I used to have -
Dim Plugin As New HomeSeerAPI.PluginAccess(CType(hs, HomeSeerAPI.IHSApplication), "Paraphrase", "")
Return CType(Plugin.PluginFunction(ID, Replacements.Split("|"c)), String)
Here is what I've tried for the new HS4 -
Return("" & hs.PluginFunction("HSPI-Paraphrase", "PluginFunction", Replacements.Split("|"c)))


In the plugin (which is initialized), I tried both of these -
Protected Overloads Function PluginFunction(procName As String,params As Object()) As Object
Console.WriteLine("Called PlugIn " & procName)
Return (myParaphrase.Action(procName, params))
End Function

Public Function Response(procName As String,params As Object()) As Object
'Console.WriteLine("Called PlugIn " & procName)
Return (myParaphrase.Action("action", params))
End Function

Breakpoints on these never get reached (unlike Intiialize/InitIO).

Any idea what I'm doing wrong - or even better a simple example!

(There aren't any in the sample plugins.)

Help appreciate, thank you.

James

[rmasonjr]

Here's one from HS3. I havent tested it with HS4 yet:

Public Function PluginFunction(ByVal proc As String, ByVal parms() As Object) As Object Implements IPlugInAPI.PluginFunction
Try
Dim ty As Type = Me.GetType
Dim mi As MethodInfo = ty.GetMethod(proc)
If mi Is Nothing Then
Log("Method " & proc & " does not exist in this plugin.", LogType.LOG_TYPE_ERROR)
Return Nothing
End If
Return (mi.Invoke(Me, parms))
Catch ex As Exception
Log("Error in PluginProc: " & ex.Message, LogType.LOG_TYPE_ERROR)
End Try

Return Nothing
End Function 

[w.vuyk]

Here is what I am using in my HS4 plugin for both scripting and html pages. It works. In essence not much different from HS3:

Public Overloads Function PluginFunction(ByVal procName As String, ByVal params As Object()) As Object
Try
Dim ty = [GetType]()
Dim mi = ty.GetMethod(procName)
Return mi?.Invoke(Me, params)
Catch exception As Exception

If LogDebug Then
Console.WriteLine(exception.Message)
End If
End Try

Return Nothing
End Function

[JamesWestoby]

Thanks for the responses, but both of those address (no pun) the plugin side - the (literally) pluginfunction isn't being called.

I know that the instance is now redundant (never used it anyway), but somehow HomeSeer isn't linking the Script call (hs.PluginFunction) to get to the actual plugin function.

I must be doing something wrong/stupid - but I've tried various combinations of (plugin) names/id and nothing seem to work.

Really strange because getting this to work on HS3 was a doddle.

[w.vuyk]

This sample call from a script addresses the HSPI.PluginFunction from my earlier sample fine here.It did not change going from HS3 to HS4 versions of the plugin.

DimChanged = hs.PluginFunction("JowiHue", "", "SetLightsHueSat", {True, "Bank", 30, Nothing, Nothing, 10})

[JamesWestoby]

w.vuyk - I think I love you <grin>, JUST what I needed, thank you very, very much.

I had a couple of missing items (no ByVal and the additional. empty, instance parameter) - I've mangled these routines so many times and haven't been back to the original [working] code

I am always amazed by how helpful people are, you're all grand.

[w.vuyk]

Great! Thanks. Alway glad to give some help back to the forum.... to be honest I missed the empty instance myself too while reading your initial post

Glad it is solved!

One nosy question left though, what is the plugin paraphasing?

[JamesWestoby]

OK two things - solved it for the HS4 call (after peering at docs/XML, VS autocomplete, etc. zzzzz).

1) Here's the HS4 call in the script, not legacy -
Dim s As Object = hs.IHsController_PluginFunction("HSPI-Paraphrase", "Motion Record", Replacements.Split("|"c))


2) HSPI_Paraphrase returns a random phrase back, with the responses being in a Cfg file, but also replaces <<markers>>.

So I have a (Data/HSPI-Paraphrase\) file with Ini sections like -
[Motion Info]
I saw movement in the <<Location>>.
Check out the <<Location>>, I thought I saw something.
At <<Time>> there was movement in the <<Location>> area.
Something moved in the <<Location>> at <<Time>>.
I think something moved by the <<Location>>.

I call Paraphrase and send it an array of Key=Value (c above) pairs BSV separated, so something like
Location=Study|Time=Now|Duration=10 seconds
->
Location=Study
Time=Now
Duration=10 seconds

(and anything else I feel like putting in).

What I get back is one of the phrases with the <<..>> markers replaced, which my (Microsoft Agent & DesktopMates head) then speaks on one of my room [netbook] clients.

The funniest is when we tell HomeSeer 'Goodnight' then HomeSeer responds, sometimes Google [mis]understands and replies to that!

We've had Google responses like "my developers are very good at keeping me free of bugs' (from 'Don't let the bedbugs bite') Playing a lullaby station (from 'Shall I sing you a lullaby') etc.

Quite funny and keeps it interesting, I also use if with my timed schedule script to wish my other half happy birthday or whatever.


I wrote to Google once (couple of years ago) saying that they should do something similar and they do now - not that I can take credit, never got a response.

If you want it just ask (homeseer@athame.net) - source too - NOW it even comes with a real HS installer (since they made that easy now).

Again, thank you to all that read and those that replied. Help is always welcome.

[tenholde]

Here is what I am using in my HS4 plugin for both scripting and html pages. It works. In essence not much different from HS3:

Public Overloads Function PluginFunction(ByVal procName As String, ByVal params As Object()) As Object
Try
Dim ty = [GetType]()
Dim mi = ty.GetMethod(procName)
Return mi?.Invoke(Me, params)
Catch exception As Exception

If LogDebug Then
Console.WriteLine(exception.Message)
End If
End Try

Return Nothing
End Function

Is it even necessary to override PluginFunction in your plugin under HS4? It looks to me as though that exact same code is the default implementation.

[w.vuyk]

It is different from the one in the PluginSDK last time I checked. And when I created the routine, it was very rudimentary in the PluginSDK. That was last year November. So it may not be needed, but back then it was not documented and not complete. And now it is working just fine.