Glossary

Term

Definition

add-in

ArcGIS Explorer supports add-ins as a way to extend the application and introduce custom behavior. There are six types of add-ins: buttons, check boxes, combo boxes, dockable windows, extensions, and galleries. Each add-in type is implemented as a .NET class that derives from an abstract class in the ESRI.ArcGISExplorer.Application namespace—Button, CheckBox, ComboBox, DockWindow, Extension, or Gallery. Add-ins are contained in a zip file with the .eaz file extension.

ArcGIS Explorer Add-Ins dialog box

The dialog box within the ArcGIS Explorer application that allows you to add or remove customizations. You can open this dialog box by clicking the pearl button in the top-left corner of the application, choosing ArcGIS Explorer Options, selecting the Resources page, then clicking the Manage Add-Ins button.

add-in archive

See add-in file.

add-in file

A zip file (with the .eaz file extension), which is the unit of deployment for ArcGIS Explorer add-ins. An .eaz file contains an XML manifest file called AddIns.xml, binary code for the customization or customizations, and any images used to display controls on the ArcGIS Explorer Ribbon. A single add-in file can contain more than one Button, CheckBox, ComboBox, DockWindow, Extension, and Gallery.

add-in manifest

An XML file called AddIns.xml, present in all add-in archive files, which contains details of the dockable windows, buttons, galleries and extensions contained in the add-in.

Add-Ins tab

The tab entitled Add-Ins on the ArcGIS Explorer Ribbon that shows customizations added locally, for example, those that have been developed on the current machine or added via the ArcGIS Explorer Add-Ins dialog box.

archive

Can sometimes be used to refer to an add-in file, which is a zip archive.

Button

A class providing a custom implementation of a button that will show on the Ribbon. The class is written in .NET code and inherits from ESRI.ArcGISExplorer.Application.Button.

CheckBox

A class providing a custom implementation of a check box that will show on the Ribbon. The class is written in .NET code and inherits from ESRI.ArcGISExplorer.Application.CheckBox.

ComboBox

A class providing a custom implementation of a combo box that will show on the Ribbon. The class is written in .NET code and inherits from ESRI.ArcGISExplorer.Application.ComboBox.

configuration

To control how functionality is organized on the Ribbon and to remove unwanted controls, you can define an application configuration. An application configuration allows you to customize a number of aspects of ArcGIS Explorer for yourself and for others in your organization. You can create and edit these configurations using the Application Configuration Manager.

controls

A generic term that can refer to any controls shown on the Ribbon, that can be existing core controls or customizations.

custom controls

The Button, CheckBox, ComboBox, DockWindow, and Gallery add-ins are all types of controls that display on the ribbon. In this SDK, custom controls refers to these add-ins and specifically excludes the Extension add-in, which does not display on the ribbon.

customization

A generic term that refers to any type of custom functionality you can develop for ArcGIS Explorer; Button, CheckBox, ComboBox, DockWindow, Gallery or Extension. Also used as a conceptual term; in contrast to "configuration" of ArcGIS Explorer, customization involves programming with the .NET Framework. 

DockWindow

A class providing a custom implementation of a dockable window that can be opened by clicking a button on the Ribbon. The class is written in .NET code, and inherits from ESRI.ArcGISExplorer.Application.DockWindow.

.eaz

The file extension for an ArcGIS Explorer add-in file.

Extension

A class providing a custom implementation of an extension that runs custom code upon application startup or shutdown without requiring user interaction. The class is written in .NET code and inherits from ESRI.ArcGISExplorer.Application.Extension.

Gallery

A class providing a custom implementation of a gallery. A Gallery appears on the Ribbon and shows a series of icons that you can choose by clicking. The class is written in .NET code and inherits from ESRI.ArcGISExplorer.Application.Gallery, with each icon in the gallery corresponding to an instance of the ESRI.ArcGISExplorer.Application.GalleryItem class.

group

On the Ribbon, a group is a subsection within a Tab. For example, on the Home tab there are groups named Find and Map Content.

groupCaption

Specified in the AddIns.xml file for an add-in, the group caption is the caption shown under the add-in controls. Group-captions are specified for each add-in, not for each individual control in the add-in.

tab

The Ribbon contains tabs with related functionality, with only one tab being shown at any time. For example, the default Tab is called Home.