Plug-In Architecture
Early on we added code for plug-ins that extend the functionality of Micro Saint Sharp. Initially, we added this capability to include additional developers without having them step on each other's toes in the source-control database. But in the long run, it has been an asset that lets us have standard and premium versions of our application with just one set of binaries. It also has allowed tools to be created and shared with all the users of our tools.
We have developed plug-ins for animation (both 2D and 3D), importing and exporting data from Microsoft Visio, adding a human model to the simulation engine, interacting with Microsoft Excel, and optimization. Additionally, a number of our customers have written their own plug-ins to modify the simulation and add capabilities to their simulation models. The concept of developing plug-ins has also benefited the consulting side of our business. We can develop custom plug-ins that can be easily integrated with Micro Saint Sharp by adding the necessary DLLs to their application folder and launching the application.
Inheritable Forms
A common scenario for our company is a customer wants to have a custom tool based on Micro Saint Sharp. For example, a customer might want a personalized tool that simulates how a hospital operates. There are a number of inputs that might change in such a simulation—the number of doctors and nurses, for instance. In the old version of the software, we had a tedious way to create these custom tools, which often led to developers doing the same steps for each project over and over, increasing the likelihood of errors. In addition, there was no way for bug fixes or enhancements to get added into the custom tools we developed. With the new version, there is a base form that developers can extend to add or subtract functionality from Micro Saint Sharp.
The base form works by letting you make a custom tool by creating a form that extends either the simulation engine or graph-drawing form. They can make extensive changes to the GUI of Micro Saint Sharp or the functionality of the simulation engine.
Thanks to this new form, we save several weeks of developer time for every custom tool project. Now developers can spend more time adding functionality to their applications, which lets us provide better service to our clients.
