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Adding and Removing Custom Functoids from the Visual Studio Toolbox

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This topic describes how to add custom functoids to and remove custom functoids from the Visual Studio Toolbox.

Adding Custom Functoids to Visual Studio

Custom functoids must be added to the Visual Studio Toolbox before they can be used in a map. Use the following procedure to add custom functoids.

To add a custom functoid

  1. Add the functoid to the Visual Studio Toolbox.

    1. Using Windows Explorer, find the assembly that implements your custom functoids.

    2. Copy the assembly to the <BizTalk Server installation folder>\Developer Tools\Mapper Extensions directory. This is where BizTalk Mapper looks for custom functoids.

    3. From a Visual Studio BizTalk project, on the Tools menu, click Choose Toolbox Items.

    4. In the Choose Toolbox items dialog box, click the BizTalk Mapper Functoids tab.

    5. Click Reset, and then click OK. This process may take a few moments.

      Your custom functoids should now appear in the Toolbox under tabs matching their category.

      - OR -

    6. From a Visual Studio BizTalk project, on the Tools menu, click Choose Toolbox Items.

    7. In the Choose Toolbox items dialog box, click the BizTalk Mapper Functoids tab.

    8. Click Reset, and then click OK.

      Note

      If your custom functoid does not expose any inline code, make sure its assembly is made available in the global assembly cache.

    9. On the File menu, click Exit to close Visual Studio.

    10. Start Visual Studio Command Prompt.

    11. At the command prompt, type devenv /setup.

    12. Start Microsoft Visual Studio.

      The custom functoid(s) should appear in the appropriate tab.

  2. Add the assembly to the global assembly cache. If your assembly contains only inline functoids, then you can skip this step.

    1. Start Visual Studio Command Prompt.

    2. Switch to the folder containing your assembly.

    3. At the command prompt, type gacutil /if <assembly_path >. For example, if your assembly name is FunctoidLibrary.dll, then type gacutil /if FunctoidLibrary.dll.

    4. When you are finished, type exit.

Removing Custom Functoids from Visual Studio

Use the following procedure to remove custom functoids.

To remove a custom functoid

  1. Remove the functoid from the Visual Studio Toolbox.

    1. From a Visual Studio BizTalk project, on the Tools menu, click Choose Toolbox Items.

    2. In the Choose Toolbox items dialog box, click the BizTalk Mapper Functoids tab.

    3. Find the custom functoid in the list, select the Remove check box, and then click OK.

      - OR -

    4. While editing a map in a Visual Studio BizTalk project, click the Toolbox tab to bring up the Toolbox Palette.

    5. Click the functoid group containing your custom functoid.

    6. Right-click the functoid you want to remove, and then click Delete or press the delete key.

  2. Remove the functoid assembly from the Developer Tools\Mapper Extensions directory.

    Caution

    If an assembly contains active functoids, then do not remove it. Doing so will break other maps.

    1. Start Windows Explorer and navigate to the Developer Tools\Mapper Extensions directory of BizTalk Server.

    2. Right-click the assembly containing the removed functoid, and then click Delete to remove the file.

  3. Remove the functoid assembly from the global assembly cache. If your assembly contains only inline functoids, then you can skip this step.

    Caution

    If an assembly contains active functoids, then do not remove it from the global assembly cache. Doing so will break other maps.

    1. Start Visual Studio Command Prompt.

    2. At the command prompt, type gacutil /u <assembly_display_name>. For example, if your assembly name is FunctoidLibrary.dll, then type gacutil /if FunctoidLibrary.

    3. When you are finished, type exit.

See Also

Developing Custom Functoids