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How to: Activate Add-ins with Different Isolation and Security Levels

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You can activate an add-in by using different application domain and process configurations to suit your isolation and security requirements. The Activate method overloads of the AddInToken class provide the following choices for activating an add-in:

  • In its own application domain, which is automatically generated by the system.

  • In an existing application domain, with or without other add-ins.

  • In the same environment (application domain and process) as another add-in.

  • In a new, external process that is separate from the host's process. The new process can include other add-ins that share that process.

When you activate an add-in in a new application domain or process, you must specify a security level by using either an AddInSecurityLevel or a PermissionSet object. For more information about activating add-ins, see Add-in Activation.

The following procedures show how to implement these activation options by using the Activate method overloads. The examples assume that the pipeline segment and add-in caches have been built, and that one or more add-ins have been found and returned in an AddInToken collection named tokens. For more information about how to build the cache files and find add-ins, see Add-in Discovery.

To activate an add-in in a new application domain

  • Use the Activate<T>(AddInSecurityLevel) or Activate<T>(PermissionSet) method overload.

    'Ask the user which add-in they would like to use.
Dim selectedToken As AddInToken = ChooseAddIn(tokens)
'Activate the selected AddInToken in a new
'application domain with the Internet trust level.
Dim CalcAddIn As Calculator = selectedToken.Activate(Of Calculator)(AddInSecurityLevel.Internet)
'Run the add-in using a custom method.
RunCalculator(CalcAddIn)

    //Ask the user which add-in they would like to use.
AddInToken selectedToken = ChooseAddIn(tokens);

//Activate the selected AddInToken in a new
//application domain with the Internet trust level.
Calculator CalcAddIn = selectedToken.Activate<Calculator>(AddInSecurityLevel.Internet);

//Run the add-in using a custom method.
RunCalculator(CalcAddIn);

To activate an add-in in the same application domain as another add-in

  • Use the Activate<T>(AppDomain) method overload.

    ' Get the application domain
' of an existing add-in (CalcAddIn).

Dim aiCtrl As AddInController = AddInController.GetAddInController(CalcAddIn)
Dim AddInAppDom As AppDomain = aiCtrl.AppDomain

' Activate another add-in in the same appliation domain.
Dim CalcAddIn3 As Calculator = selectedToken2.Activate(Of Calculator)(AddInAppDom)

' Show that the CalcAddIn3 was loaded
' into CalcCaddIn's application domain.
Dim aic As AddInController = AddInController.GetAddInController(CalcAddIn3)
Console.WriteLine("Add-in loaded into existing application domain: {0}", _
 aic.AppDomain.Equals(AddInAppDom))

    // Get the application domain
// of an existing add-in (CalcAddIn).
AddInController aiCtrl = AddInController.GetAddInController(CalcAddIn);
AppDomain AddInAppDom = aiCtrl.AppDomain;

// Activate another add-in in the same application domain.
Calculator CalcAddIn3 =
    selectedToken2.Activate<Calculator>(AddInAppDom);

// Show that CalcAddIn3 was loaded
// into CalcAddIn's application domain.
AddInController aic = AddInController.GetAddInController(CalcAddIn3);
Console.WriteLine("Add-in loaded into existing application domain: {0}",
    aic.AppDomain.Equals(AddInAppDom));

To activate an add-in in the same application domain and process as another add-in

  • Use the Activate<T>(AddInEnvironment) method overload.

    ' Get the AddInController of a 
' currently activated add-in (CalcAddIn).
Dim aiController As AddInController = AddInController.GetAddInController(CalcAddIn)

' Select another token.
Dim selectedToken2 As AddInToken = ChooseAddIn(tokens)

' Activate a second add-in, CalcAddIn2, in the same
' appliation domain and process as the first add-in by passing
' the first add-in's AddInEnvironment object to the Activate method.

Dim aiEnvironment As AddInEnvironment = aiController.AddInEnvironment
Dim CalcAddIn2 As Calculator = _
    selectedToken2.Activate(Of Calculator)(aiEnvironment)

' Get the AddInController for the second add-in to compare environments.
Dim aiController2 As AddInController = AddInController.GetAddInController(CalcAddIn2)

Console.WriteLine("Add-ins in same application domain: {0}", _
    aiController.AppDomain.Equals(aiController2.AppDomain))
Console.WriteLine("Add-ins in same process: {0}", _
    aiEnvironment.Process.Equals(aiController2.AddInEnvironment.Process))

    // Get the AddInController of a 
// currently actived add-in (CalcAddIn).
AddInController aiController = AddInController.GetAddInController(CalcAddIn);

// Select another token.
AddInToken selectedToken2 = ChooseAddIn(tokens);

// Activate a second add-in, CalcAddIn2, in the same
// appliation domain and process as the first add-in by passing
// the first add-in's AddInEnvironment object to the Activate method.
AddInEnvironment aiEnvironment = aiController.AddInEnvironment;
Calculator CalcAddIn2 =
    selectedToken2.Activate<Calculator>(aiEnvironment);

// Get the AddInController for the second add-in to compare environments.
AddInController aiController2 = AddInController.GetAddInController(CalcAddIn2);
Console.WriteLine("Add-ins in same application domain: {0}", aiController.AppDomain.Equals(aiController2.AppDomain));
Console.WriteLine("Add-ins in same process: {0}", aiEnvironment.Process.Equals(aiController2.AddInEnvironment.Process));

To activate an add-in in a new process

  • Use the Activate<T>(AddInProcess, AddInSecurityLevel) or Activate<T>(AddInProcess, PermissionSet) method overload.

    ' Create an external process.
Dim pExternal As New AddInProcess()

' Activate an add-in in the external process
' with a full trust security level.
Dim CalcAddIn4 As Calculator = _
    selectedToken.Activate(Of Calculator)(pExternal, _
        AddInSecurityLevel.FullTrust)

' Show that the add-in is an an external process
' by verifying that it is not in the current (host's) process.
Dim AddinCtl As AddInController = AddInController.GetAddInController(CalcAddIn4)
Console.WriteLine("Add-in in host's process: {0}", _
 AddinCtl.AddInEnvironment.Process.IsCurrentProcess)

    // Create an external process.
AddInProcess pExternal = new AddInProcess();

// Activate an add-in in the external process
// with a full trust security level.
Calculator CalcAddIn4 =
    selectedToken.Activate<Calculator>(pExternal,
    AddInSecurityLevel.FullTrust);

// Show that the add-in is an an external process
// by verifying that it is not in the current (host's) process.
AddInController AddinCtl = AddInController.GetAddInController(CalcAddIn4);
Console.WriteLine("Add-in in host's process: {0}",
    AddinCtl.AddInEnvironment.Process.IsCurrentProcess);

See Also

Concepts

Add-in Discovery

Add-in Developer Experience

Other Resources

Add-ins and Extensibility