Before you start coding, ensure your planned coding is supported by looking at program language support page.

Ever since the beginning of the Add-on API, the following 4 standard requirement, see below, for initializing a plugin.

NOTICE: This is updated for Add-on API 4.0.

The following definition to this date are supported:

EXT_ICINIFILE
EXT_IDATABASE
EXT_IDATABASESTATEMENT
EXT_HKDATABASE (Required EXT_IDATABASE and EXT_IDATABASESTATEMENT)
EXT_IOBJECT
EXT_IEXTERNAL
EXT_IHALOENGINE
EXT_IOBJECT
EXT_IPLAYER
EXT_ICOMMAND
EXT_ITIMER (Required EXT_HKTIMER)
EXT_HKTIMER (Required EXT_ITIMER)
EXT_IADMIN

To create an Add-on, you need to provide information in addon_info structure:

addon_info EXTPluginInfo = { L"Your Plugin Name", //Plugin Name
			L"1.0.0.0", //Version
			L"Author", //Your name
			L"Simple description of what it does.", //Description
			L"Config folder", //Preferred configuration folder to be used for this plugin. (For ICIniFile interface usage)
			NULL, //Sector1 (Sector 1-5 is used for import the commands level from commands.ini
			NULL, //Sector2
			NULL, //Sector3
			NULL, //Sector4
			NULL};//Sector5

Then you need to provide the load and unload functions. Since it is variety in different language, I will provide standard parameter and return expectation. You can also look at UnitTest’s source codes too.

EAO_RETURN EXTOnEAOLoad(unsigned int hash) {
	// do whatever you need to initialize your plugin such as load settings, start functions need to check up, etc.
	// Including the commands to be append with our command listener system.
	return EAOCONTINUE; //Look in Add-on API.h's EAO_RETURN enum for all supported values.
}

void EXTOnEAOUnload(void) {
	// do whatever you need to stop your plugin such as save settings, end functions need to check up, etc.
	// Including to remove all of command from our command listener system. (May subject to change for self remove commands.)
}

Don’t know how to setup a plugin? Use this link to learn simple way to setup a plugin.

Once you have compile your Add-on, you need to use Add-on Converter application in order for Halo Extension to load your Add-on. Add-on Converter will validate your definition, hooks, etc, then convert it. You will find converted file in the same directory where you compiled it.

Have questions? Please use the Add-on API FAQ page before contacting us.

For complete list of APIs, please review below.

Tags: getting_started