Creating items through the configuration client VS the MIP SDK

0053X00000FQRCWQA5 · November 7, 2022, 7:56pm

In our MIP SDK plugin integration, we have a custom sensor item. This item can either be automatically created from the background plug-in using the create Item method

of the ItemManager class of our sensor item, or manually created through the configuration client. But we noticed differences in behavior between the items manually created

and items created by the background plugin.

Automatically created items:

Are created by the background plugin by calling the CreateItem from the item manager class

        private void CreateNewSensor(string name, string tag_id) {
 
            // create a new ObjID
            Guid new_objId = Guid.NewGuid();
 
            // create a suggested FQID
            FQID suggestedFQID = new FQID(_connectedEAGL.FQID.ServerId, _connectedEAGL.FQID.ObjectId, new_objId, FolderType.No, EAGL_alarmDefinition.EAGL_sensorKind);
 
            // new user controls
            EaglSensorUserControl userControl = new EaglSensorUserControl();
            
            // new item manager instance
            EAGL_sensorItemManager item_manager = new EAGL_sensorItemManager(EAGL_alarmDefinition.EAGL_sensorKind);
 
            // use the item manager to create the item
            Item CurrentItem = item_manager.CreateItem(_connectedEAGL, suggestedFQID, tag_id);
 
 
            // set the item properties of the item
            CurrentItem.Properties["TagId"] = tag_id;
            CurrentItem.Properties["Sensor_name"] = tag_id;
 
            userControl.FillContent(CurrentItem);
 
            // save the item
Configuration.Instance.SaveItemConfiguration(EAGL_alarmDefinition.EAGL_alarmPluginId, CurrentItem);
 
            EnvironmentManager.Instance.Log(false, "EAGL_alarmBackgroundPlugin", "Created a sensor");
        }

note: I think the issue might lies in the suggested fqid definition

This is what the CreateItem method looks like:

		// automatically created items
		public Item CreateItem(Item parentItem, FQID suggestedFQID, String name)
		{
 
			EnvironmentManager.Instance.Log(false, "EAGL_alarmBackgroundPlugin automatic", suggestedFQID.ToString());
 
			CurrentItem = new Item(suggestedFQID, name);
			if (_userControl != null)
			{
				_userControl.FillContent(CurrentItem);
			}
			Configuration.Instance.SaveItemConfiguration(EAGL_alarmDefinition.EAGL_alarmPluginId, CurrentItem);
			return CurrentItem;
		}

created items visible in the management client

Manually creating items:

Differences between manually created items and automatically created items:

Only manually created item appear as possible source for rule trigger events (using our custom event)

Only automatically added items appear when getting a list of sensor items:

// get all the sensors here
                                        List<Item> sensors = Configuration.Instance.GetItemConfigurations(EAGL_alarmDefinition.EAGL_alarmPluginId, _connectedEAGL, EAGL_alarmDefinition.EAGL_sensorKind);

This call would only return sensor 1 and 2 but not the manually added sensors.

I am confused about the difference in the backend between manually created items and items created through the Item Manager. Can someone give me some insight as to what might be causing the difference between the two items?

Thank you

Bo_Ellegard_Andersen · November 10, 2022, 2:09pm

When comparing with the Sensor Monitor sample, in that sample you have Controllers and Sensors. Controllers don’t have parents, Sensors do.

When looking at your code we are guessing that you have Sensors without parent items, but in your code, you fill the parent when creating FQID and Item.

We think there is a mismatch here, and it goes both ways, the items will not list in the rules if there is an unknown or invalid parent, and in the GetItemConfigurations you ask for items with a certain parent which may be invalid. If you use parent null or guid.empty GetItemConfigurations might give you the item..

There is an element of guessing here. Hopefully our guesses are accurate enough for you to solve the issue. If this does not lead to a solution, try to go deeper into the comparison with the reference sample.