Handy Backup / Support / Handy Backup User Manual / Instructions for Plug-in Creation

Instructions for Plug-in Creation

We offer you to create your own plug-in. If you send us your plug-in, you will be given a free Handy Backup copy and your plug-in will be available for downloading on this site. This allows you to make the data backup process of often used applications easier.

Each plug-in represents a well-formed XML document written according to XML 1.0 specification (http://www.w3.org/TR/xml). Plug-in must contain the following essential parts - Prolog and only one root element (which looks like <root></root>). The root element must contain only one Description and several Backup elements.

Prolog

Prolog is a mandatory part of XML document that contains general information about the document. In our case it can be the next line: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>.

Description element

This element contains information about this specific plug-in. All information is written as text data in its child elements. The following child elements are available:

Name - application name, for which plug-in is created.
Group - category name that contains this application (list of categories you can find on our site).
Version - compatible application versions, .for which plug-in is created.
Author - plug-in author name.

Example #1

Backup element

This element contains the information about the data, which this plug-in backups. There may be several elements. It is obligatory to indicate the attribute id, which identifies the element unambiguously, even if there is only 1 Backup element.

Available child elements:

Path - It contains the information for determining full path to the folder, where the application which we backup is installed. This path may be used with the help of the expression "$PATH$" within the limits of the element. There may be several Path elements; the real application path is determined by the first correct element. Available child elements within the Path element include:
- Type - the type of a search algorithm. The possible values 1,2,3 for your choice (see "Search algorithms").
- KeyPath - the relative registry path.
- KeyValue - the name of a registry value.
- FileName - the name of a file.
- IncludeSub - the registry search optimization parameter (to include subdirectories or not). The possible values TRUE (true), FALSE (false). Used if Type=3. The default value=FALSE.
Example #2
File - Contains the path to the file, which must be backed up.
Folder - Contains the path to the folder, which must be backed up. All the subdirectories of the stated directory are always backed up.
Example #3
Registry - Contains the path to the registry key, which must be backed up. The subkeys of the stated key are always backed up.
Example #4

For indicating paths to folders use standard Windows Environmental Variables.

The list of some of them you can see here.

An example of ACDSee data backup plug-in

To check the work of created plug-in, it is necessary to add it to the folder ProgramFiles/Novosoft/HandyBackup/Xmlplugins, create and perform a new task.

Search algorithms

3 algorithms of the path search on the given parameters in the element "Path" are realized. The type of an algorithm is given by the element "Type". The possible values 1,2,3:

There is a key search in the path of the Registry "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\<KeyPath>". If the key is found, we look for the variable <KeyValue> in this key. If there is the variable, we read it. There must be the path to the folder where the program is located. We look for the file <FileName> on this path. If this file exists, it means this is the needed path. Hence, the search is unzipped.
There is a search of the key, containing the information about the file extension associated with the program, in the path of the Registry "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\<KeyPath>". If the key is found, we look for the variable <KeyValue> in this key. If there is the variable, we read it. There must be the path to the folder, where it is the program, in the following format: <the path to the folder>, <identifier>. We look for file <FileName> on this path. If this file exists, it means that this is the needed path. Hence, the search is unzipped.
There is a key search in the path of the Registry "<KeyPath>". If the key is found, we look for the variable <KeyValue> in this key. If there is the variable, we read it. There must be the path to the folder, where it is the program. We look for the file <FileName> on this path. If this file exists, it means this is the needed path. Hence, the search is unzipped. If the value <IncludeSub>=TRUE, then, if the search fails, there is the search of values of all keys included in <KeyPath>.

Windows Environmental Variables

$PATH$ - path to the folder, where the program is installed. It is determined in the element <Path>.

Variables for the description of path to system folders Windows:

$ADMINTOOLS$ - File system directory that is used to store administrative tools for an individual user
$ALTSTARTUP$ - File system directory that corresponds to the user’s nonlocalized Startup program group.
$APPDATA$ - File system directory that serves as a common repository for application-specific data. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data
$CDBURN_AREA$ - File system folder used to hold data for burning to a CD. Typically [User Profile Folder]\Local Settings\Applications Data\Microsoft\CD Burning.
$COMMON_ADMINTOOLS$ - File system directory containing administrative tools for all users of the computer.
$COMMON_ALTSTARTUP$ - File system directory that corresponds to the nonlocalized Startup program group for all users. Valid only for Windows NT systems.
$COMMON_APPDATA$ - Application data for all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data.
$COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY$ - File system directory that contains files and folders that appear on the desktop for all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop. Valid only for Windows NT systems.
$COMMON_DOCUMENTS$ - File system directory that contains documents that are common to all users. Typical paths are C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents.
$COMMON_FAVORITES$ - File system directory that serves as a common repository for all users’ favorite items. Valid only for Windows NT systems.
$ COMMON_MUSIC$ - My Music folder for all users.
$COMMON_PICTURES$ - My Pictures folder for all users.
$COMMON_PROGRAMS$ - File system directory that contains the directories for the common program groups that appear in the Start Menu for all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs. Valid only for Windows NT systems.
$COMMON_STARTMENU$ - File system directory that contains the programs and folders that appear on the Start Menu for all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu. Valid only for Windows NT systems.
$COMMON_STARTUP$ - File system directory that contains the programs that appear in the Startup folder for all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. Valid only for Windows NT systems.
$COMMON_TEMPLATES$ - File system directory that contains the templates that are available to all users. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Templates. Valid only for Windows NT systems.
$COMMON_VIDEO$ - My Video folder for all users.
$CONTROLS$ - Virtual folder that contains icons for Control Panel applications.
$COOKIES$ - File system directory that serves as a common repository for Internet cookies. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Cookies.
$DESKTOP$ - Windows desktop-virtual folder that is the root of the name space.
$FAVORITES$ - File system directory that serves as a common repository for the user’s favorite items. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Favorites.
$FONTS$ - Virtual folder that contains fonts. A typical path is C:\WINNT\Fonts.
$HISTORY$ - File system directory that serves as a common repository for Internet history items.
$INTERNET_CACHE$ - File system directory that serves as a common repository for temporary Internet files. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Temporary Internet Files.
$LOCAL_APPDATA$ - File system directory that serves as a data repository for local (nonroaming) applications. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data.
$MYMUSIC$ - File system directory that serves as a common repository for music files. A typical path is C:\My Music.
$MYPICTURES$ - My Pictures folder. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Pictures.
$MYVIDEO$ - File system directory that serves as a common repository for video files.
$NETHOOD$ - A file system folder that contains the link objects that can exist in the My Network Places virtual folder. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\NetHood.
$PERSONAL$ - File system directory that serves as a common repository for documents. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents. This is different from the My Documents virtual folder in the name space.
$PRINTHOOD$ - File system directory that contains the link objects that can exist in the Printers virtual folder. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\PrintHood.
$PROFILE$ - User’s profile folder.
$PROGRAM_FILES$ - Program Files folder. A typical path is C:\Program Files.
$PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON$ - A folder for components that are shared across applications. A typical path is C:\Program Files\Common. Valid only for Windows NT and Windows 2000 systems.
$PROGRAMS$ - File system directory that contains the user’s program groups (which are also file system directories). A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs.
$RECENT$ - File system directory that contains the user’s most recently used documents. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Recent.
$SENDTO$ - File system directory that contains Send To menu items. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\SendTo.
$STARTMENU$ - File system directory that contains Start Menu items. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu.
$STARTUP$ - File system directory that corresponds to the user’s Startup program group. The system starts these programs whenever any user logs onto Microsoft Windows NT or starts Microsoft Windows 98. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs\Startup.
$SYSTEM$ - System folder. A typical path is C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32
$TEMPLATES$ - File system directory that serves as a common repository for document templates.
$WINDOWS$ - Windows directory or SYSROOT. This corresponds to the %windir% or %SYSTEMROOT% environment variables. A typical path is C:\WINNT.