Adding SCRIPT and LOOK UP components using C#

Hi,

Could you please tell me how to add SCRIPT and LOOK UP component to a data flow using C#? Also, is there any artilces/site which gives information about the SSIS programming?

Regards,

Gopi

Gopinath M wrote:

Also, is there any artilces/site which gives information about the SSIS programming?

from the bol: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms136025(sql.90).aspx

|||

Douglas,

The bol link gives information about the basic components and tasks. I'm looking for more information related to the components like LOOK UP transerformation, SCRIPT componenet, Conditional Branching component. Could you please let me if you know where we get reference material ?

Regards,

Gopi

|||

Adding components programatically is pretty much the same for any component - you just need to be aware of specific properties for each, and they are described in BOL.

The exception is the script component which relies on the VSA project infrastructure - we are looking to improve this capability in the future. Having said that, if you can programatically create a package, you certainly have the skills needed to write a custom component rather than using a script component - custom components are more flexible and easier to reuse, especially programatically.

Donald

Adding Reference and Importing .NET into Script Transformation

I have a .NET component that I want to import into a Script Transformation of a Data Flow. Going into the script code (editing Script transformation and clocking "Design Script" button), I try to "Add Reference" to the component (Add Reference selection under "Project" menu), but I do not see it - nor do I have the option to Browse for the component.

How do I establish a reference to an external .NET component so I can use it in my transformation? It seems unnecessary to have to add all of the class modules for the .NET component into the transformation or Copy/Paste the code from those same class modules just to execute that code?

Any ideas?

Many thanks...

You'll need to put the assembly into the framework folder for it to be found by the Add Reference dialog-

C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.<whatever>\

You will also need to GAC it for runtime.

|||Here is the current BOL comment on this subject, from the updated topic "Using the .NET Framework and Other Assemblies in the Script Component:"

The .NET tab of the Add Reference dialog box in Microsoft Visual Studio for Applications is largely limited to assemblies from the Microsoft .NET Framework class library. The contents of the list are determined by file location and not by installation in the global assembly cache (GAC) or by other assembly properties. The Add Reference dialog box in VSA does not include the Browse button that is present in Microsoft Visual Studio for locating and referencing other managed assemblies, and does not include the COM tab for referencing COM components. Furthermore, you cannot cause assemblies from other locations to be displayed in this list in VSA by adding other folder names under the AssemblyFolders registry key, as described in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for use with Visual Studio. For more information, see How to display an assembly in the Add Reference dialog box.|||

I have a very simple .dll with a method that returns a string.

I can see it, and therefore reference it through the script. However, when I run the package I get the following error:

Could not load file assembly ‘Test_dll’, version=1.0.0.0,Culture=neutral, Publickey=null’ or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.

What does it mean?

Thanks.
-w

|||I see that publickey is null, hence it's not strong named, hence it could not have been placed in the GAC. You need to strong name it (look up docs for sn.exe) and place it in the GAC (gacutil /if mydll.dll). Hope this helps.|||

Where do I add the DLL and GAC it - on the Client machine performing the development or on the local SQL Server machine?

|||Wherever you execute the package, so both.

I assume you will execute the package on the workstation during development, so it will need to be GAC'd there just for testing the package, and when you deploy to the server it will also need to be in the server's GAC.|||If the package is saved in File System as opposed to SQL Server, am I correct in assuming that the package, even initiated from a command prompt or BAT/CMD file, still "runs" on the SQL Server?|||The package runs on the machine that is running the bat file (dtexec).|||

DouglasL wrote:

Here is the current BOL comment on this subject, from the updated topic "Using the .NET Framework and Other Assemblies in the Script Component:"

The .NET tab of the Add Reference dialog box in Microsoft Visual Studio for Applications is largely limited to assemblies from the Microsoft .NET Framework class library. The contents of the list are determined by file location and not by installation in the global assembly cache (GAC) or by other assembly properties. The Add Reference dialog box in VSA does not include the Browse button that is present in Microsoft Visual Studio for locating and referencing other managed assemblies, and does not include the COM tab for referencing COM components. Furthermore, you cannot cause assemblies from other locations to be displayed in this list in VSA by adding other folder names under the AssemblyFolders registry key, as described in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for use with Visual Studio. For more information, see How to display an assembly in the Add Reference dialog box.

So is there a way to refence other assemblies from a VSA script task. For example we have a web service that uses WSE and need to reference this from our script. We also have a generic proxy which uses this which we need to reference. How do we do this?

The reason I'm asking is that I'm working with one of our .Net guys on this and he recoiled and squirmed his face when I talked about putting DLLs into Windows\Microsoft.Net\Framework folder. And I can kinda see his point. VSA does seem rather limited in this respect.

-Jamie|||Unfortunately there is not.

I likewise recoiled and squirmed about having individuals (including myself) cluttering the .NET Framework directory with their homemade DLLs, and squirmed even more about saying so in BOL...which is why the paragraph only hints at the solution for others to deduce.

A peculiar restriction indeed of VSA.
|||

DouglasL wrote:

Unfortunately there is not.

I likewise recoiled and squirmed about having individuals (including myself) cluttering the .NET Framework directory with their homemade DLLs, and squirmed even more about saying so in BOL...which is why the paragraph only hints at the solution for others to deduce.

A peculiar restriction indeed of VSA.

Thanks for the confirmation Doug.

We've got 2 options at the moment. Stick them in .NET framework dir or roll our own tasks. Guess which is looking most likely at the moment!!!

-Jamie|||Its worth pointing something out here that I believe to be true.

The DLL does need to get put into the .NET Framework directory as Doug has said - but only to enable you to use it at design-time. The DLL does not need to be there at runtime - VSA can pick it up from the GAC. To prove this - change the name of one of your DLLs that has been put in this folder in order for VSA to use it. You'll get errors at design-time because VSA won't be able to find the DLL but your package will still execute successfully if the DLL is GAC'd. This means that the DLL only has to go into the nasty .NET Framework directory on development machines - not on your machines that execute the packages in a live environment

Perhaps this is obvious to people that know .Net intimately but it was a pleasant surprise to me.

-Jamie|||Just for future reference, a BOL link to the topic Doug mentions. It doesn't highlight the runtime vs design-time GAC requirement though.

Using the .NET Framework and Other Assemblies in the Script Component

ms-help://MS.SQLCC.v9/MS.SQLSVR.v9.en/dtsref9/html/c3913c15-66aa-4b61-89b5-68488fa5f0a4.htm

Adding Reference and Importing .NET into Script Transformation

I have a .NET component that I want to import into a Script Transformation of a Data Flow. Going into the script code (editing Script transformation and clocking "Design Script" button), I try to "Add Reference" to the component (Add Reference selection under "Project" menu), but I do not see it - nor do I have the option to Browse for the component.

How do I establish a reference to an external .NET component so I can use it in my transformation? It seems unnecessary to have to add all of the class modules for the .NET component into the transformation or Copy/Paste the code from those same class modules just to execute that code?

Any ideas?

Many thanks...

You'll need to put the assembly into the framework folder for it to be found by the Add Reference dialog-

C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.<whatever>\

You will also need to GAC it for runtime.

|||Here is the current BOL comment on this subject, from the updated topic "Using the .NET Framework and Other Assemblies in the Script Component:"

The .NET tab of the Add Reference dialog box in Microsoft Visual Studio for Applications is largely limited to assemblies from the Microsoft .NET Framework class library. The contents of the list are determined by file location and not by installation in the global assembly cache (GAC) or by other assembly properties. The Add Reference dialog box in VSA does not include the Browse button that is present in Microsoft Visual Studio for locating and referencing other managed assemblies, and does not include the COM tab for referencing COM components. Furthermore, you cannot cause assemblies from other locations to be displayed in this list in VSA by adding other folder names under the AssemblyFolders registry key, as described in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for use with Visual Studio. For more information, see How to display an assembly in the Add Reference dialog box.|||

I have a very simple .dll with a method that returns a string.

I can see it, and therefore reference it through the script. However, when I run the package I get the following error:

Could not load file assembly ‘Test_dll’, version=1.0.0.0,Culture=neutral, Publickey=null’ or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.

What does it mean?

Thanks.
-w

|||I see that publickey is null, hence it's not strong named, hence it could not have been placed in the GAC. You need to strong name it (look up docs for sn.exe) and place it in the GAC (gacutil /if mydll.dll). Hope this helps.|||

Where do I add the DLL and GAC it - on the Client machine performing the development or on the local SQL Server machine?

|||Wherever you execute the package, so both.

I assume you will execute the package on the workstation during development, so it will need to be GAC'd there just for testing the package, and when you deploy to the server it will also need to be in the server's GAC.|||If the package is saved in File System as opposed to SQL Server, am I correct in assuming that the package, even initiated from a command prompt or BAT/CMD file, still "runs" on the SQL Server?|||The package runs on the machine that is running the bat file (dtexec).|||

DouglasL wrote:

Here is the current BOL comment on this subject, from the updated topic "Using the .NET Framework and Other Assemblies in the Script Component:"

The .NET tab of the Add Reference dialog box in Microsoft Visual Studio for Applications is largely limited to assemblies from the Microsoft .NET Framework class library. The contents of the list are determined by file location and not by installation in the global assembly cache (GAC) or by other assembly properties. The Add Reference dialog box in VSA does not include the Browse button that is present in Microsoft Visual Studio for locating and referencing other managed assemblies, and does not include the COM tab for referencing COM components. Furthermore, you cannot cause assemblies from other locations to be displayed in this list in VSA by adding other folder names under the AssemblyFolders registry key, as described in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for use with Visual Studio. For more information, see How to display an assembly in the Add Reference dialog box.

So is there a way to refence other assemblies from a VSA script task. For example we have a web service that uses WSE and need to reference this from our script. We also have a generic proxy which uses this which we need to reference. How do we do this?

The reason I'm asking is that I'm working with one of our .Net guys on this and he recoiled and squirmed his face when I talked about putting DLLs into Windows\Microsoft.Net\Framework folder. And I can kinda see his point. VSA does seem rather limited in this respect.

-Jamie|||Unfortunately there is not.

I likewise recoiled and squirmed about having individuals (including myself) cluttering the .NET Framework directory with their homemade DLLs, and squirmed even more about saying so in BOL...which is why the paragraph only hints at the solution for others to deduce.

A peculiar restriction indeed of VSA.|||

DouglasL wrote:

Unfortunately there is not.

I likewise recoiled and squirmed about having individuals (including myself) cluttering the .NET Framework directory with their homemade DLLs, and squirmed even more about saying so in BOL...which is why the paragraph only hints at the solution for others to deduce.

A peculiar restriction indeed of VSA.

Thanks for the confirmation Doug.

We've got 2 options at the moment. Stick them in .NET framework dir or roll our own tasks. Guess which is looking most likely at the moment!!!

-Jamie|||Its worth pointing something out here that I believe to be true.

The DLL does need to get put into the .NET Framework directory as Doug has said - but only to enable you to use it at design-time. The DLL does not need to be there at runtime - VSA can pick it up from the GAC. To prove this - change the name of one of your DLLs that has been put in this folder in order for VSA to use it. You'll get errors at design-time because VSA won't be able to find the DLL but your package will still execute successfully if the DLL is GAC'd. This means that the DLL only has to go into the nasty .NET Framework directory on development machines - not on your machines that execute the packages in a live environment

Perhaps this is obvious to people that know .Net intimately but it was a pleasant surprise to me.

-Jamie|||Just for future reference, a BOL link to the topic Doug mentions. It doesn't highlight the runtime vs design-time GAC requirement though.

Using the .NET Framework and Other Assemblies in the Script Component

ms-help://MS.SQLCC.v9/MS.SQLSVR.v9.en/dtsref9/html/c3913c15-66aa-4b61-89b5-68488fa5f0a4.htm

Adding custom property to custom component

What I want to accomplish is that at design time the designer can enter a value for some custom property on my custom task and that this value is accessed at executing time.

I thought this would involve adding a IDTSCustomProperty to the ComponentMetaData.CustomPropertyCollection and the right place to do this to mee seemed be in the ProvideComponentProperties() method:

IDTSCustomProperty90 property = ComponentMetaData.CustomPropertyCollection.New();
property.Name = "MyLittleProperty";

However, after compiling and redeploying the custom component and adding it to a package, the property does not show up in the editor.

Would anyone have suggestions on how what I want to do should be done right?

Thnx in advance,
Henk

Well, luckily it works after all. Closing down VS and restarting it did the trick. Probably kept reference to an old version of my custom component...|||You will need to restart VS everytime you recompile a component or task. You can set your project as the startup command for debugging the component, but it seems to take ages to load.

When testing the component execution side, set DTExec and a ready buildt package as the debug, as this is much faster.|||We've added a few tidbits that you might find interesting to the BOL topic on the subject of Custom Properties since the last CTP.

Creating Custom Properties

The call to the ProvideComponentProperties method is where component developers should add custom properties (IDTSCustomProperty90) to the component.

You can indicate that your custom property supports property expressions by setting the value of its ExpressionType property to CPET_NOTIFY from the DTSCustomPropertyExpressionType enumeration, as shown in the following example:

C# Copy Code IDTSCustomProperty90 myCustomProperty; ... myCustomProperty.ExpressionType = DTSCustomPropertyExpressionType.CPET_NOTIFY;

Visual Basic Copy Code Dim myCustomProperty As IDTSCustomProperty90 ... myCustomProperty.ExpressionType = DTSCustomPropertyExpressionType.CPET_NOTIFY

You can limit users to selecting a custom property value from an enumeration by using the TypeConverter property, as shown in the following example, which assumes that you have defined a public enumeration named MyValidValues:

C# Copy Code IDTSCustomProperty90 customProperty = outputColumn.CustomPropertyCollection.New(); customProperty.Name = "My Custom Property"; // This line associates the type with the custom property. customProperty.TypeConverter = typeof(MyValidValues).AssemblyQualifiedName; // Now you can use the enumeration values directly. customProperty.Value = MyValidValues.ValueOne;

Visual Basic Copy Code Dim customProperty As IDTSCustomProperty90 = outputColumn.CustomPropertyCollection.New customProperty.Name = "My Custom Property" ' This line associates the type with the custom property. customProperty.TypeConverter = GetType(MyValidValues).AssemblyQualifiedName ' Now you can use the enumeration values directly. customProperty.Value = MyValidValues.ValueOne

For more information, see "Generalized Type Conversion" and "Implementing a Type Converter" in the MSDN Library.

You can specify a custom editor dialog box for the value of your custom property by using the UITypeEditor property, as shown in the following example. First, you must create a custom type editor that inherits from System.Drawing.Design.UITypeEditor, if you are unable to locate an existing UI type editor class that fits your needs.

C# Copy Code public class MyCustomTypeEditor : UITypeEditor { ... }

Visual Basic Copy Code Public Class MyCustomTypeEditor Inherits UITypeEditor ... End Class

Then specify this class as the value of the UITypeEditor property of your custom property.

C# Copy Code IDTSCustomProperty90 customProperty = outputColumn.CustomPropertyCollection.New(); customProperty.Name = "My Custom Property"; // This line associates the editor with the custom property. customProperty.UITypeEditor = typeof(MyCustomTypeEditor).AssemblyQualifiedName;

Visual Basic Copy Code Dim customProperty As IDTSCustomProperty90 = outputColumn.CustomPropertyCollection.New customProperty.Name = "My Custom Property" ' This line associates the editor with the custom property. customProperty.UITypeEditor = GetType(MyCustomTypeEditor).AssemblyQualifiedName

For more information, see "Implementing a UI Type Editor" in the MSDN Library.

|||Great, thanks!|||

I have a question though...I followed those directions and I can get the enumerated list to show up in my transformation when added through SSIS.

My question now is, how do I access the property within the "ProcessInput" function?

|||

I would read the property value in PreExecute and store in a class level variable, but the code is the same regardless of location-

IDTSCustomProperty90 property = componentMetaData.CustomPropertyCollection[propertyName];
object o = property.Value;

|||Ahh, makes sense. Thank you.

Adding custom property to custom component

What I want to accomplish is that at design time the designer can enter a value for some custom property on my custom task and that this value is accessed at executing time.

I thought this would involve adding a IDTSCustomProperty to the ComponentMetaData.CustomPropertyCollection and the right place to do this to mee seemed be in the ProvideComponentProperties() method:

IDTSCustomProperty90 property = ComponentMetaData.CustomPropertyCollection.New();
property.Name = "MyLittleProperty";

However, after compiling and redeploying the custom component and adding it to a package, the property does not show up in the editor.

Would anyone have suggestions on how what I want to do should be done right?

Thnx in advance,
Henk

Well, luckily it works after all. Closing down VS and restarting it did the trick. Probably kept reference to an old version of my custom component...|||You will need to restart VS everytime you recompile a component or task. You can set your project as the startup command for debugging the component, but it seems to take ages to load.

When testing the component execution side, set DTExec and a ready buildt package as the debug, as this is much faster.|||We've added a few tidbits that you might find interesting to the BOL topic on the subject of Custom Properties since the last CTP.

Creating Custom Properties

The call to the ProvideComponentProperties method is where component developers should add custom properties (IDTSCustomProperty90) to the component.

You can indicate that your custom property supports property expressions by setting the value of its ExpressionType property to CPET_NOTIFY from the DTSCustomPropertyExpressionType enumeration, as shown in the following example:

C# Copy Code IDTSCustomProperty90 myCustomProperty; ... myCustomProperty.ExpressionType = DTSCustomPropertyExpressionType.CPET_NOTIFY;

Visual Basic Copy Code Dim myCustomProperty As IDTSCustomProperty90 ... myCustomProperty.ExpressionType = DTSCustomPropertyExpressionType.CPET_NOTIFY

You can limit users to selecting a custom property value from an enumeration by using the TypeConverter property, as shown in the following example, which assumes that you have defined a public enumeration named MyValidValues:

C# Copy Code IDTSCustomProperty90 customProperty = outputColumn.CustomPropertyCollection.New(); customProperty.Name = "My Custom Property"; // This line associates the type with the custom property. customProperty.TypeConverter = typeof(MyValidValues).AssemblyQualifiedName; // Now you can use the enumeration values directly. customProperty.Value = MyValidValues.ValueOne;

Visual Basic Copy Code Dim customProperty As IDTSCustomProperty90 = outputColumn.CustomPropertyCollection.New customProperty.Name = "My Custom Property" ' This line associates the type with the custom property. customProperty.TypeConverter = GetType(MyValidValues).AssemblyQualifiedName ' Now you can use the enumeration values directly. customProperty.Value = MyValidValues.ValueOne

For more information, see "Generalized Type Conversion" and "Implementing a Type Converter" in the MSDN Library.

You can specify a custom editor dialog box for the value of your custom property by using the UITypeEditor property, as shown in the following example. First, you must create a custom type editor that inherits from System.Drawing.Design.UITypeEditor, if you are unable to locate an existing UI type editor class that fits your needs.

C# Copy Code public class MyCustomTypeEditor : UITypeEditor { ... }

Visual Basic Copy Code Public Class MyCustomTypeEditor Inherits UITypeEditor ... End Class

Then specify this class as the value of the UITypeEditor property of your custom property.

C# Copy Code IDTSCustomProperty90 customProperty = outputColumn.CustomPropertyCollection.New(); customProperty.Name = "My Custom Property"; // This line associates the editor with the custom property. customProperty.UITypeEditor = typeof(MyCustomTypeEditor).AssemblyQualifiedName;

Visual Basic Copy Code Dim customProperty As IDTSCustomProperty90 = outputColumn.CustomPropertyCollection.New customProperty.Name = "My Custom Property" ' This line associates the editor with the custom property. customProperty.UITypeEditor = GetType(MyCustomTypeEditor).AssemblyQualifiedName

For more information, see "Implementing a UI Type Editor" in the MSDN Library.

|||Great, thanks!|||

I have a question though...I followed those directions and I can get the enumerated list to show up in my transformation when added through SSIS.

My question now is, how do I access the property within the "ProcessInput" function?

|||

I would read the property value in PreExecute and store in a class level variable, but the code is the same regardless of location-

IDTSCustomProperty90 property = componentMetaData.CustomPropertyCollection[propertyName];
object o = property.Value;

|||Ahh, makes sense. Thank you.

Adding Custom component to the Tool Box

Hi,

I was trying the SSIS programming samples,that comes with installation of SQL Server 2005, I want to load the ChangeCase DLL in the toolbox.

The readMe file gives the direction. It does not work. It says you will see component in once you see DataFlow Task button( clicking Choose Items in the tools box).

I cannot load the custom component to the toolbox, Can I get some help.

Thank you,

Have a quick look at this -

How do I install a task or transform component? - http://www.konesans.com/faq.aspx#installtask

You do not see you component in the "SSIS Data Flow Items" tab? If it is not listed there, then it is not installed correctly. Components must be place in the GAC so that they can be found at run-time. They must also be placed in the SSIS specific PipelineComponents folder so that they can be found by the designer. This is where the Choose Toolbox stuff looks. By default this is -

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\DTS\PipelineComponents

The location is actually defined in a registry key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\AssemblyFolders\DTS Pipeline Components". The AssemblyFolders is where VS searches for assemblies that can be added like this.