Custom SSIS Source: How do I make it create a new connection manager and display its properties window?

Question

I am writing a custom SSIS source that uses a standard SSIS Flat File Connection Manager. I have got a working UI that shows all usable connection managers in a dropdown list and allows the user to pick one. I would like to be able to have a button that
the user can click on to create a new connection manager, and it would open the properties window for the new connection manager so it can be set up.
Abridged code:
Public Class MyNewSourceUI
Implements IDtsComponentUI
Private MetaData As IDTSComponentMetaData100
Public Function Edit(ByVal parentWindow As IWin32Window, _
ByVal variables As Variables, _
ByVal connections As Connections) As Boolean _
Implements Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Pipeline.Design.IDtsComponentUI.Edit
Dim UIwin As New MyNewSourcePropertiesWindow(MetaData, connections)
Return (UIwin.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK)
End Function
Public Sub Initialize(ByVal dtsComponentMetadata As IDTSComponentMetaData100, _
ByVal serviceProvider As System.IServiceProvider) _
Implements Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Pipeline.Design.IDtsComponentUI.Initialize
MetaData = dtsComponentMetadata
End Sub
End Class
Public Class MyNewSourcePropertiesWindow
Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
Private _metadata As IDTSComponentMetaData100
Private _cnxions As Connections
Public Sub New(ByVal ComponentMetaData As IDTSComponentMetaData100, ByVal connections As Connections)
InitializeComponent()
_metadata = ComponentMetaData
_cnxions = connections
ShowConnections()
'Setup Existing Metadata '
End Sub
Private Sub ShowConnections()
Me.cboConnection.Items.Clear()
Me.cboConnection.Items.AddRange((
From i As ConnectionManager In _cnxions _
Where CType(i.Properties("CreationName").GetValue(i), String) = "FLATFILE" _
AndAlso CType(i.Properties("Format").GetValue(i), String) = "Delimited" _
Select i.Name).ToArray())
End Sub
Private Sub btnNewConnection_Click(ByVal sender as Object, ByVal e as System.EventArgs) Handles btnNewConnection.Click
Dim newconn As ConnectionManager = _cnxions.Add("FLATFILE")
ShowConnections()
Me.cboConnection.SelectedItem = newconn.Name
End Sub
Private Sub btnCancel_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnCancel.Click
Me.DialogResult = DialogResult.Cancel
Me.Close()
End Sub
Private Sub btnOK_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnOK.Click
'Store any metadata changes '
Me.DialogResult = DialogResult.OK
Me.Close()
End Sub
End Class
That's what I've got so far. I had assumed that adding a new connection would automatically display the properties window to the user (right?). However, in my tests, what actually happens is that it creates the new source with a random GUID for a name and no
other properties set up, and puts it in the connections pane, and that's it. Not real useful.
Obviously, something else is required to make the properties window appear, but I can't find what it is. There's no ShowUI() member on any of the classes I have, and I haven't been able to find out the name of the UI class that's used by the flat file source.
Does anyone know how this is done? I know it can be done, because such a button exists in the normal Flat File Source UI.

Answer 1

Yes, you need to drive the UI creation. I see you create a custom connection manager, in this case on how to build its UI please refer to http://kzhendev.wordpress.com/2013/08/07/part-2-adding-a-custom-ui-to-the-connection-manager/
Arthur My Blog