PowerToys/doc/devdocs/modules/interface.md

Interface definition

class PowertoyModuleIface {
public:
  virtual const wchar_t* get_name() = 0;
  virtual const wchar_t** get_events() = 0;
  virtual bool get_config(wchar_t* buffer, int *buffer_size) = 0;
  virtual void set_config(const wchar_t* config) = 0;
  virtual void call_custom_action(const wchar_t* action) {};
  virtual void enable() = 0;
  virtual void disable() = 0;
  virtual bool is_enabled() = 0;
  virtual void destroy() = 0;
};

typedef PowertoyModuleIface* (__cdecl *powertoy_create_func)();

Runtime logic

The PowerToys runner will, for each PowerToy DLL:

• load the DLL,
• call powertoy_create() to create the PowerToy.

On the received object, the runner will call:

• get_name() to get the name of the PowerToy,
• enable() to initialize the PowerToy.

While running, the runner might call the following methods between create_powertoy() and destroy():

• disable()/enable()/is_enabled() to change or get the PowerToy's enabled state,
• get_config() to get the available configuration settings,
• set_config() to set settings after they have been edited in the Settings editor,
• call_custom_action() when the user selects a custom action in the Settings editor,

When terminating, the runner will:

• call disable(),
• call destroy() which should free all the memory and delete the PowerToy object,
• unload the DLL.

Method definition

This section contains a more detailed description of each of the interface methods.

powertoy_create_func

typedef PowertoyModuleIface* (__cdecl *powertoy_create_func)()

Typedef of the factory function that creates the PowerToy object. Must be exported by the DLL as powertoy_create().

Called by the PowerToys runner to initialize each PowerToy. It will be called only once before a call to destroy() is made.

The returned PowerToy should be in the disabled state. The runner will call the enable() method to start the PowerToy.

In case of errors returns nullptr.

get_name

virtual const wchar_t* get_name()

Returns the name of the PowerToy, it will be cached by the runner.

get_config

virtual bool get_config(wchar_t* buffer, int *buffer_size)

Fills a buffer with the available configuration settings.

If buffer is a null pointer or the buffer size is not large enough sets the required buffer size in 'buffer_size' and return false.

Returns true if successful.

set_config

virtual void set_config(const wchar_t* config)

After the user has changed the module settings in the Settings editor, the runner calls this method to pass the updated values to the module. It's a good place to save the settings as well.

call_custom_action

  virtual void call_custom_action(const wchar_t* action)

Calls a custom action in response to the user pressing the custom action button in the Settings editor. This can be used to spawn custom editors defined by the PowerToy.

enable

  virtual void enable()

Enables the PowerToy.

disable

  virtual void disable()

Disables the PowerToy, should free as much memory as possible.

is_enabled

  virtual bool is_enabled() = 0;

Returns the PowerToy state.

destroy

  virtual void destroy()

Destroy the PowerToy and free all memory.

Code organization

powertoy_module_interface.h

Contains the PowerToys interface definition.