Add component attribute find number

The following journal is an extension of the code presented in the processing components tutorial.

This journal will recursively walk through the assembly structure and prompt for a "find number" to be added to each component as an attribute. Subsequent runs of the journal will ignore components that already have a unique find number attribute.

The journal does limited error checking, and due to the order of processing of subsequent runs, it may prompt for a find number for a component that already has one. In short, the code needs some improvements before it is put into a 'production environment'.

The code is offered 'as-is', the user is responsible for testing and any necessary edits for their environment.

'Journal to recursively walk through the assembly structure
' will run on assemblies or piece parts
' will step through all components of the displayed part
' and prompt for/add a "callout" attribute to each component
'NX 7.5, native
'February 29, 2012

'edit April 9, 2013: error handling more robust
' instead of using the generic ApplicationException, use NXException with associated error code
' to check for "attribute not found" error (NX error code: 512008)

Option Strict Off

Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports NXOpen
Imports NXOpen.UF
Imports NXOpen.Assemblies

Module NXJournal

Public theSession As Session = Session.GetSession()
Public ufs As UFSession = UFSession.GetUFSession()
Public lw As ListingWindow = theSession.ListingWindow
Dim componentList As New Dictionary(Of String, String)
Dim blnCancel As Boolean = False

'***** change the value of the following constant to your desired attribute title
Const attributeTitle As String = "MYCALLOUT"
'*******************************************

Sub Main()
Dim workPart As Part = theSession.Parts.Work
Dim dispPart As Part = theSession.Parts.Display
Dim blnGatheringInfo As Boolean = True
Dim i As Integer

Dim markId1 As Session.UndoMarkId
markId1 = theSession.SetUndoMark(Session.MarkVisibility.Invisible, "Start")

lw.Open()
For i = 0 To 1
Try
Dim c As ComponentAssembly = dispPart.ComponentAssembly
If Not IsNothing(c.RootComponent) Then
reportComponentChildren(c.RootComponent)
End If
Catch e As Exception
theSession.ListingWindow.WriteLine("Failed: " & e.ToString)
End Try
blnGatheringInfo = False
Next
'lw.WriteLine("Done processing")
lw.Close()

theSession.SetUndoMarkName(markId1, "Add callout attributes")
theSession.SetUndoMarkVisibility(markId1, Nothing, Session.MarkVisibility.Visible)

End Sub
'**********************************************************
Sub reportComponentChildren(ByVal comp As Component)

For Each child As Component In comp.GetChildren()
'*** insert code to process component or subassembly
If blnCancel Then
Exit Sub
Else
processComponent(child)
reportComponentChildren(child)
End If
Next
End Sub
'**********************************************************
Sub processComponent(ByRef myComp As Component)
Dim previousValue As String = ""
Dim currentValue As String = ""

If blnCancel Then
Exit Sub
End If

If componentList.ContainsKey(myComp.DisplayName) Then
'component is in list
previousValue = componentList.Item(myComp.DisplayName)
'add code to validate attribute value here
Try
'is the attribute set on this component, and does it match the value in the list?
currentValue = myComp.GetStringAttribute(attributeTitle)
If currentValue <> previousValue Then
myComp.SetAttribute(attributeTitle, previousValue)
End If
Catch ex As NXException
'512008 = attribute not found
If ex.ErrorCode = 512008 Then
'component is in list but does not have the attribute, create attribute and set to value in list
myComp.SetAttribute(attributeTitle, previousValue)
Else
'some other error occurred
lw.WriteLine("## Error: " & ex.ErrorCode & " : " & ex.ToString)
End If
End Try
Else
'component is not yet in list
Try
'it is possible the component has the attribute assigned from a previous run
'or manual entry, but the component has not been processed yet by this run
currentValue = myComp.GetStringAttribute(attributeTitle)
If ValueExists(currentValue) Then
'attribute has been assigned, but the value is already in use by a different component
AssignAttribute(myComp)
Else
'attribute has been assigned and is unique among components processed so far
componentList.Add(myComp.DisplayName, currentValue)
End If

Catch ex As NXException
If ex.ErrorCode = 512008 Then
'component does not have attribute
AssignAttribute(myComp)
Else
'some other error occurred
lw.WriteLine("## Error: " & ex.ErrorCode & " : " & ex.ToString)
End If
End Try

End If

End Sub
'**********************************************************
Function ValueExists(ByVal value As String) As Boolean

For Each key As String In componentList.Keys
If value = componentList.Item(key) Then
Return True
Exit Function
End If
Next
Return False

End Function
'**********************************************************
Sub AssignAttribute(ByRef theComponent As Component)

Dim newValue As String = ""
Dim temp As String = ""
Dim i As Integer = 1

Do While ValueExists(i.ToString)
i += 1
Loop
Do
temp = newValue
newValue = InputBox("Enter value of " & attributeTitle & " for component: " & theComponent.DisplayName, theComponent.DisplayName, i.ToString)
If newValue = "" Then
'user pressed cancel
blnCancel = True
Exit Sub
End If
If ValueExists(newValue) Then
MsgBox("Value: " & newValue & " is already in use, please enter a new value", MsgBoxStyle.Exclamation + MsgBoxStyle.OkOnly, "Error")
End If
'add code to validate entered value
Loop While ValueExists(newValue)
componentList.Add(theComponent.DisplayName, newValue)
theComponent.SetAttribute(attributeTitle, newValue)

End Sub
'**********************************************************
Public Function GetUnloadOption(ByVal dummy As String) As Integer
Return Session.LibraryUnloadOption.Immediately
End Function
'**********************************************************

End Module