Reserved Functions

Following are the reserved functions within plugins. While not all of these are reserved in the traditional sense, many of the listed Design Time functions are required for the plugin to compile and are used within the Core OS Platform. If a function is not required for compile, it is noted as optional.

For a list of reserved control names, see Reserved Control Names.

Note: Lua is case-senstive. For example, "string" and "String" are not the same.

Design Time Functions

Add properties to the plugin. These are user-configurable fields defined before running or emulating a design. Properties are defined in a table where each property is defined as an object with the following parameters.

Property Type Required? Description
Name String Yes

The property name displayed in the properties pane of Q-SYS Designer Software (QDS).
Type String Yes

Sets the type of property. Options:

  • "string"

  • " integer"

  • "double"

  • " boolean"

  • " enum"

See Type Properties for more information.
Value Varies Yes

Default value for the property. Type is dependent on property type - e.g. If Type = 'string' then Value = "A String".
Choices Table No

List of choice strings that will be displayed in a combo box. Only valid for 'enum' property type. eg {"Choice 1", "Choice 2"}.
Min Integer No

Defines lowest extent for a property. Valid for the 'integer' and 'double' property types.
Max Integer No

Defines the highest extent for a property. Valid for the 'integer' and 'double' property types.
Header String No

Define a Header this property will display below. Requires QDS 9.10 or Later
Comment String No

Define a comment to show below this property. Requires QDS 9.10 or Later

Type Properties

Type Description
string

A string. A default value is optional.
integer

A signed-long floating number. A default value is required.
double

A double floating point value. A default value is required.
boolean

A combo box with the Choices of 'Yes' or 'No'. In Runtime, the Value will return a true or false.
enum

A combo box of strings defined by Choices. A default value is not required (combo box will show blank until a selection is made).

 
function GetProperties()
  local properties = {}
  table.insert(properties,{
    Name = "String Property", 
    Type = "string", 
    Value = "This is a string"
  })
  table.insert(properties,{
    Name = "Integer Property",
    Type = "integer",
    Min = 0,
    Max = 100,
    Value = 50
  })
  table.insert(properties,{
    Name = "Double Property", 
    Type = "double", 
    Min = 0, 
    Max = 100, 
    Value = 50
  })
  table.insert(properties,{
    Name = "Enum Property",
    Type = "enum",
    Choices = {"Choice1", "Choice2", "Choice3"},
    Value = "Choice 1"
  })
  table.insert(properties,{
    Name = "Bool Property", 
    Type = "boolean", 
    Value = true
  })
  return properties
end

Returns the initial color of the plugin block when it is added to a design. A color is defined by a three value table of integers ranging from 0-255. The format is { Red, Green, Blue }.

Name Type Required? Description
Red Integer Yes

First index in table. Defines the intensity of red between 0 and 255.
Green Integer Yes

Second index in table. Defines the intensity of green between 0 and 255.
Blue Integer Yes

Third index in table. Defines the intensity of blue between 0 and 255.

 
-- Define the color of the plugin object in the design
function GetColor(props)
  return { 102, 102, 102 }
end

Returns the name of the plugin to display when it is pulled into a design. If a pretty name is not specified, QDS will display the name from the PluginInfo header. Values defined by properties of the plugin can be accessed inside this function via a table that is passed to this function as an argument.

Type Required? Description
String No

Defines the name to display on the component when pulled into a schematic page.

Tip: Version information defined in PluginInfo can be included by using PluginInfo.Version.

function GetPrettyName(props)
  return string.format("My Plugin Name %s", PluginInfo.Version)
end

Optional This function runs after a property change as a mechanism to adapt global variables and change visibility of properties when appropriate. Values defined by properties of the plugin can be accessed inside this function via a table that is passed to this function as an argument.

Name Type Required? Description
IsHidden Boolean No

Defines the visibility of a property in the properties pane of QDS.

 
function RectifyProperties(props)
  props["Number of PINs"].IsHidden = props["Use PIN"].Value == "No"
  return props
end

Optional. Used when a plugin will have multiple pages of user interface. Returns the table of page name objects. Each page name object must contain a “name” property for each desired page. Values defined by properties of the plugin can be accessed inside this function via a table which is passed to this function as an argument.

Property Required? Description
name Yes

Defines the name of the page you want to add to the plugin.

Tip: Pages are ordered as you define them in the table returned by this function.

This example defines a global list of page names and adds them to the plugin using the GetPages() function:

PageNames = { "Control", "Setup" }  --List the pages within the plugin
function GetPages(props)
  local pages = {}
  for ix,name in ipairs(PageNames) do
    table.insert(pages, {name = PageNames[ix]})
  end
  return pages
end

Note: PageNames is defined outside the GetPages() function to allow access elsewhere in the plugin. PageNames can be modified within the Get Pages() function to add pages based on property settings. However, even though PageNames appears to be global, it is merely a constant when viewed from outside the function. Therefore, changes made here do not carry over to other UI functions.

Return a table containing the control objects used within the plugin. Controls are persistent data objects stored within the design. They can be bound to user interface components and pins by the plugin. Values defined by properties of the plugin can be accessed inside this function via a table that is passed to this function as an argument.

Name Type Required? Description
Name String Yes

Name of the control.
ControlType String Yes

Defines the type of control. Options:

  • "Button"

  • "Knob"

  • "Indicator"

  • "Text"
DefaultValue See description No

Defines a default value for the control the first time the plugin code is compiled in a design. Type could be a Boolean, value, or string depending on the control's value.
UserPin Boolean No

Default is false. If true, pin will be available under "Control Pins" in the "Properties" pane of QDS.
PinStyle String No

Defines the style of pin when exposed. If not defined, and "UserPin" is true, the control pin will always be visible when the component is in the schematic page. Options:

  • " Input"

  • "Output"

  • "Both"

  • "None"
Count Integer No

Default is 1. Defines the number of controls created with these properties. If this value is greater than one, when accessed in the run-time code, the controls are created as an array.

Note: There are no specific properties for a "Text" control. You can define whether a text control is a text box, combo box, or list box in GetControlLayout().

Button-Specific Properties

Name Type Required? Description
ButtonType String Yes

Defines the control behavior of the button. Options:

  • "Toggle"

  • "Momentary"

  • "Trigger"

  • "StateTrigger" - For more information about StateTriggers read the help topic here.

  • "On"

  • "Off"

  • "Custom"

For a "String" button, use the "Custom" type.

Icon String No

Defines an icon for the control. The icon can be from QDS (e.g., "skull") or from a local file. To learn how the plugin compiler can encode a local image, see Plugin Compiler.
IconType String Yes (if Icon is defined)

Defines the format of the image file. The default value is 'Icon', and the 'Image' supports PNG (with alpha-channel) and JPG. Options: SVG, Image, Icon.
Max Integer Yes (if ButtonType is StateTrigger)

Defines the maximum value for a StateTrigger.
Min Integer Yes (if ButtonType is StateTrigger)

Defines the minimum value for a StateTrigger.

Note: The "Off", "On" and "Custom" options are the equivalent of the "Off", "On" and "String" push-actions as described in Q-SYS Help.

Knob-Specific Properties

Name Type Required? Description
ControlUnit String Yes

Defines the units of the control. Options:

  • "dB"

  • "Hz"

  • "Float"

  • "Integer"

  • "Pan"

  • "Percent"

  • "Position"

  • "Seconds"
Max Integer See Below

Defines the maximum value of the knob. Must be greater than the "Min" value. Default value and range limits are determined by the particular "ControlUnit" selected. See Knob-Specific Ranges for details.

Min Integer See Below

Defines the minimum value of the knob. Must be less than the "Max" value. Default value and range limits are determined by the particular "ControlUnit" selected. See Knob-Specific Ranges for details.

Knob-Specific Ranges

Control Unit Lower Limit Upper Limit

Default

Min

Default

Max

Min/Max

Required
dB -100 20 -100 20 Yes
Hz 20 20000 20 20000 Yes
Float -1,000,000,000 1,000,000,000 0 100 Yes
Integer -999,999,999 999,999,999 1 100 Yes
Pan -1 1 -1 1 No
Percent 0 100 0 100 Yes
Position 0 1 0 1 No
Seconds 0 87400 0 1 Yes

Indicator-Specific Properties

Name Type Required? Description
IndicatorType String Yes

Defines the type of indicator to be displayed. Options:

  • "Led"

  • "Meter"

  • "Text"

  • "Status"

 
function GetControls(props) 
  --[[
  This function uses a local 'controls' table. This should not be confused with the "Controls" table available during runtime
  --]]
  local controls = {}
  --single Control
  table.insert(controls,{
    Name = "TextBox",
    ControlType = "Text",
    UserPin = false,
    Count = 1
  })
  --multiple controls (note Count value)
  table.insert(controls,{
    Name = "LED Indicator",
    ControlType = "Indicator",
    IndicatorType = "Led",
    UserPin = true,
    PinStyle = "Output",
    Count = 5
  })
  return controls
end

Returns the layout and graphics tables that define the UI view of the plugin.

The layout table is comprised of objects that define how each of the controls defined in GetControls() will be shown in the plugin's UI. Each object's name must match a control defined in the GetControls() function. Note that if more than one of a specific control are defined, each control's name comprises of the control name followed by a space and then a numerical suffix. For example, a button control defined with a name of "myBtn" and set a "Count" of 3 in GetControls() would create controls called "myBtn 1", myBtn 2" and "myBtn 3", respectively.

The graphics table is comprised of objects for each of the unbound graphics in the UI, such as labels, images, and group boxes.

Layout Table Properties

Name Type Required? Description
Position Table Yes

Defines the position of the control. Given in the form {x,y}.
Size Table Yes

Defines the size of the control. Given in the form {x,y}.
Style String Yes

Defines how control is displayed. Options:

  • "Fader"

  • "Knob"

  • "Button"

  • "Text"

  • "Meter"

  • "Led"

  • "ListBox"

  • "ComboBox"

  • "None" - This can be used when a control needs to be hidden but access to its control pins is still required.
ClassName String No

Defines the Default CSS Class Name of the control for when it is dragged onto a UCI.
Color Table No

Defines the color of the control. Given in the form {r,g,b,alpha}. Alpha is optional.
Font String No

Default is "Roboto" with FontStyle="Regular". See Font and FontStyle Combinations for all valid combinations.
FontSize Integer No

Size of font used for text.

FontStyle String No

See Font and FontStyle Combinations for all valid combinations.
HTextAlign String No

Options:

  • "Center"

  • "Left"

  • "Right"

Default is "Center"
IsReadOnly Boolean No

Control cannot be changed at run-time. This is good for status readouts, not necessary for indicators. (Use Status Text control without this property.)

Margin Integer No

Sets margin for control. Default is 0.

Padding Integer No

Number of pixels to pad the control graphics. Default is 1.

PrettyName String No

Used to create alternate names for control pins. Use "~" to create a separate sub-level.

Radius Integer No

Same as CornerRadius.

StrokeColor Table No

Color of outline. Provided in the form {r,g,b,alpha}. Alpha is optional. Default is black {0,0,0}.
StrokeWidth Integer No

Thickness of outline. Default is 1.
VTextAlign String No

Options:

  • "Center"

  • "Top"

  • "Bottom"

Default is "Center"
ZOrder Signed Integer No

Sets the position of the control in the vertical plane. Range is -2147483648 to 2147483647. See notes on Object Layering below.

Button-Only Properties

Name Type Required? Description
ButtonStyle String Yes

Options:

  • "Toggle"

  • "Momentary"

  • "Trigger"

  • "StateTrigger"

  • "On"

  • "Off"

  • "Custom"

For a "string" type button, use "Custom'".
ButtonVisualStyle String No

Options:

  • "Flat"

  • "Gloss"

Default is "Gloss".

CornerRadius Integer No

Sets radius of corners
CustomButtonUp String No

Defines the string of a Custom button when in the up position.

CustomButtonDown String No

Defines the string of a Custom button when in the down position.
Legend String No

Defines a legend for the button.
OffColor Table No

Used only when UnlinkOffColor is true. Sets the color of the button when it's off. Provided in the form {r,g,b,alpha}. Alpha is optional.
UnlinkOffColor Boolean No

Allow a button to show two completely different colors for on and off states.
WordWrap Boolean No

Defines whether the legend text should wrap.

Fader-Only Properties

Name Type

Required?

 Description
ShowTextbox Boolean No

Add a text box to show the current control's value. Default is "false".

Meter-Only Properties

Name Type

Required?

 Description
BackgroundColor Table No

Sets background color for the meter. Provided in the form {r,g,b,alpha}. Alpha is optional.
MeterStyle String Yes

Options:

  • "Level"

  • "Reduction"

  • "Gain"

  • "Standard"
ShowTextbox Boolean No

Add a text box to show the current control's value. Default is "true".

Text-Only Properties

Name Type Required? Description
CornerRadius Integer No

Sets radius of corners
TextBoxStyle String No

Options:

  • "Normal"

  • "Meter"

  • "NoBackground"

Default is "Normal"
WordWrap Boolean No

Defines whether the legend text should wrap

Graphics Table Properties

Name Type Required? Description
Position Table Yes

Defines the position of the control. Given in the form {x,y}.
Size Table Yes

Defines the size of the control. Given in the form {x,y}.
Type String Yes

Options:

  • "Label" - Fixed text label

  • "GroupBox" - Outline to enclose controls with or without title

  • "Header" - Single line with header text

  • "Image" - An image except SVG (see SVG type)

  • "Svg" - Image
ZOrder Signed Integer No

Sets the position of the graphic in the vertical plane. Range is -2147483648 to 2147483647. See notes on Object Layering below.

GroupBox-Only Properties

Name Type Required? Description
CornerRadius Integer No

Sets radius of corners on the group box.
Radius Integer No

Same as CornerRadius.
Text String No

Default is no text shown.
Font String No

Default is "Roboto" with FontStyle="Regular". See Font and FontStyle Combinations for all valid combinations.
FontSize Integer No

Default FontSize varies by style type.
FontStyle FontStyle No

See Font and FontStyle Combinations for all valid combinations.
HTextAlign String No

Options: "Center", "Left", "Right". Default is "Center".
StrokeWidth Integer No

Defines the width of the stroke around the control. Default is 1. Options: 0-64.
StrokeColor Table or String No

Defines the color of the stroke around the control. Default is black. Table format is {r,g,b,alpha} (alpha is optional). String format is in hex, e.g. "#FFAAAAAA".
Color Table No

Text Color provided in the form {r,g,b}.
Fill Table No

Default is clear. Provided in the form {r,g,b,alpha}. Alpha is optional.

Header-Only Properties

Name Type Required? Description
Text String No

Default is no text shown.
Font String No

Default is "Roboto" with FontStyle="Regular". See Font and FontStyle Combinations for all valid combinations.
FontSize Integer No

Default FontSize varies by style type.
FontStyle FontStyle No

See Font and FontStyle Combinations for all valid combinations.
HTextAlign String No

Options:

  • "Center"

  • "Left"

  • "Right"

Default is "Center"
Color Table No

Set the text color. Provided in the form {r,g,b}.

Image/SVG-only Properties

Name Type Require? Description
Image String Yes

Contains the entire Base-64-encoded JPG/PNG/SVG string for the Image or Svg types.

Label-only Properties

Name Type Required? Description
Color Table No

Sets color of label. Provided in the form {r,g,b}.
CornerRadius Integer No

Sets radius of corners on the group box.
Radius Integer No

Same as CornerRadius.
Margin Integer No

Sets margin for control. Default is 0.
Padding Integer No

Number of pixels to pad the border around the text. Default is 1.
Text String No

Default is no text shown.
Font String No

Default is "Roboto" with FontStyle="Regular". See Font and FontStyle Combinations for all valid combinations.
Fill Table No

Default is clear. Provided in the form {r,g,b,aplha}. Alpha is optional.
FontSize Integer No

Default FontSize varies by style type.
FontStyle FontStyle No

See Font and FontStyle Combinations for all valid combinations.
HTextAlign String No

Options: "Center", "Left", "Right". Default is "Center".
VTextAlign String No

Options: "Center", "Top", "Bottom". Default is "Center"
StrokeWidth Integer No

Defines the width of the stroke around the control. Default is 1. Options: 0-64
StrokeColor Table or String No

Defines the color of the stroke around the control. Default is black. Table format is {r,g,b,alpha} (alpha is optional). String format is in hex, e.g. "#FFAAAAAA".

Font and FontStyle Combinations

Font Link to Example Styles
Adamina Adamina Regular
DroidSans No Link Regular, Bold
Lato Lato Regular, Hairline, HairlineItalic, LightItalic, Italic, Bold, BoldItalic, Black, BlackItalic, Light
Monserrat Montserrat Regular, ExtraBold, BoldItalic, Black, Medium, Bold, Light, SemiBold, LightItalic, ExtraLight, ExtraLightItalic, SemiBoldItalic, ThinItalic, Thin, BlackItalic, Italic, MediumItalic, ExtraBoldItalic
NotoSreif Noto Serif Regular, BoldItalic, Bold, Italic
OpenSans Open Sans Regular, Bold, Italic, BoldItalic, Light, Semibold, Extrabold, SemiboldItalic, ExtraboldItalic
Poppins Poppins Regular, Light, Medium, SemiBold
Roboto Roboto Regular, Black, Light, BoldItalic, LightItalic, Thin, MediumItalic, Medium, Bold, BlackItalic, Italic, ThinItalic
RobotoMono Roboto Mono Regular, Bold, Thin, Light
RobotoSlab Roboto Slab Regular, Bold, Medium, Thin, Light, Italic, BoldItalic, MediumItalic, ThinItalic, LightItalic
Slabo27px Slabo 27px Regular 
function GetControlLayout(props) 
  local layout = {}
  local graphics = {}

  --Example of a single textbox control
  layout["TextBox"]={
    Style="Text",
    IsReadOnly=true,
    Position={0,0},
    Size={100,16},
    TextColor={255,255,255},
    TextBoxStyle="NoBackground",
    FontSize=9,
    HTextAlign="Left",
    VTextAlign="Center"
  }
  
  --Example of defining multiple LED indicators  
  for idx = 1,5 do
    layout["LEDIndicator "..i]={
      PrettyName="LED~State",
      Style="LED",
      Color={0,255,0},
      OffColor={0,0,0},
      UnlinkOffColor=true,
      Position={0,20},
      Size={16,16},
      CornerRadius=8
    }
  end
  
  --Plugin Background Color - Note: As "Fill" and "StrokeColor" are the same color so there is no outline
  table.insert(graphics,{
    Type="GroupBox",
    Position={0,0},
    Size={200,200},
    Fill={0,0,0},
    CornerRadius=0,
    StrokeColor={0,0,0},
    StrokeWidth=1
  })

  --Label
  table.insert(graphics,{
    Type="Label",
    Text="This is a label",
    Position={0,40},
    Size={100,14},
    Color={255,255,255},
    FontSize=9,
    HTextAlign="Left"
  })

  return layout,graphics
end

Object Layering

QDS normally takes care of how controls and the graphics objects are overlaid over one another (the z-order). When building a plugin, ZOrder can be specified as a signed integer for controls and graphics to manually set where on the vertical plane an object resides. The higher the value, the closer to the front the object will be. The "stacking" of items using ZOrder applies equally to graphic elements and controls as they exist in the same layering scheme. This allows graphics to be placed above controls if required. In other words, what you do to any one graphic or control potentially has effects on any object on that page (graphic or control).

The ZOrder key can be added to the layout or graphic control definition at any point, as shown in the following example for a TextBox control.

layout["TextBox"]={
  Style="Text",
  IsReadOnly=true,
  Position={0,0},
  Size={100,16},
  ZOrder=23,
  TextColor={255,255,255},
  TextBoxStyle="NoBackground",
  FontSize=9,
  HTextAlign="Left",
  VTextAlign="Center"
}
                    

Note: If ZOrder is used to manually set the order on ANY control or graphic, it is recommended that it be used on all controls or graphics. Otherwise, strange effects may occur.

Using Multiple Pages

For plugins that use multiple pages, the control layout needs to be split into two distinct sections:

  • Controls and graphics that are common and appear on all pages.

  • Controls and graphics that only appear on a specific page.

Those that are common can be added as normal. However, an additional condition needs to be included to separate which controls are shown on which page.

This condition can use the numeric index value of the page:

Copy 
-- Common controls and graphics go here...

if props['page_index'].Value == 1 then
  -- Controls and graphics which appear on first page
elseif props['page_index'].Value == 2 then
  -- Controls and graphics which should appear on second page and so on
end

 

Alternately you can use the page's actual name instead:

Copy 
local CurrentPage = pagenames[props["page_index"].Value]

--Common controls and graphics go here 

if CurrentPage == "Page 1" then
  -- Controls and graphics which appear on "Page 1" here
elseif CurrentPage == "Page 2" then
  -- Controls and graphics which appear on "Page 2" here and so on...
end

Tip: A typical use case in a multi-page plugin is to alter the pages the plugin shows based on what property values are set. An array is used to define the default pages and then in GetProperties(), additional pages can be added based on the property settings. However, when GetControls() or Get ControlLayout() are called, the page name array will revert back to just the default pages. The changes made in GetProperties() will not carry over. As the page name array may be needed in GetControls() or GetControlsLayout(), the full array will need to be recreated from scratch from within these functions. The way to do that is to create a separate helper function that creates the full page name array based on the properties and call that helper function from within GetControls() or GetControlLayout() to recreate the page name array that's required.

Optional Use this function to embed one or more audio components into a plugin to allow it to do audio processing. The function returns a table of components to be used within the plugin. Any components added here will not be visible in the plugin's UI. Any required controls must be manually added to the UI. An event handler in the plugin run-time script section can be used to update the embedded component controls as required. For audio signals, use the GetPins() function to add audio pins to the plugin and GetWiring() to wire them to the embedded components. Values defined by the properties of the plugin can be accessed inside this function via a table that is passed to this function as an argument.

See Embedded Components for more information.

Name Type Required? Description
Name String Yes Name of the component (must not contain any spaces)
Type String Yes Defines the type of component, e.g. 'mixer', 'scriptable_controls', etc
Properties Table Yes Defines the value of any properties the component requires, e.g. the number of inputs or outputs

Note: While any component can be embedded into a plugin, consider whether it's necessary, as there are implications to the user of the plugin. Some components have limits on their usage in a design, such as how many instances can be included or how many channels can be used. Examples of such components include the Audio Player (maximum 32 channels) and Audio Recorder (one component, four channels max). Embedding such components in a plugin will add to the overall design channel count and component count for that type of component and if the design exceeds any maximums, this will cause the design to fail to compile. Since embedded components in a plugin are not visible to a user of the plugin, it may not be obvious to the user why the design compile is failing, which could lead to wasted time and frustration. In such circumstances, consider accessing a Named Component in the design for those types of components instead.

function GetComponents(props) 
  local components = {}
  table.insert(components,{
    Name = "MainMixer",
    Type = "mixer",
    Properties = {
      ["n_inputs"] = 8,
      ["n_outputs"] = 1,
    }
  })
  table.insert(components, {
    Name = "SignalPresence",
    Type = "signal_presence",
    Properties = {["multi_channel_type"] = 1}
  }
  return comp
end

Optional Add audio or serial pins to the plugin object. Controls may have pins not defined here. Values defined by properties of the plugin can be accessed inside this function via a table that is passed to this function as an argument. Pins are defined by an object containing the following properties:

Name Type Required? Description
Name String Yes

Name of the pin.
Direction String Yes

Defines the direction of pins shown. Options are :

  • "input"

  • "output"
Domain String No

Defines the type of pin. Pins are audio by default. Set to "serial" for a serial pin.

Note: This function can only be used to add audio or serial pins.

function GetPins(props) 
  local pins = {}
  table.insert(pins,{
    Name = "Audio Input",
    Direction = "input"
  })
  table.insert(pins,{
    Name = "Audio Output",
    Direction = "output"
  })
  return pins
end

Optional Returns a table of objects that describes the wire connections between components and plugin pins. Wire objects are a table of strings, defining the source and one of more destinations the wire connects. Pins must be referenced by component name and pin name. The following restrictions apply on what pins can be wired and where:

  • A plugin input pin can be connected to a component input pin or a plugin output pin.

  • A plugin input pin can be connected to multiple component input pins.

  • A component input pin can only be connected to a single plugin input pin.

  • A component output pin can be connected to multiple plugin output pins.

  • A plugin output pin can only be connected to a single component output pin

function GetWiring(props) 
  local wiring = {}
  --Plugin input pin (named in GetPins() as "In 1") to embedded component input pin 1
  table.insert(wiring,{
    "In 1",
    "main_mixer Input 1"
  })
  --Embedded component output pin 1 to plugin output pin (named in GetPins as "Out 1") 
  table.insert(wiring,{
    "main_mixer Output 1",
    "Mix Output"
  })
  return wiring
end

Tip: In QDS, you can use Tools > View Component Controls Info to help define any control pin names of a component.

Runtime

This information is provided to further increase understanding of QSC-authored plugins. These functions are not required to be added to a user-authored plugin. The following are common functions typically found in QSC-authored plugins. For a working example of these functions, see TCPSocket.

Sets flags based on Debug Print properties that are set before running, allowing end users to determine the print messages going to the debug window.

Sends data over a socket.

Flushes controls, variables, tables, and flags if the connection is disrupted or reset.

Set flags or trigger other functions once the connection has been established.

Reset any flags or trigger other functions if the connection is disrupted.

Initial data exchange from the device. This function is typically used to request data that is static (e.g. Serial Number).

Request data that needs to be polled for changes. This function is called at regular intervals to maintain connection health and verify the device is still reachable.

Handle data received over a socket. This function determines data context and sends to a more specific function for handling.

Called once when the plugin starts and is used to initialize and set up parts of the plugin that require it.