Run Arcmap commands from another application

Question

I have a windows forms application (Z application), is it possible to start Arcmap, and start the Editor or any other command I desire from the application (Z appliction) ?

So far I was able to initialize and bind the license, so now I am able to access feature classes using Arcobjects without starting arcmap, but I want to start Arcmap, add featurelayers, start editing, and then save those edits. The only missing part is the part where I am able to run arcmap and access the application to get the document.

here is the flow

        RuntimeManager.BindLicense(ProductCode.EngineOrDesktop); 
        IAoInitialize s = new AoInitializeClass();
        s.Initialize(esriLicenseProtCode.esriLicenseProductCodeAdvanced);

next step would be to start arcmap

        `Process.Start("arcmapDirectory")

Arcmap starts, then this is where I am stuck, I want to access the arcmap application, so I can get mxdocument, and commands.

Answer 1

This is VB.net rather than C# but you can probably get the process First import the libraries you need :e.g.

Imports ESRI.ArcGIS.esriSystem
Imports ESRI.ArcGIS.ArcMapUI
Imports ESRI.ArcGIS.Carto

etc.

Then create an application :

Private m_App As ESRI.ArcGIS.Framework.IApplication

Instantiate and create a document with some data sources :

Public Sub StartArcMap()
        If m_pDoc Is Nothing Then
            System.Windows.Forms.Cursor.Current = Cursors.WaitCursor

        'Start arcmap
        'm_pDoc = New MxDocumentClass

        Dim FrameDoc As ESRI.ArcGIS.Framework.IDocument = New 
        ESRI.ArcGIS.ArcMapUI.MxDocumentClass()
        m_App = FrameDoc.Parent
        m_App.Visible = True

        Dim pDoc As IDocument = m_App.Document()
        Dim pMxDoc As IMxDocument = CType(pDoc, IMxDocument)


        'Show arcmap
        m_App.Visible = True

        'Disable and enable buttons
        cmdStartArcMap.Enabled = False
        cmdAddData.Enabled = True
        cmdQuitArcMap.Enabled = True
        System.Windows.Forms.Cursor.Current = Cursors.Default

        Dim pActiveView As IActiveView
        pActiveView = pMxDoc.ActiveView

        Dim pFLayer As IFeatureLayer
        pFLayer = New FeatureLayer
        'Dim pFClass As IFeatureClass


        Dim pShpWSF As GxShapefileFactory
        pShpWSF = New GxShapefileFactory


        Dim DataPath As String
        DataPath = **"C:\DATA STUFF"**
        'DataPath = **"SOME WHERE"**
        'AddShapeFile(DataPath, m_pApp, pMxDoc, pActiveView)
        AddData(m_App, DataPath)


    End If
End Sub

Finally create the MXd and add the data :

Public Sub AddData(ByRef m_Application, Datapath)
        Dim objFactory As IObjectFactory = TryCast(m_Application, 
        IObjectFactory)

    'Use reflection to get ClsID of ShapefileWorkspaceFactory.
    Dim shpWkspFactType As Type = GetType(ShapefileWorkspaceFactoryClass)
    Dim typeClsID As String = shpWkspFactType.GUID.ToString("B")

    Dim workspaceFactory As IWorkspaceFactory = 
    DirectCast(objFactory.Create(typeClsID), IWorkspaceFactory)
    Dim featureWorkspace As IFeatureWorkspace =  
    DirectCast(workspaceFactory.OpenFromFile(Datapath, 0), 
    IFeatureWorkspace)

    Dim MxDType As Type = GetType(IMxDocument)
    Dim MxDClsID As String = MxDType.GUID.ToString("B")

    'Dim pMxDoc As IMxDocument = DirectCast(objFactory.Create(MxDClsID), 
    IMxDocument)
    Dim pMxDoc As IMxDocument = CType(m_App.Document, IMxDocument)


    Dim featureLayer As IFeatureLayer = 
    DirectCast(objFactory.Create("esriCarto.FeatureLayer"), IFeatureLayer)
    featureLayer.FeatureClass = featureWorkspace.OpenFeatureClass("wPoints")
    featureLayer.Name = featureLayer.FeatureClass.AliasName

    'Add the layer to the document.
    Dim document As IBasicDocument = DirectCast(m_Application.Document, 
    IBasicDocument)
    document.AddLayer(featureLayer)
    document.UpdateContents()

    Dim pFClass As IFeatureClass
    pFClass = featureWorkspace.OpenFeatureClass("wPoints")
    'pFClass = featureLayer.FeatureClass

    Dim pFeature As IFeature = pFClass.GetFeature(20)

That should be enough to see how one gets a handle on the Application, the Mxd, data and objects there in?