About the client:

Managing Editor Inc. (MEI) is providing innovative software solutions to a rapidly evolving publishing market. The company delivers a variety of automated pagination and workflow solutions to newspaper and magazine publishers, as well as to other print and electronic publishing markets.
MEI is a portfolio company of Adobe Systems Inc.

Requirement:

The QuickLink Plug-in allows you to link QuickSilver issue pages from the QuickLink application window to the open InDesign document. Preferences need to be set for the QuickLink plug-in before linking QuickSilver pages.

QuickLink application:

The QuickLink application used with either the QuickLink plug-in allows a user to quickly and efficiently navigate QuickSilver issues for the purpose of linking issue pages to the pagination document. QuickSilver objects are placements made in either the ALS or CLS layout application. QuickLink allows database updates and automatic folio generation.

MetaOption provided solution with following features:

• QuickLink Plug-in Preference.

• QuickLink Plug-in Login

• Contextual Menu.

• Link QuickSilver issue pages.

• Save Linked Documents.

• Close Linked Documents.

• Open Linked Documents.

• Edit Linked Documents.
  

• Update Linked Documents.

Architecture:

InDesign is a small host application with features implemented through client plug-ins. InDesign defines an architecture that determines how a plug-in interacts with the host. It also provides the building blocks from which each plug-in is made.

Object Models:

An object model is a set of rules or conventions that describes how objects are created and handled within a system. The C++ language implements an object model, describing an object as a contiguous block of memory (at its most basic level) and defining how that object is instantiated, behaves during its lifetime, and can be destroyed.
Object models can be used to map out how large, complex systems behave. The Microsoft® COM (Component Object Model) defines objects with functionality that is accessible through interfaces, making it possible to have distributed components.

Model-View-Controller (MVC)

The model-view-controller (MVC) architecture formalizes the relationships among input, output, and data processing.

InDesign Plug-ins uses COM Object Model, MVC architecture and various Design Patterns like, Observer, Façade, Chain of Responsibility, and Command etc.

Technology and Environment:

• Adobe InDesign CS3 SDK

• C++

• Development Environment:
  • Visual Studio .Net 2005
  • XCode 2.4.1
• Operating System:
  • Windows:
    • Windows XP or later
  • Macintosh (Power PC/MacIntel):
    • Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later