Creating a custom device
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CatTools provides a facility to create your own custom device type and script files should your device not be supported by one of the pre-defined device types.


Pre-requisites

A reasonable understanding or experience of Visual Basic Scripting is assumed in order to successfully add custom scripts to CatTools.
However, the help file documentation and comments within the example code template files found in the /Templates sub folder of the CatTools root directory, should provide a reasonable level of assistance for a technically competant novice to follow.
 

Overview

To add support for a device in CatTools, two files are required:
 
1) The device type file (.ini file), which defines the following:  
·device type name,  
·device ID,  
·the user interface field values and defaults which are displayed in the device form when adding or editing a device.  
 
2) The device script file (.txt file), which contains device type specific code to allow CatTools to login to the device, enter and exit different modes, perform different activities (e.g. configuration backups, send CLI commands, modify configuration) and parse command output data for reports.  
 
The device script file also contains function calls and references to variables within the internal CatTools program code. These are prefixed with 'cl.' A list of these cl. functions and variables have also been made available within this chapter to help assist in the development of your custom device script.
 
 
·How to create a custom device - a simple step-by-step guide on how to create a custom device  
·The custom device type file (.ini) - detailed information on the .ini file and how to create one for a custom device type  
·The custom device script file (.txt) - detailed information on the .txt file and how to create the custom device script  
·cl. variables and functions - information on the CatTools internal variables and functions exposed to the custom device script file  
·Testing your custom device - help and tips on testing your custom device