About Integrated Scripts

Integrated Scripts

Extend the functionality of Unsniff by adding your Ruby or VBScript tools to Unsniff. This article explains how you can attach scripts to the Unsniff user interface. This is a powerful technique that allows you to write interactive tools that have access to the current user selection contexts and the currently open capture files.

Integrated scripts allow you to add custom functionality to the Unsniff Network Analyzer application. You can attach custom scripts to various menu items in Unsniff which are triggered when the user selects the corresponding menu item.

In action

Lets see an example of an integrated script in action. In the figure shown below, a user has written a custom RTP analysis script and attached it to the packets sheet context menu. The RTP analysis script will be run when the menu item is selected. The current document and the selection contexts will be available to the script.

Integrated script in action

Object Model

Integrated scripts use the same object model described in the Unsniff Scripting Guide. In addition you get access to the following objects that enables you to write interactive scripts.

The currently active capture document (CurrentDocument)
The current selection context for packets, PDUs, streams, user objects (SelectedXXX objects)
A powerful scripting console that allows you to output formatted text (CurrentDocument.Console)

Script integration points

You can attach custom scripts to the following menus in Unsniff.

Capture Menu	You can add a menu item under a new top-level menu – or merge with an existing top-level menu such as (Tools, Plugins, Edit). Use this menu if your scripts work on the entire capture file independent of the user selection.
Packet sheet context menu	You can add a menu item to the packet sheet context menu. This context menu is shown when the user right clicks on the packets sheet. Use this is your script needs to work on selected packets.
PDU sheet context menu	Add a menu item to the PDU sheet context menu. Use this method if your script needs to work with selected PDUs.
Streams sheet context menu	Add a menu item to the Streams sheet context menu. This works on entire streams. Use this method if your script needs to work with selected streams.
User Objects sheet context menu	Add a menu item to the User Objects sheet context menu. Use this method if you want to work with selected user objects.