Windows API

[StevenMcLean]

Is it possible to trap the "Save" / "Save As" commands in Word, Acrobat, Outlook etc... and launch an Alpha app to create a document name through a series of lookups and feed the file name back to Word / Adobe, Outlook etc...?

[Marcel Kollenaar]

Re: Windows API

Is it possible to trap the "Save" / "Save As" commands in Word, Acrobat, Outlook etc... and launch an Alpha app to create a document name through a series of lookups and feed the file name back to Word / Adobe, Outlook etc...?

For Word and Outlook you can do that with a macro in VBA. For Acrobat you need a resident programma that monitors the specific programs for those events and act on those. For the last you have to search the web or write something in C, VB.net or any other program. However in xbasic there are commands so you can list the open windows of the programs. I do not know if it is possible from Xbasic to monitor the actions taken in such window. In that case you have to intercept the window system messages from that specific window e.g. Adobe Acrobat. However, Adobe has also an scripting language (java?) and maybe that can do the same as a macro can do in MSOffice but I never programmed in Adobe. Take a look at AutoIt or other keystroke scripters maybe they can do it.

I wrote once code to execute xbasic code from everywhere. It depends how you want to use Alpha Five. If you make it a server that waits for incoming messages from your program than you can use this. You can make it as advanced as you wish however this is just example code to show that it can be done.

Found some more stuff and this.

[Marcel Kollenaar]

Re: Windows API

Addition: http://www.autohotkey.com/

[MikeC]

Re: Windows API

I also wanted to point out that if something can be done in say a .vbs file, then you can still use Alpha to call that file---allows you to partially work in two different environments to achieve what one cannot do alone (that way only one front-end).