Example DLL translation from VBA into Xbasic

[martinwcole]

RE: Example DLL translation from VBA into Xbasic

thanks Bill - yes I tried several possibilities, but can't get it to work.

usually, I do this in bat files, and use sys_shell to call them

[whanigsberg]

RE: Example DLL translation from VBA into Xbasic

Martin,

Have you tried single quotes around the paths with spaces in them?

I've never tried this but I wonder if you sys_shell would accept a path in a variable. This would be worth knowing.

Bill

[martinwcole]

RE: Example DLL translation from VBA into Xbasic

Finnian, I meant using the sys_shell_wait()

otherwise I just use batch files

I was referring to what you mentioned:

Anyhow, the one you posted works perfectly including - and for me this is a real biggie - with CMD files such as copying the contents of a big folder or whatever else one might do in a dos window.

I can see the obvious benefits of this function when you want to stop processing until notepad or word or excel was closed, but for issuing other dos commands I can't get the syntax correct, as it apparently all has to be enclosed in quotes.

for example, the following works (where all words are 8 or fewer characters in length):
sys_shell_wait("xcopy c:\alpha\newha\test33\*.* c:\alpha\newha\test34\*.* /E /Y",.t.)

whereas the following won't:
sys_shell_wait("xcopy c:\alpha\newha\Practice Before Multiple States\*.* c:\alpha\newha\test34\*.* /E /Y",.t.)

I was wondering how to write the second one.

[Finian Lennon]

RE: Example DLL translation from VBA into Xbasic

Martin:


xcopy "c:\alpha\newha\Practice Before Multiple States\*.*"
"c:\alpha\newha\test33\*.*" /E /Y

On one line should do it. Iy will copy all files and folders and overwrite existing files without a prompt.

Finian

[martinwcole]

RE: Example DLL translation from VBA into Xbasic

Finnian, what would the syntax be for copying the contents of
c:\alpha\newha\Practice Before Multiple States\*.*
to
c:\alpha\newha\test33\*.*

[Marcel Kollenaar]

RE: Example DLL translation from VBA into Xbasic

Hi Peter,

First, let me thank you very much for this compressed example you provided here. It's a master piece in my opinion. You gave me with your reply the answer at a question I just wanted to ask. It's about the use of DECLARESTRUCT and TYPE...END TYPE. I was just doing the splits.
The people of Alpha Five told me to use the TYPE..END TYPE construction, however I never managed to get it to work in that way. Therefore I kept using the old DECLARESTRUCTs.

With your information I start changing my code.

About the fact that there could be an error in the VB code, yes it's possible. I didn't run this code, I used it only for comparison and I was in the middle of a study of it. I would probably overlooked the error ;-)

Let me be clear about the source of the code. This isn't mine. The Xbasic code is written by Selwyn and the VB code is Lissauers and I found it by accidental on a VB site.

Peter you helped me a lot.

Regards,

Marcel

[Finian Lennon]

RE: Example DLL translation from VBA into Xbasic

Hi Peter:

This is great. Hats off to you and Marcel for these examples. I was planning to test Marcel's sys_shell_wait this weekend since I was never able to get Selwyn's original to work for some reason.

Anyhow, the one you posted works perfectly including - and for me this is a real biggie - with CMD files such as copying the contents of a big folder or whatever else one might do in a dos window.

Finian

[Peter.Wayne]

RE: Example DLL translation from VBA into Xbasic

Marcel,
Thank you, that's very valuable. You should also know that A5 lets you create user-defined types, just like VB, so that it becomes easier to modify VB code. Your code could be compressed like this, and I believe this is clearer, and more similar to VB:

command="Notepad.exe"
sys_shell_wait(command,.t.)
ui_msg_box("Notepad","was closed")
end 

FUNCTION sys_shell_wait AS V (command_line AS C, show_window AS L )

' declare types and hooks to WinAPI

type startupinfo 
	cb as Integer
	lpReserved as C
	lpDesktop as C
	lpTitle AS C
	dwX AS Integer
	dwY AS Integer
	dwXSize AS Integer
	dwYSize AS Integer
	dwXCountChars AS Integer 
	dwYCountChars AS Integer
	dwFillAttribute AS Integer
	dwFlags AS Integer
	wShowWindow AS Integer
	cbReserved2 AS Integer
	lpReserved2 AS Integer
	hStdInput AS Integer
	StdOutput AS Integer
	hStdError AS Integer
end type

type process_information
	hprocess as Integer
	hThread as Integer
	dwProcessID as Integer
	dwThreadID as Integer
end type 

' hooks to WinAPI
declare KERNEL32 WaitForSingleObject LLL
declare KERNEL32 CreateProcessA LLCLLLLLL(STARTUPINFO)(PROCESS_INFORMATION)
declare KERNEL32 CloseHandle LL

appExec(command_line, show_window)
END FUNCTION

FUNCTION appExec AS V (commandLine AS C, show_window AS L )
CONSTANT NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS = hex_to_dec("20")	
CONSTANT INFINITE = hex_to_dec("FFFFFFFF")

dim start as {startupinfo}
dim proc as {process_information}
Dim nMilliseconds As N

nMilliseconds = INFINITE
IF show_window
	Start.dwFlags = 4
	Start.wShowWindow = 1
ELSE
	Start.dwFlags = 1
	Start.wShowWindow = 0
END IF

CreateProcessA(0,CommandLine, 0, 0, 1, NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS, 0, 0, Start, proc)
WaitForSingleObject(proc.hProcess, nMilliseconds)
CloseHandle(proc.hThread)

END FUNCTION

There's also an error, I think, in the VB code that you provide. The CreateProcessA declaration takes a long as its first parameterm, followed by a string. So comparing Lissauer's code with yours (or Selwyn's, I'm not sure whose) doesn't work properly because Lissauer is calling CreateProcessA with the wrong parameter list. At least that's what the Microsoft knowledge base indicates in their description of using CreateProcessA.

[Marcel Kollenaar]

Hi,

I'm i the mood for code translation and espcially from VB(A) into Xbasic with an emphasis on DLL's.

Selwyn Rabins wrote in 2002 a piece of Xbasic code for the sys_shell_wait() routine. Now I found the counter part of it in Visual Basic. It's nice to have two pieces of "heavy" code and see the translation of it (see attachment). We can learn a lot of it. It will help you a lot in translating VB code which calls dll's. There is a tremendous amount of VB code ready for use in Xbasic. Ehhh, at least if you can use it.

Take also a look at the Win32s Programmer's Reference.hlp (API) for the specific functions and structures used and you see a translation-triangle C-VB-Xbasic. Don't forget to read the very good information on "Pie Charts in Alpha Five" by Dr. Peter Wayne http://learn alpha.com/PieCharts/PieCharts.htm.

Regards,

Marcel