Vista - [ultimate geek] api's, typedef's, Forms (gui interface) -- from script

hi gang,

Yes, I do realize that there may be only one or two of you
who might be interested in this sort of stuff. It involves:
calling api's from script, creating typedefs (needed for
some api calls); creating scripting gui's (called "forms"
in this utility); and even inserting machine code into your
script (gasp!).

Yes, I know what you're thinking. Scripters shouldn't
ever be doing any that sort of stuff!!! O.K. then, you
can call me something other than a scripter -- but watch
your mouth, this is a public forum.

And, I have been doing that sort of stuff for some years
with proprietary actX objects, written with the help of
microsoft's (free) vb5cce (control creation edition)
compiler (which ms is no longer making available).
The reason I mention that little detail is that _THIS_
code has all been written in c/c++, making it all the
more impressive.

Back to basics - this package is called SFCmini (don't
ask why) and it was found posted on Source Forge (Japan),
written by "Katsumi" (no indication as to whether that
is his/her first or last name?). Also, the documentation
is part Japanese, and part English:

http://kandk.cafe.coocan.jp/sfcmini/catid-19.html

However, google will do a reasonable translation into
fractured English, if you click on "translate this page".
So go to google and search for "sfcmini". You will get
a number of hits. Pick out a url that points to:

kandk.cafe.coocan.jp/sfcmini/item...

and select "translate this page". That will send you
into the middle of the documentation under the control
of google's translator, and you may then navigate through
the rest using the left-hand menu. Google will follow
you along translating as you go.

If you wish to try out sfcmini, you may download the
source, binaries, samples (demo code), and libraries
(class code) from this page:

http://sourceforge.jp/projects/sfcmini/files/

Download the "sfcmini-1.0.1.zip" file, dated 17Feb07.
Unzip the file into a folder of your choosing. Then
LEAVE THAT FOLDER AND ITS INCLUDED SUB-FOLDERS ALONE.
The successful operation of SFCmini depends on retaining
the structure that the zip file installs. Run the
installation vbs script. That will register the
sfcmini(i/a).dll. The sfcminii.dll is supposedly for
intel systems, and the sfcminia.dll is supposedly for
AMD systems. You may choose the INTEL installation
(as I did) if you have an intel processor. That will
get you into a morass of "DEP" (data execution prevention)
errors. For some reason, even though I have admin privileges
I couldn't bypass the DEP error checking. And so, I
un-installed INTEL and installed the AMD version.
Against all common sense, the AMD version DOES work
on an intel processor (miracles never cease).

If successful, you will find the following progID's
in your registry:

SfcMini.ClassEx
SfcMini.DynaCall (obviously to call api's)
SfcMini.MachineCode
SfcMini.Structure (for typedefs)
SfcMini.Tools

You may then try running the demo scripts in the "samples"
folder. One little bothersome item. There are THREE
"winform.vbs" scripts. This was puzzling at first. But
I eventually sorted it out. The "winform.vbs" script in
the samples folder is a demo script. The "winform.vbs"
script in the "lib" folder is class code (used by other
demo scripts for creating "forms" a.k.a., windows). And
the "winform.vbs" in the consts folder is just an
enumeration of the windows system api constants used.
Still in all, if it were up to me, I would have given
those different entities different names.

The sfcmini actX objects in question all come with source,
so if you are handy with a c/c++ compiler, you can create
your own binary (just in case you are a suspicious person).
If you don't wish to compile-yer-own, the binaries come
with the download.

The "standard" version (v1.01) works for winXP and win2k.
Unfortunately, it WILL NOT WORK for win98. Being partial
to win98, that substantially dimmed my initial enthusiasm.
If you are a Vista person, take a look at v1.05beta. Beta
means it's not quite ready for "prime time" yet, but then
neither is Vista itself.

cheers, jw

hi,
I agree

a free pdf viewer script:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...d4a0aee?hl=fr#
oops, sorry in french but I guess it's easier than japanese ;-)

"omen999" <omen999z@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:08733b0e-9ae3-4e9f-b0c3-c077228ce5ba@xxxxxxThanks for this real-world example demonstrating the use of APIs from
VBScript. The rendering of graphics, like a topographic map of Purisima
Creek Redwoods park (www.openspace.org/preserves/maps/pr_purisima.pdf) is
much slower than with Adobe's reader, and is of lower quality, but this PDF
viewer could be handy at times.

-Paul Randall