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Geek Culture / They said it couldn't be done...

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CattleRustler
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Posted: 27th Apr 2004 17:59 Edited at: 27th Apr 2004 18:04
(and technically they would be right because we still use a C++ wrapper but...)
Exeat and myself have been working together to implement .NET DLL's in DBP and guess what...we have been successful!

We are currently working on a robust library for use with DBP that we will be "giving back to the community". As we are in the early stages I am not going to post too much info here but I just wanted to let you guys know what we were up to, and that we should have some very cool stuff very soon.

Thanks
CattleRustler & Exeat



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empty
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Posted: 27th Apr 2004 18:05
Sounds familiar.
Good job, nonetheless.

Play Nice! Play Basic!
CattleRustler
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Posted: 27th Apr 2004 18:52
Here is a list of what is working, or being worked on:




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zircher
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Posted: 27th Apr 2004 21:05
Nice. Is this going to be a commercial plugin or a gift to the community?
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CattleRustler
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Posted: 27th Apr 2004 21:13
A GIFT TO THE COMMUNITY!!!


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Saikoro
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Posted: 27th Apr 2004 21:15 Edited at: 27th Apr 2004 21:16
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Kudos to you, CR and Exeat, this stuff could be really helpful to many programmers, including myself.

-Vash the Stampede

Need help? Ask me via email, msn, aim, or forums and Ill see what I can do.

Peter H
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Posted: 27th Apr 2004 21:16 Edited at: 27th Apr 2004 21:17
chant time!!!!
...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GiFT!
...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...
GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...
GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...
GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...
GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!...GIFT!......

oh and did i mention gift?

P.S. ...you know if you think about the way the word "gift" looks... and sounds... long enough...it really seems weird (along with almost every other word )


Formerly known as "DarkWing Duck"
CattleRustler
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Posted: 27th Apr 2004 21:47


just added 3 more string functions (I am knocking out as many string and file functions as possible first as this is an area where dbp basic is a little lacking.)

ChangeCase_Str(Str,SetCase) -returns the Str as upper or lower based on Setcase 0 or 1
Left_Str(Str,Length) -same as VB LEFT(), a substring from left side based on specified length
Right_Str(Str,Length) -same as VB RIGHT(), a sunstring from right side based on specified length

now onto more file functions...



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CattleRustler
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Posted: 27th Apr 2004 22:09
updated list, now categorized...




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OSX Using Happy Dude
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Posted: 28th Apr 2004 01:43
Now, C# users just need an interface to use the DBPro commands (ala IanM's DBPro Interface).


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CattleRustler
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Posted: 28th Apr 2004 02:14
C#/VB.NET users could use DX9.0b natively (in pure .net, not com interop) but then that defeats the whole purpose of DBP

Looks like evrything is on it's way to all melting into one - one way or another.


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Dave J
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Posted: 28th Apr 2004 10:04
Quote: "Sounds familiar. "


Yes but your way means you have to use "Call DLL", this way makes them all actual commands.


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empty
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Posted: 28th Apr 2004 11:31
Quote: "Yes but your way means you have to use "Call DLL", this way makes them all actual commands."

Yeah that's how it works currently. However, for DBpro there'll be a TPC soon. And with my method you can use all ActiveX/.Net DLLs.

Play Nice! Play Basic!
Dave J
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Posted: 28th Apr 2004 11:56
What do you mean all? This method can use all also!

If you're referring to VB6 ActiveX DLL's then I did that back in February:

http://www.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=26828&b=1


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empty
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Posted: 28th Apr 2004 12:39
Yes, I know and as you might have noticed, I recommended your wrapper on several occasions. So let me re-phrase my last sentence in the previous post:
With my method you can use all ActiveX/.Net DLLs without needing other tools and/or knowledge.

Play Nice! Play Basic!
Dave J
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Posted: 28th Apr 2004 15:16
Ahhh! I understand you now, I thought you were implying that there were limitations on the method I was using.


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empty
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Posted: 28th Apr 2004 15:24
And the IQ test (other thread) tells me that I have "the natural fluency of a writer", yet nobody understands me. There's something wrong...

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Megaton Cat
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Posted: 28th Apr 2004 15:43
I don't understand...
what does this thing do?
Shadow Robert
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Posted: 28th Apr 2004 16:08
It allows you to use Component Object Modual(COM Windows)/ActiveX (Explorer Plug-in)/.NET (.Net Framework) DLLs.
Currently DarkBASIC Professional is only capable of using C/C++ Static/Shared DLL Structures.

Basically this opens up the plug-in commands to all of the Application Engineers, rather than it's almost exclusive nature of Software Engineers.
As most developers around here use VB/C# this means hopefully we'll see some more Commands appear via this.

I only have one question though, and what is the latency time involved? As most wrappers in my experience are a fair bit slower than native.
Only ask from the DBP User perspective not dll developer.


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CattleRustler
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Posted: 28th Apr 2004 16:25 Edited at: 28th Apr 2004 16:28
hopefully by today or tomorrow Exeat and I will have worked some issues with the C++ wrapper portion and we can thoroughly test via DBP. Once we start doing that we will see where we stand on latency. we will also release asap to the community so we can get feedback from anyone interested.

during that time I will be working on functions involving DirectX and the items listed in "TBA" below. Oh and the documentation of course!





Stay Tuned


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CattleRustler
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Posted: 28th Apr 2004 16:35
@Empty, do you mean you have a "catch-all" way of implementing a vb6 or vb.net dll without the need for a C++ wrapper? If so, you do realize that is a major coup for vb programmers right!? Please explain further.

thanks
CR


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empty
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Posted: 28th Apr 2004 18:57
Quote: "@Empty, do you mean you have a "catch-all" way of implementing a vb6 or vb.net dll without the need for a C++ wrapper? If so, you do realize that is a major coup for vb programmers right!? Please explain further."

Yeah, there's a beta version somewhere on the "Work in progress" board. Currently it uses "Call DLL" to call a DLL (surprise ) that calls functions of any ActiveX/.Net DLLs. At the moment I'm very busy with something else, but I'll release it as a TPC within the next 2 weeks or so.
As Exceat stated, the advantage of a wrapper is that the actual AX/.Net functions behave like TPC commands. Where as my TPC will have (among others) the following commands/functions to access AX/.NET DLLs:
- LOAD XDLL
- CALL XDLL
- XDLL EXIST
- XDLL CALL EXIST

and so on.

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zircher
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Posted: 28th Apr 2004 19:37
Well, I'd say that's a win-win situation.

If anyone is looking for more functionality to add, how about a way of writing to a window handle? For example, the command line parameters for screen savers include handles for writing to the pre-view window and the config window. It would be nice if DBP could write to them directly. My current screen saver code, creates its own mini-windows for displaying previews or config controls.
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CattleRustler
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Posted: 28th Apr 2004 19:52
very interesting Empty.

version 1 of our tpc-like version will be available soon. Exeat can prolly better forecast the e.t.a. as he is working on a "slight mystery" involving strings, at the moment. Once that is worked out we are ready to go as I have added a bunch of date/time functions and am finishing up the documentation.

I'll keep this thread posted with updated info and the final function list prior to release.




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CattleRustler
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Posted: 29th Apr 2004 01:40
Here's the current documentation, if anyone is interested. It covers everything that is currently in the dll which we hope to release soon.

http://www.mod2software.com/DBP.htm




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andrew11
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Posted: 29th Apr 2004 02:50 Edited at: 29th Apr 2004 02:52
@CattleRustler

Im sorry, but cant all this be done in DBP already? All the commands you mentioned already has plugins for?

I dont know, I dont even know what VB.net is anyway. Could you explain?

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Zenincanin 14
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Posted: 29th Apr 2004 03:10
Well, if you can do this you could probably make it so you could make games for XBOX with DB(C/P)
CattleRustler
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Posted: 29th Apr 2004 04:57
Andrew yes most of the functions listed so far are either in dbp (in one form or another) or in someone elses plugin. These are just the basics of the library, to be able to say "yeah, we have that" but the meat of the stuff coming along will be things that are not yet available in dbp or other plugins.

We are not looking to step on any toes.

The topic of VB.NET is vast. You may want to look up articles on the net regarding vb.net, and especially vb.net vs. vb6.


Z, not sure I follow what you mean


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andrew11
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Posted: 29th Apr 2004 06:36
Thanks...

I know what VB is, its the .net thing that confuses me. I was just wondering why you would make it when you can do it in DBP, for example a message box function can be done simply with User32.dll with Load DLL.

I cant wait for the "meat" then

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Dave J
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Posted: 29th Apr 2004 11:19
True, but wouldn't you prefer to have an actual command that is highlighted and documented when you type it in? A typo in the function name can be a pain to pick out where as a typo in the command wouldn't. It also saves you having to use "Call DLL" all the time.


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CattleRustler
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Posted: 29th Apr 2004 16:23
andrew, also read the doc from the link above, you'll note that some of the string and file functions are huge improvements over dbp built in stuff.

for example: fil_AppendFile() and str_Mid() should explain what I mean.


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OSX Using Happy Dude
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Posted: 29th Apr 2004 18:02
One query with the DirectX version checking - is this called before DBPro starts or afterwards ?


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CattleRustler
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Posted: 29th Apr 2004 18:54
well the dbp exe would have to instantiate our dll, then call its function, so I assume it's after dbp starts...

point taken.


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OSX Using Happy Dude
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Posted: 29th Apr 2004 18:59 Edited at: 29th Apr 2004 18:59
I feel like badgering Lee again to introduce a hook system where user code can be run before DBPro initialises, and then DBPro then either continues or exits depending on the result...


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CattleRustler
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Posted: 29th Apr 2004 19:10
yes, that would be very useful.


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CattleRustler
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Posted: 29th Apr 2004 19:28
Thread Update:

Just spoke to Exeat and he was able to work out our little glitch in the c++ wrapper (I never doubted he would) (great job brother) so that means our first version will be released sometime over the next 24 hours (hopefully). The latest documentation is at http://www.mod2software.com/dbp.htm but there will be some additions to the dll before I ship it to him this evening to wrap with his magic. I will post a NEW thread when the package is available to download, but may make updates to this thread throughout today.

thanks.


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Dave J
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Posted: 30th Apr 2004 14:46
Well I'm getting there, I hope I'll be finished by tonight but I've still got quite a few to go.


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CattleRustler
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Posted: 30th Apr 2004 15:42
lol, sorry - I went "function crazy"


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