OLE Automation Support
======================
Winvile can be built and configured to execute as an OLE Automation server.
The following steps are required:
1) build a version of winvile that supports OLE,
2) configure winvile as a server, and
3) use an OLE automation client to invoke and manipulate winvile.
Build Syntax
============
By default, winvile is _not_ built with OLE Automation enabled, but this
command adds that feature:
nmake -f makefile.wnt CFG=winvile OPT=ole-auto
Or, if an embedded perl support is desired, use this syntax:
nmake -f makefile.wnt CFG=winvile-with-perl OPT=ole-auto
Minimal Configuration
=====================
OLE Automation support is not available until the Windows registry has been
updated with various configuration information. The simplest method of
registration is to:
a) copy winvile.exe to some directory in your PATH, and then
b) execute this command:
winvile -Or
Step b) registers winvile as an OLE automation server that will be launched
(by a client) with _no_ command line options, which implies these server
attributes:
- editor geometry is 24 rows by 80 columns
- default font is "system fixed", 12-point (crayola-sized :-) )
- editor visible
- a single server instance (i.e., no matter how many clients create a
winvile server object, there will be at most one server instance).
There are, however, a number of command line options that can be specified
during registration and which subsequently affect the launched winvile
server.
Registration Options
====================
The complete registration syntax is:
winvile -Or [-geometry <cols>x<rows>] [-multiple] [-invisible]
[{-font|-fn} <font_spec>]
where:
-geometry <cols>x<rows> specifies the editor's window geometry.
-invisible launched server(s) are invisible and must be
made visible via the application's Visible
property.
-multiple each client creates a new, unique server
instance.
-font <font_spec> specifies the editor's font
where:
<font_spec> :== [<face>,]<size>[,<style>]
<face> :== font-name
<size> :== point size (as an integer)
<style> :== { bold | italic | bold-italic }
Note 1: if <style> is unspecified, "normal" is assumed.
Note 2: if <face> contains a comma escape it with '\'.
Note 3: if <face> is omitted, the current font is modified.
Note 4: if <face> contains spaces, delimit <font_spec> as appropriate
for the current shell/desktop environment.
Note 5: <face> must be fixed pitch. To obtain a list of all fixed
pitch fonts on the current win32 host, invoke winvile and
browse the "Font" dialog box accessible from the System menu
(accelerator key is ALT+<space bar>+F).
Example: -font 'Letter Gothic,8'
Example: -fn r_ansi,8,bold
Example Automation Client Access
================================
Perl Access
use Win32::OLE;
$vile = new Win32::OLE 'Winvile.Application';
$vile->VileKeys(":show-bindings\n");
$vile->{Visible} = 1; # may not be necessary
print "sleeping for 3 seconds\n";
sleep(3);
$vile->VileKeys(":buffer [unnamed]\n");
$vile->VileKeys(":r c:/config.sys\n");
sleep(3);
print "killing vile\n";
$vile->Quit();
exit
VB Access
Private VileObj As Winvile.Application
Private Sub Form_Load()
Set VileObj = New Winvile.Application
VileObj.Visible = True ' may not be necessary
VileObj.VileKeys (":help" + vbLf)
End Sub
Private Sub Quit_Click()
VileObj.Quit ' Kill the server (winvile)
End
End Sub
wvwrap.exe -- WinVile WRAPper
=============================
[ Note: Ed Henderson discovered this novel use of automation and
wrote the original version of wvwrap.exe . Thanks, Ed! ]
Background
----------
It's possible to modify the Windows registry such that any arbitrary
utility appears on the Windows Explorer right mouse popup menu. To do so,
use regedit to create the following entry in the registry:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\<utility_name>\command
Example:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\winvile\command
Next, give the "command" key the following (Default) value:
<utility_name> "%1"
An actual example:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\winvile\command\winvile "%1"
Once this registry entry is installed, then anytime the right mouse button
is clicked on a file in Windows Explorer, "winvile" appears as a selection
at the top of the popup menu. Choosing winvile from this menu launches the
editor, which then opens the selected file. So far, so good. However,
when multiple files are selected and winvile is launched via a right mouse
click, Windows Explorer opens one instance of the editor per selected file.
Most vile-aholics will find this behavior rather repugnant. However, if
winvile is configured as a single server instance (the default), a
workaround exists. Read on.
When the Ole Automation version of winvile is built as described above, a
utility called wvwrap.exe is also created. Copy wvwrap to a directory in
your PATH and create the following registry entry:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\wvwrap\command\wvwrap "%1"
Now, as a test, select multiple files within Window Explorers, right click
the mouse, and launch wvwrap. Notice that all files are read into a
single instance of winvile, one buffer per file.
Server Properties And Methods
=============================
Application -- [out] Returns the application object.
ForegroundWindow() -- Makes the editor the foreground window. Note that
Windows 2000 and XP essentially emasculated this
method. See MainHwnd() for an alternative approach.
FullName -- [out] Returns the path of the application.
InsertMode -- [out] True if editor window with keyboard focus is
in insert mode.
IsMinimized -- [out] True if editor minimized.
MainHwnd -- [out] Returns the editor's main window handle.
Useful if the client wishes to, say, call
SetForegroundWindow() on behalf of the editor.
Minimize() -- Minimizes the editor.
Name() -- [out] Returns the name of the application.
Parent() -- Returns the parent of the application object.
Quit() -- Exits the editor.
Restore() -- Restores the editor's window.
VileKeys([in] keys) -- Sends keystrokes to the editor. Note that this method
is implemented by using PostMessage() to send a
WM_CHAR message for _each_ character in the "keys"
string. In other words, this is not an efficient
method and should not be used to create large files.
Visible -- [in, out] Sets or returns the editor's visibility.
WindowRedirect([in] hwnd) -- Specifies a window handle to which
user-specified keystrokes are redirected.
Redirected keystrokes are specified via winvile's
"redirect-keys" mode. Refer to the file visvile.doc
for a detailed discussion of this method and its
associated mode.
To disable redirection once enabled, pass this method a
NULL window handle.
Note: ForegroundWindow(), Minimize(), and Restore() implicitly force an
Invisible server to the Visible state.
Unregistering The Server
========================
To unregister winvile as an OLE automation server, execute this command:
winvile -Ou
