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jwfv · Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2003 3:32 pm Post subject: Non-VDS .Dlls in VDS5

I see in the VDS5 discussions that version 5 will have the ability to use non-VDS .dlls. This ties in with a question I had about using the DLL that is provided with programs such as certain database servers. I was hoping that this would be a more reliable way (and simpler) to communicate with them than using ODBC.

But someone posted the warning that using this new function of VDS5 would be pretty difficult. Can anyone post any more information? I have used some VDS extension DLLs, and it worked well. Just issuing commands and getting results of functions. Would non-VDS DLLs be different?

Thanks,

Joe Floyd

ACE · Valued Newbie Joined: 05 Sep 2002 Posts: 34

I think that the procces of working with nonVDS dll will be pretty much like working with gadget.dll from Mindpower, you have to declare the fuctions to use, and declare or create the parameters(sometimes you have to make a fuction just to get a parameter) , but you have to deal with a lot of other data types like DWORDS, FLOATS, HANDLES, POINTERS to other data type and so. It will require a little extra steps (or a lot of steps), you cant just type the fuction name along with params and get the result in one line. But if VDS5 have acces to all the dlls, you end with a proggraming language. Check the gadget examples.

Lioric

jules · Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2003 6:08 pm Post subject:

I've not used Gadget since it's generally easy enough for me just to knock up a quick extension for any API call I want to access, but having briefly looked at the spec. of Gadget I'd agree.

Here's an example of a VDS 5 function to use the PostMessage API function:

FreezingFire · **Admin Team** Joined: 23 Jun 2002 Posts: 3508

Is VDS 5 able to call and use ActiveX/OCX objects/files? Confused

FreezingFire · **Admin Team** Joined: 23 Jun 2002 Posts: 3508

And, since I'm not an advanced DLL programmer I don't know this:
How do you know what you're doing -- I mean, you can't possibly know
what commands/functions/APIs/etc. are inside it just by looking at it.

I'm confused.

SnarlingSheep · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2003 1:26 am Post subject:

MSDN and APIViewer are a couple good resources:
MSDN(Fun to find your way through): http://msdn.microsoft.com
APIViewer: http://www.apiviewer.de.vu/

vdsalchemist · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2003 1:50 pm Post subject:

Hey a subject about VDS 5 I can sink my teeth into Wink

Ok SnarlingSheep and FreezingFire if you goto MSDN's site and type a function name you can get all the information about that function. For a good listing of most of the Win32 API's functions you can look at http://www.vdsworld.com/~dragon_sphere/Win32hlp.zip Warning this is a pretty big file. Also to get a listing of the Win32 API in both Visual Basic and Gadget's syntax I wrote a converter that will convert VB to Gadget's syntax but the win32api.txt file has the list of API functions ya need. You can download this utility at my website http://dragonsphere.vdsworld.com Also that file has most of the constants listed as well which you will need. I will be updating it to work with VDS 5's syntax soon. So if you have some VB code that you got somewhere you will be able to convert it to VDS. I may be setting up a forum on my site to use as a workshop to help the VDS users learn to call NON-VDS DLL's. I will keep everyone posted about this.

Also note normal VDS dll's will still work with VDS 5.

Edited by FreezingFire to correct URL

Mac · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2003 3:59 pm Post subject:

Is the link correct mindpower? Can't seem to get there from here...

http://dragonsphere.vdsworld.com/Win32hlp.zip

Cheers, Mac Smile

FreezingFire · **Admin Team** Joined: 23 Jun 2002 Posts: 3508

Because of the way VDSWORLD hosts its subdomains, file requests are
not forwarded through.

You'll have to visit:

http://www.vdsworld.com/~dragon_sphere/Win32hlp.zip

Smile

FreezingFire · **Admin Team** Joined: 23 Jun 2002 Posts: 3508

Also, I talked to mindpower and set up a category on http://developer.vdsworld.com/
for calling non-VDS DLLs from VDS. Wink

So if you ever need help on that, visit the Developer Forum

Mac · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2003 4:09 pm Post subject:

vdsalchemist · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2003 1:54 pm Post subject:

Sorry about the address. I keep forgetting that. I don't know why we can't do that but it would be nice if we could Confused

FreezingFire · **Admin Team** Joined: 23 Jun 2002 Posts: 3508

I think it's because the subdomain point directly to VDSWORLD.com and
then special processing takes place. However, you can link to your files
through the subdomain by using something like the following:

http://dragonsphere.vdsworld.com/~dragon_sphere/Win32hlp.zip