AutoCAD Visual LISP Technical Newsletter - October 1999

XDSoft

AutoCAD Visual LISP Technical Newsletter - October 1999  
This document is part of    Visual Lisp Newsletter Archive     



Dear Visual LISP developer,
  

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Table of Contents
=================
(1) Exchanging data between Visual LISP and VB(A)
(2) New or Updated Solutions
  

(1) Exchanging data between Visual LISP and VB(A)
=================================================

In AutoCAD r14 the only way to exchange data between VB(A) and Visual LISP
was through the use of the USERS1-5, USERR1-5, and USERI1-5 AutoCAD system
variables. Those variables were limited to 3 very basic types (String, Real,
Interger). A solution for more complex data exchange was to create an
In-Process COM server written in VB, Delphi, or C++, and to load that server
into the AutoCAD address space with the getInterface() method. Then both
Visual LISP, and VB(A) applications could read and save shared data into
that server.
However there were some shortcomings with this approach.
- If you were in VBA you could not access Visual LISP and vice versa.
- VBA and Visual LISP had difficulty in understanding each others
   data types (for example the LISP list data type).

In AutoCAD 2000, Visual LISP is now a real ActiveX client as well as a
capable COM server application. Visual LISP has its own COM interface, and
VB(A) provides access to its environment and code to any COM client
application. Because Visual LISP is now a COM server, it means VB(A) can
read
and set LISP variables in the LISP environment, as well as asking Visual
LISP
to execute or evaluate sone LISP code directely from a VB(A) macro.
This is one method.

The second method is to do the same from the Visual LISP environment.
Calling
a VB(A) macro from LISP. This can be done via the
IAcadApplication::RunMacro()
method.

To enable the use of the Visual LISP server from VB(A), you just need to
make
a reference to the 'Visual LISP ActiveX module' (i.e. VL.TLB file from the
AutoCAD root directory).

There is no documentation on the server API, but the Developer Consulting
Group
have produced some sample solutions and will continue to do so.

Please visit the 'AutoCAD - AutoLISP/DCL', 'AutoCAD - Visual LISP', and
'AutoCAD - VBA/VB/ActiveX' sections at the following URL for related
solutions.

http://adn.autodesk.com/techsupp/apikb/acadgrp.htm

INTERACTING WITH EXCEL CELLS
/cgi-bin/solution.pl?SID=37873

Also the Developer Consulting Group is writting a document on the usage of
the
Visual LISP server, as well as extending LISP capabilities via ARX
programming.
This document (when ready) will be published on the ADN WEB site at the
following URL:

http://adn.autodesk.com/techsupp/utilitiestechpapers.htm
  

(2) New or Updated Solutions
============================

CREATING AND MANIPULATING XRECORDS USING AUTOLISP
/cgi-bin/solution.pl?SID=16132

(COMMAND) FUNCTION DOES NOT WORK WITH NEW AND OPEN
/cgi-bin/solution.pl?SID=29417

HOW TO IDENTIFY UNREFERENCED LAYERS IN LISP?
/cgi-bin/solution.pl?SID=30528

CREATION & MANIPULATION OF GROUPS USING AUTOLISP IN R14
/cgi-bin/solution.pl?SID=44942

USING THE SELECTION SET SELECT METHOD IN VISUAL LISP
/cgi-bin/solution.pl?SID=12298

USING A VB ACTIVEX DLL FROM VISUAL LISP OR VB(A)
/cgi-bin/solution.pl?SID=15992

CONSTUCTING VLISP LWPOLYLINE VIA ACTIVEX
/cgi-bin/solution.pl?SID=16152

EXTENSION DICTIONARY TO ASSOCIATE OBJECTS
/cgi-bin/solution.pl?SID=21716

INTERACTING WITH EXCEL CELLS
/cgi-bin/solution.pl?SID=37873

HOW DO I REPLACE THE PLOTTER AND PLOTID SYSTEM VARIABLES
/cgi-bin/solution.pl?SID=41173

NO FUNCTION DEFINITION - XLOAD
/cgi-bin/solution.pl?SID=42013

EXPLODING EACH ENTITY IN A SELECTION SET
/cgi-bin/solution.pl?SID=44926

DBCONNECT.GETLINKS DOESN'T WORK WITH FOR EACH ITERATION OBJECTS
/cgi-bin/solution.pl?SID=36594

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