Hi,

I can successully compile and test the plugin source listed at http://xchat.org/docs/plugin20.html written in C.

However I don't like C much and am wondering if it's possible to do the same thing in pascal... ? I know it has to be possible, but I need someone to start me off in the right direction...

cheers
James

Probably yes, but you'll need to convert headers of xchat-plugin.h. The "h2pas" util can be handy for this. (or at least it can save a lot of time)

Ok, 3 checkboxes defined on a small window on win2000...

    s := 'Start processing when loaded';
    OToy[1] := createwindow('Button',Cstr(S,cpt),ws_tabstop or
                  ws_child or ws_visible or bs_autocheckbox,
                  10,15,185,20,Ohandle,1,mdrProg,nil);
    s := 'Exit when done';
    OToy[2] := createwindow('Button',Cstr(S,cpt),ws_tabstop or
                  ws_child or ws_visible or bs_autocheckbox,
                  10,35,180,20,Ohandle,2,mdrProg,nil);
    s := 'Make noise when done';
    OToy[3] := createwindow('Button',Cstr(S,cpt),ws_tabstop or
                  ws_child or ws_visible or bs_autocheckbox,
                  10,55,180,20,Ohandle,3,mdrProg,nil);

Cstr is a pascal to c string converter routine that takes a normal pascal string (S in this case) and hands the winAPI a pointer to a null terminated buffer (cpt)... tested and working elsewhere as well so that's not the problem.

The little app is up and going, error free, but for the life or me I can't get the ws_tabstop function to work... When the app loads nobody has focus and I can hit the tab key all day and nothing happens...

Why can't I tab between these controls?

-----
L D Blake

Now once these headers are converted...

When writing the plugin source itself, do I need to use PChar's instead of pascal strings ?

cheers
James

Okay I've converted the headers (step 1) :P

$ h2pas -S -D -p -l xchat xchat-plugin.h
at line 6 error : syntax error
Illegal character in line 6
"#define XCHAT_IFACE_VERSION ((XCHAT_IFACE_MAJOR * 10000) + \" at line 7 error : syntax error
Illegal character in line 7
" (XCHAT_IFACE_MINOR * 100) + \"

What do I do with these errors though ?

cheers
James

run the file through the gcc preprocessor:

gcc -E xchat-plugin.h -o xchat-plugin.hp
h2pas -S -D -p -l xchat xchat-plugin.hp

Note that this destroys all '#define' constants, so you'll have to run h2pas a second time to get all constants.

Michael.

Your entry and exit points need that, yes. But all in between can be done using strings.

Michael.

Kewl thanks :)

James

Okay, I'll try that :)

I tried fixing the header file, but obviously you know what to do better than i :P

cheers
James

The answer is simple, but very illusive!!!

while (GetMessage(wmsg, FWindowHandle, 0, 0)) do begin
    if not ( IsDialogMessage(FWindowHandle, wmsg) ) then  ///this is the
line you nees to add
      TranslateMessage(wmsg);
    DispatchMessage(wmsg);
  end;

If you look at what TranslateMessage actually does it all becomes clear.

Matt

Tabbing through controls is handled in DefDialogProc() when 1) dialog is modal or 2) you call IsDialogMessage() explicitly. I have no idea how to implement this when the buttons are inserted into a window of another class (when DefDialogProc is not the window procedure); certainly it is possible somehow. An option is to trap keypress messages and do the tabbing yourself.

hope this helps,
Ingmar

On Tue, 22 Jul 2003, L D Blake wrote:

}Ok, 3 checkboxes defined on a small window on win2000... }
}
} s := 'Start processing when loaded';
} OToy[1] := createwindow('Button',Cstr(S,cpt),ws_tabstop or } ws_child or ws_visible or bs_autocheckbox, } 10,15,185,20,Ohandle,1,mdrProg,nil); } s := 'Exit when done';
} OToy[2] := createwindow('Button',Cstr(S,cpt),ws_tabstop or } ws_child or ws_visible or bs_autocheckbox, } 10,35,180,20,Ohandle,2,mdrProg,nil); } s := 'Make noise when done';
} OToy[3] := createwindow('Button',Cstr(S,cpt),ws_tabstop or } ws_child or ws_visible or bs_autocheckbox, } 10,55,180,20,Ohandle,3,mdrProg,nil); }
}
}Cstr is a pascal to c string converter routine that takes a normal pascal }string (S in this case) and hands the winAPI a pointer to a null terminated }buffer (cpt)... tested and working elsewhere as well so that's not the }problem.
}
}The little app is up and going, error free, but for the life or me I can't get }the ws_tabstop function to work... When the app loads nobody has focus and I }can hit the tab key all day and nothing happens... }
}Why can't I tab between these controls?
}
}-----
} L D Blake
}
}
}_______________________________________________
}fpc-pascal maillist -
}http://lists.freepascal.org/mailman/listinfo/fpc-pascal }

------

Ingmar

------

"I occasionally make the mistake of having social contact with other human beings."

Actually, it's 'TranslateMessage' that is causing the problem. From the WinSDK helpfile:
"The TranslateMessage function translates virtual-key messages into character messages. The character messages are posted to the calling thread's message queue, to be read the next time the thread calls the GetMessage or PeekMessage function."

It is therefore removing the VK_TAB from the message the Button etc sends. This is needed to implement the WS_TABSTOP functionality.

I've tested this in a framework I have been tinkering with (multithreaded widget framework, each window has it's own thread, as does the application instance) and it solved the lack of tabstop immediately.

If you're interested I can send you the source to look at, though it's in a bit of a strange state at the moment die to me hacking it to solve the above probelm (without initially knowing how to.)

Matt

In reply to your message of July 23, 2003

THANKS! ... I never would have stumbled on that one without some help.

The final version is this:

    while GetMessage(@oMsg,0, 0, 0) do
      begin
        if not (IsDialogMessage(OHandle,omsg)) then
          begin
            TranslateMessage(oMsg);
            DispatchMessage(oMsg);
          end;
      end;

I had to bracket both translatemessage and dispatchmessage before it would work.

Now the ws_group and ws_defpushbutton work too.

-----
L D Blake

Cool. I'll amend my code too. It semed to work fine with the DispatchMessage still available, but I'm using multiple threads and a hack to get the compiler to treat methods as callback procs, so that could be the reason.

It was a pleasure because it stumped me too, to begin with ;-)

Matt

I've sucessfully now done all this and now have the headers converted... I have a problem though when trying to compiling a test plugin:

$ fpc test
Free Pascal Compiler version 1.0.6 [2002/08/10] for i386
Copyright (c) 1993-2002 by Florian Klaempfl
Target OS: Linux for i386
Compiling test.pas
Compiling xchatplugin.pas
xchatplugin.pas(49,24) Error: Identifier not found XCHAT_PLUGIN
xchatplugin.pas(49,36) Error: Error in type definition
xchatplugin.pas(50,22) Error: Identifier not found XCHAT_LIST
xchatplugin.pas(50,32) Error: Error in type definition
xchatplugin.pas(51,22) Error: Identifier not found XCHAT_HOOK
xchatplugin.pas(51,32) Error: Error in type definition
xchatplugin.pas(55,25) Error: Identifier not found XCHAT_CONTEXT
xchatplugin.pas(55,38) Error: Error in type definition
xchatplugin.pas(61,24) Error: Duplicate identifier _XCHAT_PLUGIN
xchatplugin.pas(61,24) Error: Duplicate identifier _XCHAT_PLUGIN
xchatplugin.pas(62,60) Error: Identifier not found PXCHAT_PLUGIN
xchatplugin.pas(62,96) Error: Type identifier expected
xchatplugin.pas(62,96) Fatal: Syntax error, ) expected but FUNCTION found

What's going on here ?

cheers
James

I've sucessfully now done all this and now have the headers converted... I have a problem though when trying to compiling a test plugin:

Hard to say without source. Please post the sources (headers, demo program, and maybe some readme that explains some stuff like needed xchat library version etc) somewhere.

The unit is not correct. There are things that h2pas doesn't 'know' about. C is case sensitive. Pascal is not. so duplicate identifiers can exist. the C construct "xchat_plugin *" is translated to 'Pxchat_plugin', but that may or may not be defined already.

In general, a generated file may still need some manual editing before it is compilable. This is perfectly normal.

Michael.

Hi,

if you are successful, I would be glad to receive the ported Header files and a small example.

Holger

Holger Peters wrote

Hi, if you are successful, I would be glad to receive the ported Header files and a small example.

rofl! :) Make me do all the hard work :(
This is the first time I've converted any c headers of any sort... I'm getting close though

I think I'll end up writing a unit interface to the c functions though. I don't want to end up writing plugins and having to remember every bloody xchat interface command :) do you ?

cheers
James

I'm a little confused as to what manual editing is necessary... What about the:

  const
    External_library='xchat'; {Setup as you need}

What does this need to be ?

Does the unit need to be linked with anything ? (There are no xchat libraries I am aware of).

Help me out here :P (please)

cheers
James

A little while back Matt Emson helped me with the message dispatcher for windows programs... we arrived at something like this:

I've kept tinkering with it in a multi window program where each window has it's own WinProc to handle buttons, clicks and things. Rather than use multiple dispatchers (which seems not to improve performance much) I kept tinkering with the one above and arrived at:

  // Message dispatcher for all windows
  while GetMessage(WMsg,0,0,0) do
    begin
      if not IsDialogMessage(getforegroundwindow,wmsg) then
        begin
          TranslateMessage(WMsg);
          DispatchMessage(WMsg);
        end;
    end;

I currently have 6 windows that pop up at various times and this handles tabbing and menu selection for them all, quite nicely.

So Matt... if you're reading this you might like to try it out.

-----
L D Blake

On Tue, 5 Aug 2003, L D Blake wrote:

} // Message dispatcher for all windows
} while GetMessage(WMsg,0,0,0) do
} begin
} if not IsDialogMessage(getforegroundwindow,wmsg) then } begin
} TranslateMessage(WMsg);
} DispatchMessage(WMsg);
} end;
} end;
}
}I currently have 6 windows that pop up at various times and this handles }tabbing and menu selection for them all, quite nicely. }
}So Matt... if you're reading this you might like to try it out.

Nice and simple. Don't know about Matt but thanks from here; I have bounced into this problem now and then and used all kinds of ugly solutions :-)

Ingmar

In reply to your message of August 5, 2003

Nice and simple.

<Grin> I like "nice and simple"....

Don't know about Matt but thanks from here; I have bounced into this problem now and then and used all kinds of ugly solutions :-)

My pleasure.

-----
L D Blake