Action Plugin: LuaCOM

[Brett]

I have ported the LuaCOM library to an AutoPlay Media Studio 5.0 action plugin. This plugin allows you to interact with COM objects (ActiveX controls) from your AutoPlay Media Studio 5.0 applications.

Download the IRLuaCOM Plugin

To use the plugin, select Project > Plugins from AutoPlay Media Studio 5.0 and check the LuaCOM item. Please read the file LuaCOM_Help.htm for details about how to use this plugin.

NOTE (Jan 31, 2005): LuaCOM 1.0.0.2 is now available!

[Lorne]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: IRLuaCOM Action Plugin

Brett, you're on fire.

[eric_darling]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: IRLuaCOM Action Plugin

So THIS is the kind of power we can begin to expect from moving to LUA, eh? Too cool.

So does this mean you can pull the QuickTime ActiveX control for use directly inside the AMS 5.0 interface?

Slick stuff.

[Corey]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: IRLuaCOM Action Plugin

Cool stuff Brett...

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[Worm]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: IRLuaCOM Action Plugin

This is HUGE for me Brett! Thanks!

This means that I can put to use most of the tools I purchased for VB in AMS.

Too Cool!

[Brett]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: IRLuaCOM Action Plugin

So THIS is the kind of power we can begin to expect from moving to LUA, eh? Too cool.

You ain't seen nothing yet.

So does this mean you can pull the QuickTime ActiveX control for use directly inside the AMS 5.0 interface?

No. That is something that would have to be done through an Object Plugin as far as I can tell. But who knows? This thing keeps surprising me too.

It does allow you to do things like access databases through ADO, manipulate many types of documents and programs including MS Office products (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.), built-in OS components, etc.

It also allows another way for the product to be expanded. For example, there are MANY companies out there making ActiveX controls for Visual Basic, Visual C++ and the Web that do all sorts of things from encryption to compression to database access to whatever. Now AMS50 developers will be able to leverage that power in many cases from their apps.

As well, developers who are familiar with COM development can make action plugins for AMS50 that expose COM interfaces rather than following the AMS50SDK way of doing things.

Just for fun, try this in a project that uses the LuaCOM plugin:

WshShell = luacom.CreateObject("WScript.Shell");
WshShell:Run("calc");
Application.Sleep(100);
WshShell:AppActivate("Calculator");
Application.Sleep(100);
WshShell:SendKeys("1{+}");
Application.Sleep(500);
WshShell:SendKeys("2");
Application.Sleep(500);
WshShell:SendKeys("~");
Application.Sleep(500);
WshShell:SendKeys("*3");
Application.Sleep(500);
WshShell:SendKeys("~");
Application.Sleep(2500);

It will start your calculator program, bring it to the front and send keystrokes to it. Useless, but it demonstrates the ease of functional extension that this module offers.

[eric_darling]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: IRLuaCOM Action Plugin

Omigosh, Brett! This is interesting. I can't wait to see what you cook up once time allows for more. For that matter, I hope a lot of other folks get involved in plugins and database integration. Those two features alone are very intriguing, particularly given my "way too" deep knowledge of Access. I am probably rusty - but I spent entirely too much time learning and using Access '97. Man those days stunk.

[MadNav]

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: IRLuaCOM Action Plugin

Eric .. you are then man .. I remember the Access 97 dayz and well I ran ... ran like H*ll.. I've been feind'n on PHP/MySqL .. and some .XMS stuff for no data-base .ASP sites. But yeah, been intermittant to keeping up with the coat-tails of any and all of it .. man .. I'm seeing the light on the bigger-picture of why I should drop many of my other in-house design tools and just plug my efforts through APMS .. "Colors" .. ... .. bonk bonk ... I'm getting close to finishing a system capture app for genertating backup copies of the ERD infos of a system to a set-aside folder. Double bomb would be the ability to hook into re-write CD capabilities too ... hint hint guys . . many virtual-floppy and CD progz out there not many in line with CD-Burning capabilities but .. there is an answer/work around to all things if you just keep digging. .. well not entirely true .. I guess there really are some things that just can't be worked around, somebody needs to tell me which things they are so I can put it aside for a while.

[MadNav]

The manual html files and documentation are included in the package but the links on the manual are directed to the web refferences. Kinda defeats the purpose of having it locally to using the appendix links effectively.

Not btch'n just making note.. overwhelmingly impressed!

[Martin_SBT]

Hi Brett

That stuff is very cool!! Now i really need to get more into Coding (since the code with the calculator looks like chinese to me!
Would it be possible to do the following using that plugin:

-Open Hyperterminal Window and configure the session automatically (baud rate parity, etc...) and send key stroke to it?

-Change TCP/IP Settings of a network connection in Windows?

-Change any Win settings, such as opening Display properties and changing the screen res. Opening up the HOST file, altering it and saving it.

-Is this pluging can be used with any windows app?

thanks

martin

[Martin_SBT]

Hi Brett

That stuff is very cool!! Now i really need to get more into Coding (since the code with the calculator looks like chinese to me!
Would it be possible to do the following using that plugin:

-Open Hyperterminal Window and configure the session automatically (baud rate parity, etc...) and send key stroke to it?

-Change TCP/IP Settings of a network connection in Windows?

-Change any Win settings, such as opening Display properties and changing the screen res. Opening up the HOST file, altering it and saving it.

-Is this pluging can be used with any windows app?

thanks

martin

[Brett]

Martin,

In response...

Would it be possible to do the following using that plugin:

-Open Hyperterminal Window and configure the session automatically (baud rate parity, etc...) and send key stroke to it?

-Change TCP/IP Settings of a network connection in Windows?

-Change any Win settings, such as opening Display properties and changing the screen res. Opening up the HOST file, altering it and saving it.

Alll of these things may or may not be possible. The LuaCOM plugin is simply there to facilitate a connection between AMS50 and COM interfaces on your system. What you do with it is up to you.

-Is this pluging can be used with any windows app?

The plugin itself can only be called from AMS50. As far as what the plugin can control - that is dependent on the application and whether it exposes an Automation interface.

[TJ_Tigger]

When I use this script it causes Norton Antivirus 2003 to go off warning about the script. Did anyone else experience this problem?

[DrSteve]

LuaCOM Plug-In

I have downloaded the LuaCOM Plug-In and installed it, but it does not appear in the Insert... Plug-In Objects> drop down menu. (And yes I am using AMS5Pro)

:confused:

[Brett]

Action plugins appear under Project > Plugins.