06/04/2015

LoadingVBAFileswithVisualLISP|AfraLISP

LoadingVBAFileswithVisualLISP
byKennyRamage
TherearetwoAutoCADfunctionsthatyouwouldusetoLoadandRunVBAApplications
namely,VBALOADandVBARUN.Inamenufileyouwouldusethemlikethis:

[Test]^C^C^C^Pvbaloadtest.dvbvbarunModule1.MyTest
Or,inanAutoLisproutine,youwouldwritesomethinglikethis:

(command"vbaload""test.dvb")
(command"vbarun""Module1.MyTest")
TheVBALOADfunctionhasoneseriousflawthough!IfaVBAapplicationisalreadyloaded,andyourun
VBALOADagain,yougetanerrormessage.Tryitout:

Command:vbaload
InitializingVBASystem...
OpenVBAProject:test.dvb
Nowtryandloaditagain.

Command:vbaload
OpenVBAProject:test.dvb
Youshouldgetanerrormessage:

"Filealreadyloadedd:/drawings/test.dvb"
ThisiswhereVisualLispcomesintoplay.
Thefunction(VLVBALOAD)behavesmuchlikethecommandVBALOAD.Youneedtosupplythefilenameofa
projectorDVBfile.ThecompletefilenameshouldbeprovidedalongwiththepathandDVBextension.For
example,ifyouwanttoloadaprojectnamedMyProject.dvbintheC:\MyWork\folder,the(VLVBALOAD)function
callwouldappearasfollows:

(VLVBALOAD"C:/MyWork/MyProject.DVB")
Youshouldnoteacoupleofthingsrightaway.VisualLISPmakesuseofforwardslasheswhenseparatingfolderor
directorynames.Also,theparenthesesarerequiredandtheextensionDVBisneededfortheprojecttobeproperly
located.
UnliketheVBALOADcommand,thisfunctionwillnotgenerateanerroriftheprojecthasalreadybeenloadedinto
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thecurrentdrawingenvironment.Thus,programscanproceedsmoothlybyjustcallingtheloadfunctionandthen
callingtherunfunctionwithoutconcernabouttheprojectalreadybeingloaded.Anotherinterestingfeatureisthat
theEnableMacros/VirusWarningmessagedoesnotappearwhenyouusetheVisualLISPapproach.
Therefore,yourmenumacro:

[Test]^C^C^C^Pvbaloadtest.dvbvbarunMyTest
canbereplacedwiththefollowingone:

[Test]^C^C^C^P(vlvbaload"test.dvb")(vlvbarun"MyTest")
Andofcourse,yourAutoLispcodingshouldbereplacedwiththis:

(vlvbaload"test.dvb")
(vlvbarun"MyTest")
Here'salittlefunctionthatyoucouldloadatstartuptohelpyoulocate,loadandrunVBAfiles:

;CODINGSTARTHERE

(defunVBALOADIT(ProjNameMacro)
(if(findfileProjName)
(progn
(vlvbaloadProjName)
(vlvbarunMacro)
);progn
);if
(princ)
);defun
(princ)
;CODINGENDSHERE

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Syntax: (vbaloadit"dvbfile""macro")
Example: (vbaloadit"test.dvb""MyTest")
Youmustkeepsomeotherconsiderationsinmindwhenusing(VLVBALOAD)and(VLVBARUN).Forexample,
afteryouinvokethe(VLVBARUN)function,theVisualLISPfunctionwillcontinuetorunandcan(will)interfere
withtheVBAinterfaceifyoutrytodotoomuch.Ontheotherhand,therearesomedistinctadvantagestousing
theVisualLISPapproachtoloadingandlaunchingVBAmacrosinsteadofthecommandlineversionswhen
programmingamenuortoolbarbasedinterface.
OnethingtonoteisthattheVBARUNisnotasubroutine.Thatis,programexecutionwillnotbehandedtothe
VBAmacroandtheVisualLISProutinesuspendedasifitwererunningafunction.Instead,theVisualLISP
functionwillcontinuetorunastheVBAmacrostarts.ThebestthingtodoissimplyfinishtheVisualLISPfunction
asquicklyaspossibleandlettheVBAmacrorunthecommandinterfacefromthatpointforward.Ifyouwantto
returntoaVisualLISPfunctionafterrunningtheVBAcode,thenusetheSendCommandmethodattachedtothe
DocumentobjectinVBA.WhenyouarereadytohandcontrolbacktoVisualLISP,callthefunctiondirectly
(remembertowrapparenthesesaroundthecommandstartupfordirectlaunchesofVisualLISPfunctions).When
youusethisapproach,theVBAprogramshouldendandallowtheVisualLISPfunctiontoproceedwithout
interference.SimilartostartingtheVBAmacrointhefirstplace,whenyousendcommandstotheAutoCAD
documentfromVBA,theywillberunalongwiththeVBAandsometimesthiscanresultinconfusionattheuser
levelasthetwotrytotaketurns.NotethatyoucanpassparametersfromVBAtotheVisualLISPfunctionby
sendingthemaspartofthecommandstream.Theywillneedtobeconvertedtostringsfirst,thensenttothe
VisualLISPfunctionaspartofthefunctionstartupfromtheSendCommandmethod.
Note:Sorry,butduetoadditionstotheObjectModel,thisnextsectionwillonlyworkinAutoCAD2002and
above.
WanttoknowwhatProjectsareloadedinyourdrawing?
Typethisattheconsoleprompt:

_$(vlloadcom)
_$(setqoApp(vlaxgetacadobject))
VLAOBJECTIAcadApplication00ac8928>
_$(setqoVbe(vlaxgetoapp"VBE"))
#<VLAOBJECTVBE020b9c18>
_$(vlaxdumpobjectoVBET)
;VBE:nil
;Propertyvalues:
;ActiveCodePane=nil
;ActiveVBProject=#<VLAOBJECT_VBProject020ba620>
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;ActiveWindow(RO)=nil
;CodePanes(RO)=#<VLAOBJECT_CodePanes00b1c2e0>
;CommandBars(RO)=#<VLAOBJECT_CommandBars030b2a24>
;Events(RO)=#<VLAOBJECTEvents020b9c94>
;MainWindow(RO)=#<VLAOBJECTWindow020b8ce8>
;SelectedVBComponent(RO)=#<VLAOBJECT_VBComponent020ba748>
;VBProjects(RO)=#<VLAOBJECT_VBProjects020b9c4c>
;Version(RO)="5.00"
;Windows(RO)=#<VLAOBJECT_Windows020b9d18>

;Nomethods
T
IpresumeyoucanseewhatIsee?A"VBProjects"property.Nowthat'sinteresting!Buthowdoweextractthe
loadedProjects?
Loadandrunthissmallroutine:

;CODINGSTARTSHERE

(defunGvba(/oAppoVBEoProjsNNamsoProj)

(vlloadcom);requiresautomationlinks

(if(and

DrilldowntotheProjectsobject
(setqoApp(vlaxgetacadobject))
(setqoVBE(vlagetvbeoApp))
(setqoProjs(vlaxgetoVBE"VBProjects"))
)
;LoopthroughProjectsobject
(repeat(setqN(vlagetcountoProjs))

;gettheitematpositionN
(setqoProj(vlaitemoProjsN)

;getthenameproperty,
;addittothelist.
Nams(cons
(list
(vlaxgetoProj"Name")
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(vlaxgetoProj"FileName")
)Nams)N(1N)))
)

;returnlistofnames
Nams

);defun
;CODINGENDSHERE
YoushouldhavealistofProjectsinthevariable"Nams".
And,wouldyouliketoUnloadallprojectswithinyourdrawing?Trythis:

;CODINGSTARTSHERE
(defunC:UNLOADALLVBA(/VBAProjsVBAProj)

(setqVBAProjs(Gvba))

(foreachVBAProjVBAProjs

(command"_VBAUNLOAD"(cadrVBAProj)))

;CODINGENDSHERE

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