I wonder, is it possible? Hey, I'm a 'dog' at this point, a real newbie
when it comes to Common Lisp, but I'm taking the ACL5 class in June and,
maybe in about five years, I'll be able to do a few things with it.
My background is AutoLISP, Basic, and Fortran, with minimal C++ reading and
nominal VBA use.
What I want is to find/develop the ability to execute AutoLISP programs from
an ACL5 application, and/or execute ACL5 apps from AutoLISP. Presently I'm
limited to "-VBARUN" (from within AutoLISP), and have no way yet of
reversing the process (with VBA). Perhaps someone is already working on it
on the VBA end (I hear 'talk', but have seen no results yet).
I'm an open-minded person. If this is a totally stupid idea in your
opinion, tell me about it! If you think it's not too far-fetched but don't
see the need, I'll explain.
Link Davis wrote:
> What I want is to find/develop the ability to execute AutoLISP programs from
> an ACL5 application, and/or execute ACL5 apps from AutoLISP.
Question: does AutoLisp support COM (OLE) Automation, as a client or a server?
If the former,then you should be able to call ACL5 from AutoLisp. If the
latter, then you should be able to call AutoLisp from ACL5.
Bruce Tobin wrote:
>
> Link Davis wrote:
>
> > What I want is to find/develop the ability to execute AutoLISP programs from
> > an ACL5 application, and/or execute ACL5 apps from AutoLISP.
>
> Question: does AutoLisp support COM (OLE) Automation, as a client or a server?
> If the former,then you should be able to call ACL5 from AutoLisp. If the
> latter, then you should be able to call AutoLisp from ACL5.
AutoLISP itself not, but the new Visual Lisp which will replace AutoLISP
with
the next AutoCAD Release.
But Visual Lisp has no OLE Automation Server, only a client, so you can
only
expect a one way call. Visual Lisp calls ACL5. But AutoCAD itself has an
OLE Automation Server, so you don't need AutoLISP/Visual Lisp at all, if
you strictly
use ACL5. The problem is calling the command interface
(command <native command> <args> ...) which is not supported by the
automation server,
only by the (slow and incompatible) ADS interface. So you're stuck with
the object
orientated way to handle AutoCAD objects and properties.
Dialogs should be raised by ACL anyway, lisp expressions debugged and
interpreted
in ACL too, so no need to talk to Visual Lisp.
ACL5 compiles to native code, DLL or EXE, but it would be cool if it
would support
ObjectARX, Autodesk's way to call DLL's and to expose its API.
The ACL5 IDE is not really as elegant as Visual Lisp (the former Vital
Lisp),
but it has some other features (native Win32 GUI, GUI builder, a strong
lisp,
native code creation) which would make it attractive to AutoCAD
developers.
Okay, Reini, you know I'm not a rocket scientist. I'm looking for a basic
facility, code that is, which will give me some rudimentary functionality.
While I "know" all about the tools, i.e. the DLL or EXE compile capability,
COM etc., I do not know how to put the pieces together... Stupid
inexperienced me. I'm hoping you'll help me to get just one thing to work,
just one example of code that exchanges data/commands, one-way or two-way, I
don't care, with ACL. I realize there's a whole universe out there to
explore. I'd be happy just to be able to hang-glide.