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Adding VBScript and JScript support in your C++ applications

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14 Jul 2002CPOL3 min read 411.4K   5.8K   146   91
Introduce to MSSCRIPT.OCX and calling JScript and VBScript in your C++ Application
Download ScriptDemo Demo Project - 31 Kb

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Introduction

I am always amazed to see how the script control (msscript.ocx) is fun to use and at the same time how C++ developers reacted when it's time to use. Maybe the extension (.ocx) make them feel, it's visual basic! In this article, I would like to remove those frontiers and give some new reasons for C++ developers to use it.

Description

To use either VBScript or JScript is fairly simple in a VB and C++ Application thanks to Microsoft's development efforts to create Windows Scripting technology. A developer only needs to know how to use the Microsoft Scripting ActiveX control (msscript.ocx) and how to pass value to a script method. For this reason, the first wrapper class that I want to identify is the CScriptObject. This wrapper is very simple to use and it provides most of the functionality that you will want to use in your application. It has a function to load script (text data) from a file or resource, get a list of methods name, selecting script language and to the execute function and statement. This class has no dependencies on MFC and can also be used in a console application. 

First of all to call a script it is important to know that VBScript and JScript deal only with VARIANT parameters. This is the reason I created the CSafeArrayHelper class. The

CSafeArray
helper wrapper class allows you to create parameters that you will pass to your script function.

class CSafeArrayHelper
{
    public:
        CSafeArrayHelper();
        ~CSafeArrayHelper();

    bool Create(VARTYPE  vt, UINT  cDims, UINT lBound, UINT cCount);
    bool Destroy();
    UINT GetDimension();

    bool Attach(LPSAFEARRAY psa);
    bool AttachFromVariant(VARIANT* pVariant);
    LPSAFEARRAY Detach();
    LPSAFEARRAY GetArray();
    bool AccessData(void FAR* FAR* pvData);
    bool UnaccessData();
    bool Lock();
    bool Unlock();
    bool PutElement(long lIndices, void FAR* vData);
    bool GetElement(long lIndices, void FAR* vData);
    VARIANT GetAsVariant();

    protected:
    LPSAFEARRAY    m_pSA;

    private:
};
It provides the exact same features that you will want to use with SAFEARRAY object but its usage may be simpler for some of us (like me!). The function GetAsVariant may be useful in case when you want to view the type of data that was encapsulated in your SAFEARRAY. This function could not provide ways to read all data types since the SAFEARRAY Data type (fFeatures) didn't implement it. Nonetheless to say, this function do a guess on the data types.

How to use

First to use this control, I will recommend you to take a look at the documentation for VBScript and JScript to know all you can do within your script function.

Writing a Script function

Let's say we want to create a simple function to convert temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius.

In VBScript write:

VBScript
Function Celsius(fDegrees)
   Celsius = (fDegrees - 32) * 5 / 9
End Function
or in JScript write:
JavaScript
function Celsius(fDegres)
{
   return (fDegres-32)*5/9;
}
To call this function, one only needs to store each parameter into VARIANT. Since your function (method) can have more than one parameter, a SAFEARRAY is needed to encapsulated them. In that latter case, you may want to view the parameter count for the array passed to your function by checking the .length property for string function or by some other means.
JavaScript
function CountParam(aParam)
{
    var strPresent = "Parameter is : " + (aParam.length>0 ? "Present": "Not present");
    return strPresent;
}
The same technique may be used in VBScript. This allows you to detect variable length argument at run time. To call a function without argument, a SAFERRAY is created but without parameter.

Calling a Script function

Your code can be as easy as this:

void CScriptDemoDlg::OnBtnExecute() 
{
    CString strParam, strProc;
    m_ctlParameter.GetWindowText( strParam );
    m_ctlFunctions.GetWindowText( strProc );

    CSafeArrayHelper sfHelper;
    try{
        _variant_t var;
        if (strProc.IsEmpty())
            sfHelper.Create(VT_VARIANT, 1, 0, 0);    // (void) parameter
        else
        {
            sfHelper.Create(VT_VARIANT, 1, 0, 1);    // 1 parameter
            var = _bstr_t(strParam);
        }
        sfHelper.PutElement(0, (void*)&var);    // parameter1 -> index 0
        LPSAFEARRAY sa =  sfHelper.GetArray();
        _variant_t varRet;
        if (m_ScriptObj.RunProcedure(strProc, &sa, &varRet))
            m_ctlResult.SetWindowText( (LPCTSTR)(_bstr_t(varRet)) );
        else
        {
            CString strError = m_ScriptObj.GetErrorString();
            m_ctlResult.SetWindowText( strError );
        }
    }
    catch(...)
    {
        CString strError = m_ScriptObj.GetErrorString();
        m_ctlResult.SetWindowText( strError );
    }
}

Some Ideas

Some of the ideas that you may want to try.
  1. You may want to have your script acts like a plugin, one suggestion is to have a resource script into a DLL and loads it at runtime (you may also have it part of your application). In that case, you will want to have specific module-related function, like: InitModule, ReleaseModule, btnOK_Click, btnCancel_Click, LoadUserData(strUsername), SaveUserData(strUserData), etc... and each of your DLL will have to implement them.

  2. You may have your script to do a complete task and you will load the script file based on the task (the CScriptObject class can load a script file for you!).

    Example: This script starts the "Calculator" program.

    JavaScript
    function StartCalc()
    {
     var WshShell = new ActiveXObject("WScript.Shell");
     var oExec = WshShell.Exec("calc");
         WshShell = null;
    }
  3. You may want to create ActiveX object that lives longer than for a function call:
    JavaScript
    var XML_Obj;
    function StartModule()
    {
     XML_Obj = new ActiveXObject("Msxml.DOMDocument");
     XML_Obj.async = false;
    }
    function StopModule()
    {
     XML_Obj = null;
    }
    function LoadSettings(strFilename)
    {
     XML_Obj.load(strFilename);
    }
  4. There are cases that you may want to execute the script code directly, just add the code, do not create a function...try it for fun!

References

Microsoft Windows Script Control
VBScript Documentation
JScript Documentation

History

15 July 2002 - updated demo fixed VC6 and VC7 issues

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)


Written By
Software Developer (Senior)
United States United States
Ernest is a multi-discipline software engineer.
Skilled at software design and development for all Windows platforms.
-
MCSD (C#, .NET)
Interests: User Interface, GDI/GDI+, Scripting, Android, iOS, Windows Mobile.
Programming Skills: C/C++, C#, Java (Android), VB and ASP.NET.

I hope you will enjoy my contributions.

Comments and Discussions

 
QuestionExpected end of statement, Dim val As Double Pin
abhilashmfc21-Jan-16 18:59
abhilashmfc21-Jan-16 18:59 
Questionif i have four parameters what should do ?how to pass four parameters? Pin
Member 1151108916-Mar-15 22:29
Member 1151108916-Mar-15 22:29 
QuestionWindow object Pin
Eugene Ochakovsky2-Jun-13 23:11
Eugene Ochakovsky2-Jun-13 23:11 
AnswerRe: Window object Pin
Ernest Laurentin9-Jun-13 18:52
Ernest Laurentin9-Jun-13 18:52 
Questionmsscript.ocx is not supported on Windows x64 Pin
fsandner6-Oct-11 20:41
fsandner6-Oct-11 20:41 
GeneralVisual Basic App Pin
mapharo25-Feb-11 15:09
mapharo25-Feb-11 15:09 
GeneralAn error happened when the application existed Pin
shengberlin24-Sep-09 2:53
shengberlin24-Sep-09 2:53 
GeneralDestroying the SAFEARRAY after an error Pin
Ralf Patzig1-Jul-08 22:08
Ralf Patzig1-Jul-08 22:08 
GeneralRe: Destroying the SAFEARRAY after an error Pin
Ernest Laurentin2-Jul-08 4:02
Ernest Laurentin2-Jul-08 4:02 
GeneralScript Time Out Pin
ynotyon25-Jun-08 7:44
ynotyon25-Jun-08 7:44 
GeneralLoadScript problem in a visual C++ thread Pin
victor domingo reguant15-Oct-07 6:06
victor domingo reguant15-Oct-07 6:06 
Hi,

There is no problem when I execute a visual basic script inside a function of my application dialog, otherwise the problem arises when I execute the script in a CWinThread process.
The problem is inside the LoadScript function, exactly the following code returns an error:

m_pScript->AddCode(strCode);

inline HRESULT IScriptControl::AddCode ( _bstr_t Code ) {
HRESULT _hr = raw_AddCode(Code);
if (FAILED(_hr)) _com_issue_errorex(_hr, this, __uuidof(this));
return _hr;
}

The _hr value returned is 0x8000ffff, and the GetErrorString() function returns "Error: , ; in line 0", although there is no problem in the script syntax,

Function multiplica(par1,par2)
multiplica = par1*par2
End Function

Can anybody help me?

Thanks in Advance
QuestionLoadScript problem in VC++ thread Pin
victor domingo reguant15-Oct-07 6:03
victor domingo reguant15-Oct-07 6:03 
GeneralMSScript reset trouble. Pin
k01dunn29-Aug-07 4:33
k01dunn29-Aug-07 4:33 
General2 Parameters Again Pin
Peter Weyzen28-Apr-07 9:52
Peter Weyzen28-Apr-07 9:52 
GeneralRe: 2 Parameters Again Pin
Ernest Laurentin28-Apr-07 11:12
Ernest Laurentin28-Apr-07 11:12 
GeneralRe: 2 Parameters Again Pin
Peter Weyzen30-Apr-07 11:38
Peter Weyzen30-Apr-07 11:38 
QuestionHow can I use AddObject and use it. Pin
coronys13-Dec-06 4:38
coronys13-Dec-06 4:38 
GeneralDetermine function parameters Pin
coronys6-Dec-06 23:09
coronys6-Dec-06 23:09 
AnswerRe: Determine function parameters Pin
Ernest Laurentin7-Dec-06 15:12
Ernest Laurentin7-Dec-06 15:12 
GeneralRe: Determine function parameters Pin
coronys7-Dec-06 19:01
coronys7-Dec-06 19:01 
GeneralGet the source line number Pin
AKSIVAKUMAR16-Oct-06 21:08
AKSIVAKUMAR16-Oct-06 21:08 
GeneralRe: Get the source line number Pin
AKSIVAKUMAR17-Oct-06 23:49
AKSIVAKUMAR17-Oct-06 23:49 
GeneralProblems with msscript.tlh Pin
xricon21-Oct-05 10:00
xricon21-Oct-05 10:00 
GeneralRe: Problems with msscript.tlh Pin
Anonymous21-Oct-05 13:45
Anonymous21-Oct-05 13:45 
GeneralRe: Problems with msscript.tlh Pin
Anonymous24-Oct-05 4:13
Anonymous24-Oct-05 4:13 

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