Tangram Programming Tool Kit

• Download SDK - 1.6 Mb

Introduction

This is a first beta-release for Tangram. Tangram is a Microsoft Visual Basic for Application (VBS) integration development tool kit. Using tangram you can develop software with VBA integrated. If you plan to integrate Microsoft VBA into your software system, or if you wish to design a software system which is a second developing system, Tangram is designed for you!

Using Tangram

To use tangram, copy tangramlib to your computer’s hard disk, install the VBA sdk (for a simple version of the VBA SDK, please visit http://www.tangramdev.com). Copy all *.awx files to "\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\Common\MSDev98\Template" and copy all files contained in "tangramlib\Template" to "\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\Common\MSDev98\Template\atl". Register the component "tgrmobjwz.dll" using regsvr32.exe.

If you use the debug version, please register "TangramAppServerD.dll". If you use the release version, please register "TangramAppServer.dll". The include directory of "tangramlib\include" must be set before vbasdk’s include directory.

What new features are in Tangram?

1. Integrated with Microsoft VBA: One Important feature of tangram is the ability to let your software system be integrated with Microsoft Visual Basic for Application, and thus, your software becomes a second development system. Microsoft VBA is the core component of Microsoft Office. Tangram provides a default mechanism to encapsulate the Microsoft Application Programming Component, so your software can be integrated with Microsoft VBA on the fly.

   

2. Smart Object Model and Document Model Design Mechanism: It is well known that the Document/View mechanism is a strong feature which Microsoft Visual C++ has.  Because of the complexity of the Document/View mechanism, one Document type must correspond to a unique Document Template, one Document must have its own views list, and all of this must be coded with C++ code. Tangram supplies a visual design manner to solve this problem. In tangram, we created a “universal” Document template which can furnish “rich format document type”.  Using tangram, you can design your document with arbitrary complex structure. Tangram stores the user data separate with the user document, and you can store arbitrary complex data structure in a tangram document.

    
   (this is a document created by tangram )

3. The Strong Software Compose mechanism: Tangram can use MFC/ATL Window Component, Active Control / Document developed by Borland Delphi/C++Builder and Visual Basic to Compose FrameWindows. Use the VBA Components to script these object. You can compose a frame window in a “what you see is what you get” manner.

   

   (this is a frame window designed by tangram designer, this frame window contain one visual basic form, one visual basic ActiveX document, and one MFC form)
   

4. You can create a Visual Basic/Borland Delphi/Borland C++ Builder Form and use this Form in Tangram as a Docking Control Bar, a View or a Splitter pane, just as you can see in the following picture:

   

5. Inner Internet Programming ability: Tangram lets your software system become an extended internet explorer. In tangram, we created an extend HTML object model, which can let HTML script can execute VBA Macro Code and can interface with other components in your software system.
   
   
6. Tangram is based on the Microsoft MFC/ATL class library and the VBASDK 6.x.
   
   
7. Tangram supplies excellent Programming wizards (Visual C++ Wizard), and Component Code Wizards (ATL Code Wizard) in order to help programmer program quickly.