Figured out a property, now just need this opened externally with COM

[Blake81]

I figured out how to write a property to get this to do what I want in VB. I just need to make sure I publish this with all the right options set and learn how to call this with mIRC and pass it a URL as a string. Can anyone help me with this. This will be a form that will show a remote webcam when I pass it the other person's IP address as a string. A few questions I have are:

1. Does it matter where I publish this and run it to use it from mIRC?
2. Will it automatically update to show that it's connected to the remote IP?

I've tried to make a form and open a COM connection with mIRC before, but I didn't get the results I hoped for. Can someone take a look at this code and help me figure out if this will work and how to use it? Thanks.

[SIZE=2]<Microsoft.VisualBasic.ComClass()> <System.Serializable()> [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Public[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Class[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Form1
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Dim[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] media [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]New[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] AxWMPLib.AxWindowsMediaPlayer
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Public[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Property[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] camurl([/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ByVal[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] url [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]) [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Get
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]AxWindowsMediaPlayer1.URL = url
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Get
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Set[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]([/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ByVal[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] value [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2])
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Set
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Property
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Private[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Sub[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Form1_Load([/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ByVal[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] sender [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] System.Object, [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ByVal[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] e [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] System.EventArgs) [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Handles[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]MyBase[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2].Load
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Dim[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] myurl [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] = [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800000]"http://blakenet.myftp.org/mba_otter.asx"
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Dim[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] myvid [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]myvid = camurl(myurl)
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Sub
End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Class[/COLOR][/SIZE]

 

[jmcilhinney]

Why don't you have a body for the Set method of your property? If you don't want a setter for the property then declare it ReadOnly and remove the setter altogether.

 

[Blake81]

I was just experimenting with this to try to get it working. As I've mentioned before, I'm pretty new to VB, and I didn't understand exactly how both parts of a property worked.

 

[Blake81]

I think I've figured out a different way to do this, but I'm not sure if it will all work in the end. I'm creating a Windows form with a Class Library included in the project. I've managed to make one of the functions in the class library change the URL for a Windows Media Player object. When I published the project, all of the files got a .deploy file extension, and I also can't find the dll that the class library should have become (or at least I thought it would). Using this approach, will there be a way to call the function corresponding to the open form window so that I can change the URL through COM? The code for the class library is this

[SIZE=2]<Microsoft.VisualBasic.ComClass()> [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Public[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Class[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] camcontrol
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Public[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Function[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] CamURL([/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ByVal[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] URL [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2])
Form1.AxWindowsMediaPlayer1.URL = URL
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Return[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] URL
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Function
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Public[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Function[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] CamOnOff([/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ByVal[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] OnOff [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2])
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Return[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] OnOff
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Function
End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Class[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]

[/COLOR][/SIZE]

The code for the form is this

[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][SIZE=2]<Microsoft.VisualBasic.ComClass()> [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Public[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Class[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Form1
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Public[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Sub[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Form1_Load([/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ByVal[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] sender [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] System.Object, [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ByVal[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] e [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] System.EventArgs) [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Handles[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]MyBase[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2].Load
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Dim[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] myvid [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]New[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] camcontrol
myvid.CamURL([/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800000]"http://blakenet.myftp.org/mba_otter.asx"[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2])
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Sub
End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Class[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]

I just want to be able to open a COM connection with mIRC and call the CamURL function. Normally for opening a DLL in mIRC it would be "/comopen test programname.classname" where test is anything you want to call that specific connection to refer to it later. If (a) I don't have an exe file or a dll file because they all end in .deploy, and (b) the DLL seems to be embedded in the executable, how/can I call the DLL and change the URL on the currently open form? I really hope someone understands this and can help me. I've put alot of time into this, and it's frustrating me because I'm new at it. Thanks.

[/COLOR][/SIZE]

 

[JohnH]

the DLL seems to be embedded in the executable,

If you with the above mean that you have put a class inside a windows application project, that will not produce a seperate class library (dll) of that class. What makes me suspicious is the way you refer to the "class library" when creating an instance, you don't address it by namespace which for a fresh default lib would be classlibrary1.class1. You have to add a new project of type class library to the solution, reference it from the windows application project the create an instance to use... (if you're starting from the winapp and calling the dll)

If going the route you describe, with loading a com class library from mIrc, it sounds to me that you should go the other way around, that is, create a new project of type class library, do your thing to make it COM and add the code, then add a form to this very project, it is perfectly valid to have a form within a class library and call it from any class library sub/function method. So, if I have understood this scenario, you load the COM class in mIrc, attach to one specific function, then this function will create an instance of the form and show it.

 

[Blake81]

Thank you very much for your help. I got this working! That's a huge thing for me since I've been trying so many things to see why it wasn't working. I was able to start Windows Media Encoder on my desktop and broadcast my webcam, and then call this function from a mIRC script and actually see my webcam on the form. I really appreciate your help with this. I plan to take this further and put a reference to Windows Media Encoder in the form. I'll have a mIRC script that will let you right click a user and have the option to start a voice/cam chat with them. It really shouldn't be difficult at all, because all I'll need to do is pass the mIRC identifier $ip to the function so it knows what remote cam to connect to. Thanks again!

I do have one more question. This DLL is registered with COM on this computer just because it was built here, but if I give the DLL to someone else, they'd have to register it with COM manually, right? I know that the path to the regasm.exe command on this computer is C:\Windows\Microsoft.net\Framework\v2.0.50727. Will that path be the same for everyone? I'd like to write a batch file to register this with COM, because I know alot of people who would use this wouldn't know enough or want to go through the trouble of using regasm.exe. Thanks.

 

[Blake81]

I have come across two small problems with this DLL. One is that the form stays on top of the mIRC window and I can't type in mIRC or do anything with it while the form is up. I've also noticed that I have to close the form and run the alias to connect to a URL a second time before it shows anything. Any ideas why it would do this? Here's the class:

[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Public[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Class[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Class1
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Dim[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] newform [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]New[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] camform
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Public[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ReadOnly[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Property[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] CamURL([/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ByVal[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] URL [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2])
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Get
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]newform.Show()
newform.AxWindowsMediaPlayer1.URL = URL
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Get
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Property
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Public[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Function[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] CamOnOff([/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ByVal[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] OnOff [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2])
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Return[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] OnOff
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Function
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Class[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]

[/COLOR][/SIZE]

and here's the form

[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Public[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Class[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#000000] camform[/COLOR]
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Dim[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] media [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]New[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] AxWMPLib.AxWindowsMediaPlayer
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Public[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Function[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] camurl([/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ByVal[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] url [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2])
AxWindowsMediaPlayer1.URL = url
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Return[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] url
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Function
End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Class[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]

[/COLOR][/SIZE]

 

[Blake81]

I have fixed the problem with the form being stuck on top. I changed the AutoValidate property to EnableAllowFocusChange. I'd still like to figure out the other problem with the video not showing up the first time. I'm not sure if it's just slow coming up, or if it just won't show until I do it a second time. I'll keep looking into this.

 

[Blake81]

I've added another property, but it isn't working, and it doesn't make sense, because it's basically like the first one which works. I wanted to have another form open to be a console to control the webcam. It's the second property here, called ConsoleShow.

[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Public[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Class[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Class1
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Dim[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] newform [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]New[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] camform
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Dim[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] myconsole [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]New[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] console
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Public[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ReadOnly[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Property[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] CamURL([/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ByVal[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] URL [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2])
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Get
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]newform.Show()
newform.AxWindowsMediaPlayer1.URL = URL
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Get
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Property
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Public[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ReadOnly[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Property[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] ConsoleShow([/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ByVal[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Show [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2])
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Get
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]If[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Show = [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800000]"show"[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Then
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]myconsole.Show()
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ElseIf[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Show = [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#800000]"Hide"[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Then
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]myconsole.Hide()
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]If
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Get
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Property
End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Class[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]

[/COLOR][/SIZE]
It doesn't make sense, because, aside from small differences, it's basically doing the same thing as the first property. It's just supposed to open a form. Even the mIRC script to do it is basically the same. Here are the mIRC aliases to run both:

/camtest {
var %url = http://blakenet.myftp.org/mba_otter.asx
$com(test,camurl,3,bstr,%url)
}
/openconsole {
var %open = open
$com(test,consoleshow,3,bstr,%open)
}

/camtest works, but /openconsole doesn't. Any ideas? Thanks.