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Controlling a windows program

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S-Y. Chen

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Oct 31, 2007, 10:53:21 AM10/31/07
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Dear all,

I recently encountered a problem, and wonder if any of you have any
suggestion.

My tcl shell have to control a already running windows program (for
example, a CAD, a Excel sheet or something that can not be controlled
by batch mode).

The program can not be closed or restarted. They have to remain
running (active)

My original thought was to use tcom to control those programs. But
someone told me com is outdated and limited. He also said .Net will
be the future.

I really don't know what .Net is all about, and I will prefer not to
do that. So, is there any other way I can do that ? In addition to
COM and .Net ?

Thanks in advance for any suggestion

Regards
S-Y. Chen

Gerald W. Lester

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Oct 31, 2007, 1:32:57 PM10/31/07
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S-Y. Chen wrote:
> Dear all,
>
> I recently encountered a problem, and wonder if any of you have any
> suggestion.
>
> My tcl shell have to control a already running windows program (for
> example, a CAD, a Excel sheet or something that can not be controlled
> by batch mode).
>
> The program can not be closed or restarted. They have to remain
> running (active)
>
> My original thought was to use tcom to control those programs. But
> someone told me com is outdated and limited. He also said .Net will
> be the future.

In this case (Excel) the .NET interface is just a wrapper around the COM
interface. Seems your "someone" knows buzzwords but not substance -- I'd
advise taking any thing they say with several grains of salt.

If COM works, why not use it?

>
> I really don't know what .Net is all about, and I will prefer not to
> do that. So, is there any other way I can do that ? In addition to
> COM and .Net ?

You could also use DDL -- which is even older and more limited..

>
> Thanks in advance for any suggestion
>
> Regards
> S-Y. Chen
>


--
+--------------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Gerald W. Lester |
|"The man who fights for his ideals is the man who is alive." - Cervantes|
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Cameron Laird

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Oct 31, 2007, 2:18:50 PM10/31/07
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In article <e%2Wi.2161$cy7....@newsfe18.lga>,
Gerald W. Lester <Gerald...@cox.net> wrote:
>S-Y. Chen wrote:
.
.

.
>If COM works, why not use it?
.
.
.

>You could also use DDL -- which is even older and more limited..
.
.
.
Gerald intended to write "DDE" <URL: http://wiki.tcl.tk/dde >.

His question about COM remains apt.

Gerald W. Lester

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Oct 31, 2007, 3:24:02 PM10/31/07
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Cameron Laird wrote:
> In article <e%2Wi.2161$cy7....@newsfe18.lga>,
> Gerald W. Lester <Gerald...@cox.net> wrote:
>> S-Y. Chen wrote:
> .
> .
> .
>> If COM works, why not use it?
> .
> .
> .
>> You could also use DDL -- which is even older and more limited..
> .
> .
> .
> Gerald intended to write "DDE" <URL: http://wiki.tcl.tk/dde >.

Yes, meant to write DDE -- sorry.

> His question about COM remains apt.

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