syntax question in dealing with .Net api

hi -- not sure where the best place would be to post this; please
point me elsewhere if there's another list more apropos...

we've got two apps, one in java, one in .Net, and we're trying to put
some glue together to transfer data back and forth between them:

- reading data FROM the .Net application is easy
- writing data TO the .Net application is a puzzle...

to read data from within VB, we can use syntax like VAR =
OBJ.METHOD(PARAMS) and to write fields to an object from within VB
it's also simple: OBJ.METHOD(PARAMS) = VAL.

only the read-style syntax works in exterior languages (Perl is our
platform for proof-of-concept):

$val = $obj->method("param");

but the write-style syntax needs something different:

$obj->method("param") = $expr; # no way

is there a standardized "write-to" syntax that non-VB languages can
take advantages?

$obj->method("param")->let($expr); # for example
$obj->let($expr)->method("param"); # for example
$obj->let_method("param",$expr); # for example

anybody know a FAQ or URL that'll point us in the right direction?

Re: syntax question in dealing with .Net api

[newsgroups trimmed since my ISP doesn't carry microsoft.*, f'up set]

Quoth trillich@gmail.com:
>
> we've got two apps, one in java, one in .Net, and we're trying to put
> some glue together to transfer data back and forth between them:
>
> - reading data FROM the .Net application is easy
> - writing data TO the .Net application is a puzzle...
>
> to read data from within VB, we can use syntax like VAR =
> OBJ.METHOD(PARAMS) and to write fields to an object from within VB
> it's also simple: OBJ.METHOD(PARAMS) = VAL.
>
> only the read-style syntax works in exterior languages (Perl is our
> platform for proof-of-concept):
>
> $val = $obj->method("param");
>
> but the write-style syntax needs something different:
>
> $obj->method("param") = $expr; # no way

I don't know much about .Net, but when you say 'fields' here are you
referring to what Microsoft call 'properties' in OLE/COM? In that case,
that standard way to access COM objects from Perl is to use the
Win32::OLE module, which provides the syntax

$obj->LetProperty('method', 'param', $expr);

to perform what you are asking for above. See the docs for Win32::OLE.

Since the method/property distinction, in particular the concept of
'properties with arguments which are nevertheless assignable and
different from methods', is very much a VB thing, you will have to use
some sort of OLE-compatibility layer in other languages. I would have
thought most languages that run on Win32 would have a standard COM
binding, by now.

If you are talking to your .Net app through some means other than COM,
you will have to tell us more about what you are doing.

Ben

Re: syntax question in dealing with .Net api

On Nov 12, 12:55 pm, Ben Morrow wrote:
> Quoth trill...@gmail.com:
> > to read data from within VB, we can use syntax like VAR =
> > OBJ.METHOD(PARAMS) and to write fields to an object from within VB
> > it's also simple: OBJ.METHOD(PARAMS) = VAL.
>
> > only the read-style syntax works in exterior languages (Perl is our
> > platform for proof-of-concept):
>
> > $val = $obj->method("param");
>
> > but the write-style syntax needs something different:
>
> > $obj->method("param") = $expr; # no way
>
> I don't know much about .Net, but when you say 'fields' here are you
> referring to what Microsoft call 'properties' in OLE/COM? In that case,
> that standard way to access COM objects from Perl is to use the
> Win32::OLE module, which provides the syntax
>
> $obj->LetProperty('method', 'param', $expr);
>
> to perform what you are asking for above. See the docs for Win32::OLE.

hmm. that doesn't look like...

waitaminit:

"""
The SetProperty() method allows to modify properties with
arguments, which is not supported by the hash syntax. The hash form

$Object->{Property} = $Value;

is equivalent to

$Object->SetProperty('Property', $Value);
"""

so... if we're reading values via

$stu = $students->Item( $ix );
$fname = $stu->Fields( 31 );

that implies that maybe we can do

$stu->LetProperty('Fields',31,'Beelzebub');

but there's no way that...

it works! it really works! hoorah!

big thanks, Ben, a blessing upon you and the horse you rode in on!

Re: syntax question in dealing with .Net api

On Nov 12, 12:06 pm, trill...@gmail.com wrote:
> hi -- not sure where the best place would be to post this; please
> point me elsewhere if there's another list more apropos...
>
> we've got two apps, one in java, one in .Net, and we're trying to put
> some glue together to transfer data back and forth between them:
>
> - reading data FROM the .Net application is easy
> - writing data TO the .Net application is a puzzle...
>
> to read data from within VB, we can use syntax like VAR =
> OBJ.METHOD(PARAMS) and to write fields to an object from within VB
> it's also simple: OBJ.METHOD(PARAMS) = VAL.
>
> only the read-style syntax works in exterior languages (Perl is our
> platform for proof-of-concept):
>
> $val = $obj->method("param");
>
> but the write-style syntax needs something different:
>
> $obj->method("param") = $expr; # no way
>
> is there a standardized "write-to" syntax that non-VB languages can
> take advantages?
>
> $obj->method("param")->let($expr); # for example
> $obj->let($expr)->method("param"); # for example
> $obj->let_method("param",$expr); # for example
>
> anybody know a FAQ or URL that'll point us in the right direction?

SOLVED:

> > to read data from within VB, we can use syntax like VAR =
> > OBJ.METHOD(PARAMS) and to write fields to an object from within VB
> > it's also simple: OBJ.METHOD(PARAMS) = VAL.

> > only the read-style syntax works in exterior languages (Perl is our
> > platform for proof-of-concept):

> > $val = $obj->method("param");

> > but the write-style syntax needs something different:

> > $obj->method("param") = $expr; # no way

> I don't know much about .Net, but when you say 'fields' here are you
> referring to what Microsoft call 'properties' in OLE/COM? In that case,
> that standard way to access COM objects from Perl is to use the
> Win32::OLE module, which provides the syntax

> $obj->LetProperty('method', 'param', $expr);

> to perform what you are asking for above. See the docs for Win32::OLE.

Win32::OLE manpage includes

"""
The SetProperty() method allows to modify properties with
arguments, which is not supported by the hash syntax. The hash form

$Object->{Property} = $Value;

is equivalent to

$Object->SetProperty('Property', $Value);
"""

so... if we're reading values via

$stu = $students->Item( $ix );
$fname = $stu->Fields( 31 );

that implies that maybe we can do

$stu->LetProperty('Fields',31,'Beelzebub');

but there's no way that...

it works! it really works! hoorah!