Reactor doesn't react............

Everything I do, I need help. I'm trying to fire a lisp called dtend which runs a short macro on a beginclose event. It exports drawing data to an excel spreadsheet. I have little or no luck designing reactors, but gave it a try. Here's the reactor:

;; callback at beginclose event
(defun reactorTEnd (reactor info) (DTEnd))


;; make the reactor once at loading
(or dwg_reactor
(setq dwg_reactor
(vlr-dwg-reactor
;; we do not need any other type of lisp data here, so a little string message will be fine
"DTEnd cleaner reactor"
'(vlr-beginclose . reactorTEnd)))))

Could someone take a look at it please and give me some input?TIA

 

rewilson,
do you have the 'reactors' loaded ?

(progn
(vl-load-com)
(vl-load-reactors)
)
;
also, cap the "C" in:
'(vlr-beginClose . reactorTEnd)))))

Bob

 

Bob,

Protected symbols are not case sensitive.

Command: !:vlr-beginclose
:VLR-beginClose

Command: !:vlr-beginClose
:VLR-beginClose


Command: !subst
#<SUBR @02877230 SUBST>

Command: !SUBST
#<SUBR @02877230 SUBST>

Command: !sUbst
#<SUBR @02877230 SUBST>

 

are there symbols that are case sensitive?
(setq DIST 24)
(print dist)

 

Jason,
Thanx. I didn't realize..
Bob

 

Of course not, silly me for implying that only
protected symbols were not case sensitive.

 

Hi Bob,
Only (vl-load-com) is required (2000+ I believe).

Rewilson,
Alert calls are good to use if you aren't sure a reactor
callback is getting called. Use them until you understand
what and when everything is happening.

Your code is too incomplete to form any other conclusion.

(defun mycallback (args....) (alert "MyCallback"))

 

Thanks everyone for the reply's. Doug, I did as you suggested and place an alert after the creation of the reactor, and it appears when you open the drawing. I also
did a search for reactors, and it returns one. But it's not firing the routine at the begin close event. Could you take a look at the code for me? I appreciate the help.
(vl-load-com)

(defun reactorTEnd (reactor info) (DTEnd))
;;;callback at begin close event
(or dwg_reactor
(setq dwg_reactor
(vlr-dwg-reactor
"DTEnd cleaner reactor"
'(vlr-beginclose . DTEnd)))))


(vl-acad-defun 'DTEnd)
;;Define the function

(defun DTEnd ()
;define function

(setvar "CMDECHO" 0)
;switch off command echo

(if (findfile "DTbegin.dvb")
;if the project file is found
;in your AutoCAD search path

(progn
;do the following

(setvar "FILEDIA" 0)
;switch off dialogue boxes

(command "_vbaload"
(findfile "DTBegin.dvb"))
;load the project file

(command "-vbarun" "Module2.DrawingEnd")
;run the project macro

(command "_vbaunload" "DTBegin")
;unload the file

(setvar "FILEDIA" 1)
;switch dialogues back on

) ;progn

(princ "\nDTBegin.dvb not found")
;if project not found, inform the user

) ;if

(setvar "CMDECHO" 1)
;switch command echo back on


(princ)
(princ)

(princ))
;;;exit quitely

 

You can't use (command....) inside a reactor.
Instead use (vla-sendcommand... or something similar.
You should avoid using (setvar.....) inside a reactor.
The (princ)'s are probably superfluous for beginclose.

Start with
(defun reactorTEnd (reactor info) (alert "Closing"))

and then debug from there, if that works.

the creation of the reactor, and it appears when you open the drawing. I also

begin close event. Could you take a look at the code for me? I appreciate the help.

 

OK Doug..............I'll give it a go. Thanks for tips!

 

Doug, you've sparked confusion in a little brain. I thought sendcommand
should be avoided along with command (i.e. anything calling functions using
command line). And I use setvar heavily in reactors. Is there a problem
with this that I should know about? Further enlightenment requested.

Thanks,

James

 

I haven't had any problems with setvar but any reactor
that uses 'all-documents notification or is contained in
a separate namespace vlx might not work or might
operate inconsistently with setvar, since setvar works
only with the activedocument. Instead (vla-setvariable
can target a particular variable in a particular document).
The same thing goes with getvar vs. vla-getvariable.

If all your reactors are set up locally, then the above
might not be a problem. In some cases, an elock
violation can possibly occur, although I haven't noticed
that being a big problem. That seems to be more of
a problem with (entmod)

I don't believe sendcommand is a problem but its been
so long since I have played with it, I can't be sure. I knew
that (command... will cause a problem and make the
reactor not appear to operate. Some kinds of errors
don't report to the user within reactors. In general,
any command that would require user interaction should
definitely be avoided.

Even more confused now? Life is like that. ;-)

 

Actually, can't I just use
(vl-VBARUN "Module2.DrawingEnd") ?
It seems to work, but I still can't get the reactor to fire.

 

I'd have to test it myself to find out. In general, I
try to avoid starting VBA during a close event unless
it is already running. Are you setting
this reactor up for all drawings or for just the drawing
into which it is loaded? To get it to fire, when any
drawing closes, you need to use the vlr-set-notificaton
statement.

Did it fire with just the alert? (dummied form)

Reactors work quite well in VBA BTW. Perhaps if
your reactor is merely starting a VBA routine, it might
as well be implemented in VBA entirely.

 

I thought that could be done, but didn't know how to do it. Is it still called a beginclose? Can you show me an example?TIA

 

Paste this into your Thisdrawing

Private Sub AcadDocument_BeginClose()
MsgBox "Closing"
End Sub

Did you see my questions?

beginclose? Can you show me an example?TIA

 

Yes, I saw your questions. But I was on my out of the office for the day, and in my haste didn't answer them. Apologies. I'm setting it up for all open drawings, which causes another headache. I load the macro with a lisp on drawing startup, and run module1.drawingbegin. At drawing close, module2.drawingend runs. It needs to unload the macro when it's finished to avoid the alert when it reloads at the next drawing open. The alert is not a problem, I'd just rather not see it.
I tried the (alert 'close) on the reactor, and didn't get an alert. I don't know enough about reactors, but I've got one lisp firing on a beginclose event now. Could that be causing the problem? If so, can I fire two seperate routines from the same reactor? Would it need to be persistent to do that
I'll try the VBA in the morning when get to the office, and let you know. Thanks for all your help.

 

The problem with LISP reactors is that they are attached to each
individual drawing. That can be an advantage if you want to do
something different to each drawing but otherwise makes things more
complicated.

1) (alert 'close) would stall the reactor immediately because it would
cause an error. Alert takes only string arguments. Any error in a
reactor causes the reactor to appear its not working.

2) If, with each reactor, you are calling VBA routines, then you should
write VBA events instead of lisp reactors. There are only a few events
that are not available to VBA (although none come to mind).

3) Reactors should always assume they are not working alone and also
should not assume that they occur in any specific sequence. That is, if
there are 2 beginclose reactors, then the order is not predictable.

4)AFAIK, only object reactors can be made persistent.

5)A program to create a reactor should always check to see that it has
not already been created. Otherwise, things start happening 2 or more
times. New reactors don't replace old reactors.

and in my haste didn't answer them. Apologies. I'm setting it up for all
open drawings, which causes another headache. I load the macro with a lisp
on drawing startup, and run module1.drawingbegin. At drawing close,
module2.drawingend runs. It needs to unload the macro when it's finished to
avoid the alert when it reloads at the next drawing open. The alert is not a
problem, I'd just rather not see it.

don't know enough about reactors, but I've got one lisp firing on a
beginclose event now. Could that be causing the problem? If so, can I fire
two seperate routines from the same reactor? Would it need to be persistent
to do that

Thanks for all your help.

 

Doug, you have done well. Doing it from VBA rather than lisp is exactly what I needed. I load the project from the acad2000.lsp, then fire from VBA with a beginopen and also a beginclose event. It works exactly as I had hoped, and I really appreciate all your time,effort and input. Many thanks to you. (I've also learned a ton of stuff)!

 

Doug, I also thank you for the extra info. I guess I haven't run into these
problems as all of my reactors are defined from vlisp reactors and not vba
events. But I have thought about converting to vba events so I should keep
these things in mind.

Thanks again,

James