XMLPropWorks

Greetings all,

In the past I had written various VB routines for managing my custom
property data. unfortunately, it seemed that every new customer had
different requirements for such, so the versions began multiplying and
were getting hard to manage.

I looked around a bit and found swCP3 by Vinodh Kumar M. I studied the
package and was impressed by the configurability, but there was some
major functionality that I wanted which wasn't in the package. So,
with Mr. Markapuram's permission, I utilized the idea of a XML set up
file to create a completely customizable custom property manager.

Where I differed from swCP3 is the ability to:

1) Create unique pages for each of the three document types
2) Write the output data to an Access database file (SQL writing is in
the works)
3) Remotely locate the setup file (for network usage amongst many
users)
4) Create variables and data which are transparent to the user for
inclusion either in Custom Properties, or writing to the database.
5) Display a bitmapped image of the file in the page (I will be writing
this to the database in a later version)

and some other which don't immediately come to mind.

I've been using the package for a while and have squashed all the
obvious bugs, but I'm certain those creative individuals out there can
find more.

Be forewarned that the package comes with a sample setup XML data file,
but to get full utility of this package will take some time to set it
up to your specific needs. It took me a full day to set it up, and a
couple of days of tweaking after that to get it where I wanted it.

I've got a couple of early beta testers out there (you know who you
are!) but am throwing this out to see who might be interested enough to
do a final beta test.

The package will be released as freeware, but I am seriously thinking
about requiring user registration. I haven't decided yet.

Let me know what you think here, as this e-mail address is decidedly
non-functional. I stopped putting real e-mail addresses in usenet
messages a LONG time ago because of Chinese and Korean spam. Once I
get an idea of the interest level, I'll figure out a way to distribute
it.

Thanks,

Chris

 

I've found some customer property managers that will copy property
values from a file on disk or copy all the same property values to all
files in a directory, but none that copied from an active document to
another open document. I had a work around for a long time (using an
..exe API program which resided outside of SW). But I've finally have a
function that allows this within SW, but it's still kinda a hack.

It would be great to have the manager apply the current entered values
to any SW open document, and as a separate function, apply them to any
SW document on disk. With this function included, your planned package
looks very desirable.

Matt

 

Hey Chirs,

Can you email me a copy? Sounds nice.

 

Chris,

I'd like like to take a look at this also...

DT

 

Me too!

ps. check out my SWxx-tools at www.markkulehtola.net

 

H'mmm. I'll have to think about this and how to do it under the
confines of the way XMLPropWorks was written. I know what you are
saying about copying a set of props from one file to the next though.
One of the variations of my hardcoded custom property routines I had in
the past sensed what document was active. So you could initiate the
routine for one document, read the CP's, switch to another document and
write the same CP's. It was serendipity because I didn't purposely
design it to work that was. I was something of a VB and Swx API newb
at the time.

Chris

 

Check your e-mail for a download link.

cd

 

H'mmm. You have some interesting util's there. Your SWit tool is
pretty cool. Check you e-mail for a download link to XMLPropWorks.

 

Check your e-mail for a download link.

===========================================================================
Chris

 

Chris,

I would like to try it also.

Montie

 

Done!

===========================================================================
Chris

 

I'd like to try it as well. Thanks!

 

cd, I had to change my email address. Can you email the link to my
new address? Thanks.

 

I'd like to try this too.

Cheers.

 

Done
===========================================================================
Chris

 

done
===========================================================================
Chris

 

Ran out of times for your spamgourmet address? You know you can
renew them at spamgourmet.com? I'm a BIG fan of spamgourmet.com. I
pretty much use it for all those web sites and such that HAVE to have
your e-mail address. It's interesting to go back and look at the hits
the various addresses have received. The worst culprit in my case is
JC Whitney followed closely by CNET. Sun is pretty bad as well.

I sent the link again.

Have fun
===========================================================================
Chris

 

Look interesting, Chris. May I have a download link, please?

Real address (with obvious corrections) is: art dot woodbury at stereoimaging dot com


Thanks

 

done
===========================================================================
Chris

 

Hi,

about your beta release, here's my experience after installation
(didn't
touch any of the xml files)

Installation: quite old VB-stuff? I have used InnoSetup to create
installation packages, it's very nice and free, very recommended. With
that
you can also easily register your dll so that when you start SW after
installation your app is already loaded (now it wasn't)

Models: if I don't save my part/assy nothing happens when I press the
app
button. With saved models I get "run-time error 13, type mismatch", and
the
gui appears almost empty (some buttons on the left side)

drawings: seems to work for me.

I really like the idea of having a database behind it all (in fact that
is
something that I would like to add to my own prop software called SWit,
but
the base code is soooo old that I rather rewrite the whole stuff)...you
can
add some neat database search capabilities...

I have talked a while ago with Vinodh about the use of XML...I still
think that for most of the people it's not a good way to handle
settings because they just don't want to install xml viewer and learn
all the stuff (people are lazy you know), but this is just my opinion
and I might be little old fashioned here

regards
Markku
www.markkulehtola.net
SWCP