logo WinWrap®
May 15, 2009

Announcing WinWrap® Basic WWB.NET Option

WinWrap® Basic Scripting Engine includes the WWB.NET Language Option enabling developer and end-user scripts to access and call the thousands of reusable classes from Microsoft's .NET Framework.

The WinWrap® Basic WWB.NET Scripting Language Option enables:

  • Support for VB.NET style syntax
  • .NET Scripting for COM or .NET host applications
  • Access to the Microsoft .NET Framework
  • Access to 3rd Party .NET Code Assemblies
  • Editing and autocompletion for WWB.NET scripts
  • Debugging for WWB.NET scripts

WWB.NET Scripting Language

COM Host Application Developers

WinWrap's WWB.NET Scripting Language Option enables developers and end-users to access and call the thousands of reusable classes in the .NET Framework. In fact, adding the WinWrap® Scripting Engine with the WWB.NET Language Option to your COM application may be the most cost effective to add the entire power of the Microsoft .NET Framework to your existing COM application.

.NET Host Application Developers

WinWrap's WWB.NET Scripting Language Option will give developers and end-users the ability to access and call the many reusable classes, interfaces, and value types contained in Microsoft's .NET Framework Class Library.

Integration and Compatiblity

For both COM and .NET Windows applications, Polar Engineering's WinWrap® Basic Scripting Engine with WWB.NET Language Option provides tight integration and compatibility with the Microsoft .NET Framework. And, if you have an existing COM application, you can benefit from Microsoft's .NET today without rewriting your COM application by just including the WinWrap® Basic Scripting Engine with WWB.NET Language Option in your COM application.

Imagine the powerful scripts your users could use if they had access to the .NET Framework Class Library.

WWB.NET Script Example 1

This script uses the .NET Framework generic collection Stack type to hold unprocessed directories and the generic collection List type to hold found file paths.

'#Language "WWB.NET"

Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.IO

Sub Main
    Dim files As New List(Of String)
    files = FilesRecursive("c:	mp")
    For Each file As String In files
        Debug.Print file
    Next
    Stop
End Sub

Function FilesRecursive(ByVal topdir As String) As List(Of String)
    Dim data As New List(Of String)
    Dim stk As New Stack(Of String)
    stk.Push(topdir)
    Do While (stk.Count > 0)
        Dim d As String = stk.Pop
        data.AddRange(Directory.GetFiles(d, "*.*"))
        For Each dname As String In Directory.GetDirectories(d)
            stk.Push(dname)
        Next
    Loop
    Return data
End Function

WWB.NET Script Example 2

This script uses the .NET Framework Windows Dialog to request a folder input from the user. To use the .NET Framework Dialogs, just create a reference through the WinWrap® editor to the System.Windows.Forms assembly. Then instantiate and access any of the Windows Dialogs.

'#Language "WWB.NET"

Sub Main
    Debug.Print GetFolder
    Stop
End Sub

' From Edit.References create a reference to System.Windows.Forms
Function GetFolder As String
    Using d As New System.Windows.Forms.FolderBrowserDialog
        d.ShowDialog
        Return d.SelectedPath
    End Using
End Function

These are just two examples. The rest of this email highlights a few of the many other .NET Framework classes available for use with WWB.NET scripts.

Microsoft .NET Framework Class Library Namespaces

WinWrap® Basic WWB.NET scripts can call and access thousands of classes from hundreds of .NET namespaces, including those provided by 3rd party providers. Some programmers feel they can get factor of ten productivity boost by using the extensive set of classes made available by the Microsoft .NET Framework.

System Namespace

This namespace includes the core needs for programming. It includes base types like String, DateTime, Boolean, and so forth, support for environments such as the console, math functions, and base classes for attributes, exceptions, and arrays.

System.Collections Namespace

Defines many common containers or collections used in programming, such as lists, queues, stacks, hashtables, and dictionaries. It includes support for generics.

System.IO Namespace

Allows you to read from and write to different streams, such as files or other data streams. Also provides a connection to the file system.

System.Net Namespace

Provides an interface "for many of the protocols used on networks today", such as HTTP, FTP, and SMTP. Secure communication is supported by protocols such as SSL.

System.Text Namespace

Supports various encodings, regular expressions, and a more efficient mechanism for manipulating strings.

System.Configuration Namespace

Provides the infrastructure for handling configuration data.

System.Drawing Namespace

Provides access to GDI+ graphics functionality, including support for 2D and vector graphics, imaging, printing, and text services.

System.Globalization Namespace

Provides help for writing internationalized applications. "Culture-related information, including the language, the country/region, the calendars in use, and the format patterns for dates, currency, and numbers" can be defined.

System.Management Namespace

Allows you to query for information, "such as how much free space is left on the disk, what is the current CPU utilization, which database a certain application is connected to, and much more."

System.Media Namespace

Provides you the ability to play system sounds and .wav files.

System.Resources Namespace

Allows you to manage many different resources in the application in order to internationalize an application for different cultures and languages.

Conclusion

In summary, for both .NET and COM host applications, Polar Engineering's WinWrap® Basic Scripting Engine with the WWB.NET Language Option enables developer and end-user scripts to access and call any .NET Framework Code Assembly.

Copyright Polar Engineering, Inc.