Microsoft(R) ActiveX(TM) component that schedules a Broadcast Architecture show reminder
This Readme file contains the following sections:
* Summary Briefly describes the sample
* More Information Details how to compile and run the sample
* About SchSamp Describes the sample in more detail.
* Using SchSamp Explains how to use SchSamp from a Web page.
For more information about how to write applications that schedule
show reminders, see Scheduling Show Reminders in the
Broadcast Architecture Programmer's Reference.
SUMMARY
=========
The SchSamp sample, SchSamp.dll, is an ActiveX component that
schedules a show reminder using the IScheduledItems interface
available from Television System Services, Tssadmin.dll. TV Viewer
is used to display the reminder dialog box when the reminder runs.
SchSamp was developed using the Microsoft(R) Visual Basic(R)
programming system, version 5.0, including Microsoft(R)
Visual Basic(R) Scripting Edition (VBScript).
MORE INFORMATION
================
SchSamp must be compiled and run on a computer running
the Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 98 operating system with
the TV Viewer components installed. Running Windows 98 with
TV Viewer installs and registers Television System Services
and TV Viewer, both of which are required for SchSamp to run.
The following information describes the SchSamp sample.
To Compile SchSamp
-------------------
Open the SchSamp project file, SchSamp.vdp, in Visual Basic 5.0.
On the File menu, click Make SchSamp.dll.
To compile the component into a .cab file for distribution
on the Internet, use the Application Setup Wizard provided with
Visual Basic 5.0. Click Create Internet Download Setup.
This control is unsigned. If you wish to distribute a version of
SchSamp on the Web, you should sign the component. For instructions on
how to sign a .cab file, see the Internet Client Software Development
Kit (SDK).
To Set Up the Programming Environment
----------------------------------------------------
First, create a new ActiveX DLL project. Set the class to global, multiuse.
Then set a project reference to the Microsoft Television Services, Tssadmin.dll.
Doing this gives you access to the TelevisionServices, TaskTrigger, and
ScheduledItems objects. If you are unable to locate Microsoft Television Services
in References, check that the optional TV Viewer component of Windows 98
is installed on your computer.
You must also set a reference to the Microsoft Data Access Objects (DAO)
version 3.5 object library. Doing this enables your application to create
the DAO workspace required by the ScheduledItems object.
To Run SchSamp
---------------
The SchSamp sample includes a version of the component that has already
been compiled into a .cab file for delivery through a Web page. The .cab
file has not been signed, and thus in order to run the sample you must set
security in Microsoft(R) Internet Explorer version 4.0 to allow unsigned
controls to run.
To do this, on the View menu click Internet Options. Click the
Security tab. Set Security settings for the appropriate zone. If you plan
to run SchSamp from your machine, this should be the Local Intranet zone.
Once the security is properly set, open SchSamp.html with Internet Explorer 4.0.
The SchSamp component automatically downloads and installs on your computer.
To run the script that sets the show reminder, click Schedule Reminder.
Note: You cannot set a reminder for a show that has already occurred.
The HTML Web currently is scripted to set a reminder for the show "Maid to Order"
on 8/5/97 at 3 P.M. If the current date is after 8/5/97, the sample does not run.
To correct this, edit the following lines of the HTML file:
SchSamp.Episode = "Maid to Order"
SchSamp.Network = ""
SchSamp.Duration = "120"
SchSamp.ShowTime = "8/5/97 3:00:00 PM"
Change the preceding lines to reflect a future episode.
For best results, choose an episode from the
TV Viewer Program Guide. Doing so enables SchSamp to match the episode in
the Guide database and obtain description and tuning information.
Note: Because SchSamp uses the IScheduledItems interface, you cannot use the
Search page of TV Viewer to view a sample set with SchSamp. To test whether
the reminder was set, follow the instructions detailed in SchSamp.htm.
SchSamp Files
--------------
SchSamp.html is an HTML/VBScript file uses SchSamp to set a show reminder.
SchSamp.cab contains a compiled version of SchSamp.
SchSamp.vbp is the Visual Basic project file.
SchSamp.cls contains the Visual Basic class module
ABOUT SCHSAMP
===============
SchSamp is an ActiveX component that schedules a TV Viewer
reminder for a broadcast show. At a specified amount of time before
the show starts, the reminder runs, causing TV Viewer to display
a dialog box to the user. This dialog box states that the show is about to start
and offers the user the option to tune to that channel. This component
can be used, for example, on an television enhancement page so
users can schedule a reminder for next week's episode.
Note: Reminders that are set by any means other than
ITVViewer::SetReminder cannot be viewed from the Search page of
TV Viewer when a user selects MyReminders from the Categories list.
Neither does a reminder icon appear in that program's details list.
However, TV Viewer still presents a reminder dialog box when
the reminder runs.
USING SCHSAMP
==============
Because SchSamp is implemented as an ActiveX component, it can be called
from a variety of programming environments, such as VBScript or
Microsoft(R) JScript(TM) development software on a Web page, Visual Basic,
Java, or C++. The code examples in the following topics use Web-based
VBScript to call SchSamp.
Note: The SchSamp component is not signed. In order to run the sample,
you must set security in your Web browser to allow unsigned controls to run.
For more information on how to do this, see the Readme.txt file installed
with SchSamp. For information on how to sign a component for Internet
download, see the Internet Client SDK.
Note: The following topics describe how to create an instance of SchSamp,
pass episode data, and set a show reminder for the specified episode.
Inserting SchSamp in a Web Page
------------------------------------------------------
You can call the SchSamp component from a Web page. To create an instance
of the component, insert the following object tag into the HTML file:
Set the ID parameter to specify a name for this instance of the control. In the
preceding example, it is set to MySchSamp. The CLASSID parameter lists
the unique identifier for the SchSamp class and must appear exactly as
above. The CODEBASE parameter points to the .cab file that contains the
compiled SchSamp component and its supporting files.
Specifying Episode Data
-------------------------------
The SchSamp component contains the following properties.
Property Data type Description
----------- ------------- ----------------
Episode String Title of the episode.
Network String If applicable, the network on which the episode appears.
Duration String Length of the episode, in minutes.
ShowTime String Time and date that the episode starts.
PreTime Long The number of minutes early that the reminder should run.
These properties store data about the episode for which you want to set a reminder.
You must set values for them before you call SchSamp.SetReminder to schedule
the show reminder.
The following example uses VBScript in a Web page to set values for the
SchSamp properties.
Note that you cannot set a reminder for a show that has already occurred. The HTML
file installed with SchSamp is scripted to set a reminder for the show "Maid to Order"
on 8/5/97 at 3 P.M. If the current date is after 8/5/97, the sample does not run.
To correct this, edit the preceding lines to reflect a future episode:
For best results, choose an episode from the TV Viewer program guide. Doing so
enables SchSamp to match the episode in the Guide database and obtain description
and tuning information.
Scheduling the Show Reminder
---------------------------------------
Once the properties of SchSamp are set as described in the Broadcast Architecture
Programmer's Reference topic Specifying Episode Data, call the SchSamp.SetReminder
method to create the show reminder. This is illustrated in the following example.