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README.TXT
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==============================================================
Copyright 1994 Northeast Data Corp. All Rights Reserved
==============================================================
Scraper VBX V1.1
The Scraper VBX control allows you to extract data from another
application. This is useful for integrating applications that cannot
be integrated via DDE, OLE, or other means. The control operates by
allowing the user to select a target window in a different application.
By commanding the control, your application can extract data from the
other application and use this data as it sees fit.
For example, to integrate imaging into a database application, you could
write an image display application that uses the Scraper control. The
Scraper control would allow the user to select a window in the database
application that contains the file name of a .TIF file. When the user
presses the VIEW button in your application, you command the Scraper
control to extract the file name from the database application window.
Then you display the selected file in your application.
The Scraper control conforms to Visual Basic release 1.0, so it is
compatible with Visual Basic versions 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and higher,
and with Visual C++ versions 1.0, 1.5 and higher. This control is also
available from Northeast Data Corp. in the form of a C custom control
that works with the SDK Dialog Editor for use in C and C++ programs.
The only difference between the demo version of the control and
the commercial version is that the demo version displays a
dialog box that allows the user to register the control with
Northeast Data. There are no other functional differences.
===================
The demo version
===================
(Does not apply if you have purchased a licensed version)
The demo version of the control will allow you to perform all functions
implemented by the commercial version. The only difference is that a
registration dialog box is displayed when the control is first loaded.
By registering the control with Northeast Data Corp., you get:
- The commercial version of the control
- A telephone and FAX number for support
- A Compuserve ID for support
- Free maintenance release updates
- A discount on major releases
- More information about using NetBIOS
===================
System Requirements
===================
Microsoft Windows version 3.0, 3.1 or higher.
===================
Installation
===================
Copy the VBSCRAPER.VBX file to your Windows or Windows\System directory.
Start Windows and run Visual Basic or the PROJECT1.EXE program supplied
with the Scraper control.
If you are running Visual Basic, you can load the PROJECT1.MAK file or
load the Scraper control into your own project by using the "Add File"
item under the FILE menu in Visual Basic.
===================
Control Properties
===================
Action
0 - Get window text. Retrieves the caption from the target window.
1 - Get button state. Returns "1" if a button is checked or "0" if
it is not checked. This applies to radio buttons and check boxes.
2 - Get selected listox item. Returns the text for the current selected
item in a listbox.
3 - Get edit text. Returns the text entered into an edit box. This action
also returns the text that is currently selected in a combo box.
Command
1 - Configure
Displays a dialog box that allows the user to choose a window
to scrape. The only windows the user will be allowed to choose
are those owned by other applications.
2 - Scrape
Extracts the data from the target application window.
DragIcon
A standard Visual Basic property.
DragMode
A standard Visual Basic property.
Index
A standard Visual Basic property.
Left
A standard Visual Basic property.
Name
A standard Visual Basic property.
ScrapeID
The name that you assign to the window that is specified for scraping.
You can have several scraper controls on a form. Each control can
scrape a single window in the target application. The ScrapeID
is used to identify each target window.
Scraped
The data that has been most recently scraped from the target window.
TabIndex
A standard Visual Basic property.
TabStop
A standard Visual Basic property.
Tag
A standard Visual Basic property.
Top
A standard Visual Basic property.
Visible
A standard Visual Basic property.
=============================
General Notes
=============================
The "Target" application and "Target" window are those that are chosen by
the user from the configuration dialog box. All information about the
chosen window is stored in the scraper.ini file. The sections in this file
are identified using the ScraperID property value.
The Scraper control stores all the information about the selected target
window. When your application commands the Scraper to scrape the target
window, the Scraper control tries to find the window that was specified
during configuration (selection of the target window). Because there is
no positive way to identify the target window (MS Windows does not keep
specific window identifiers between application invocations), Scraper does
the best it can to locate the desired window. Usually, it can locate the
window based on its relationship to other task windows. If it cannot locate
the window, it will return an error code to the application. The application
will then have to prompt the user to re-select the desired window.
Data can only be scraped from a target application's windows. If the
target application displays data without using standard Windows controls,
there is no way Scraper can extract that data. For example, the
Microsoft Word and Excel applications do not display data in standard
Windows controls (edit controls, etc.). Although you can extract data
from dialog boxes and other windows within these applications, you cannot
extract data that is simply written to the screen.
The configuration dialog box displays information about the target window
that is probably not useful to many users. This information is presented
for those who may be able to use it.
================================================================
Northeast Data Corp.
2117 Buffalo Rd., Suite 290
Rochester, NY 14624
716-247-5934 (phone & FAX)
================================================================
April 3, 1994