"Talking to Powerbuilder,"
Volume: 7 Issue: 1, p. 31

	

Listing 1: Constructor event of the user object 

 
/*******************************************
Description : Load the Agent control (Peedy) and make it visible.
********************************************/
// To load the control, use Load Method, passing
// it the character animation file name (peedy.acs)
// This loads the character's data into Agent
// ActiveX control's Characters collection.
// Note: by default, downloaded Microsoft Agent
// characters are installed in "msagent\chars"
// subdirectory under windows(95,98,NT,2000)
// directory.
ole_agent.object.Characters.Load( "Peedy", &
   "c:\windows\msagent\chars\peedy.acs")


// To make the character appear, use the Show
// Method, specifying the character reference
// used in Load call in the previous statement.
ole_agent.Object.Characters("Peedy").Show

Listing 2: Functions of Speak for the user object


/***********************************
Description : Speak out the text
Arguments : as_text - Text to speak
Returns : None



***********************************/
// To make the character speak, use the Speak
// Method, specifying the text to be spoken as
// an argument. The spoken text appears in a
// word balloon, as in a comic strip, and is also
// spoken audibly if a sound card is present.
ole_agent.Object.Characters("Peedy").Speak(as_Text)

Listing 3: Function of Play for user object


/*******************************************
Description : Play a valid animation
Arguments : as_act - valid animation action
Returns : None
********************************************/
// Once the character is visible, you can play
// the character's animation using the Play
// Method, specifying the name of the animation.
// All the animations for the Microsoft characters
// are documented on their Web site.
ole_agent.Object.Characters("Peedy").Play(as_Act)


Listing 4: Function of AddCommand for the user


/***********************************************
Description : Add commands to the agent's popup Command menu
Arguments : as_event - Event to be posted
  as_text   - Text in the agent's popup menu
  as_voice - Voice grammar for recognition
Returns : None
************************************************/
// To add entries on the popup menu of the Agent
// control, use Add Method of Commands collection.
// First parameter is a unique name you use to
// reference the command. Second parameter is the text
// that will appear on the popup menu. Third argument
// is the voice grammar to be passed to the speech
// engine
ole_agent.Object.Characters("Peedy").Commands.Add(&
  as_Event, as_Text, as_Voice )

Listing 5: Command event of the user object


/*********************************************
Description : Post the appropriate event on the
Window object
**********************************************/
window  lw_Parent


// Get the Window where the agent user object is
// located
lw_Parent = This.GetParent().GetParent()


// To communicate dynamically between objects, I
// used the function PostEvent(). I used the
// event name to be posted as an identifier for
// the command.


// Post the required user-defined event on the window
// Note: Convert the value of userinput.name to
// string.
lw_Parent.PostEvent( String(userinput.name) )


Listing 6: Function of Listen for the user object


/***********************************************
Description : Send Scroll Lock Keypressed message
   using SDK Call, declared locally.
Arguments : None
Returns : None
***********************************************/
// Press the Scroll lock button
keybd_event( 145, 1, 0, 0 )