[DHTML] ActiveX Simplified

[magicgavin]

1) CODE TITLE: ActiveX Simplified

2) AUTHOR NAME/NOTES:
Created by Gavin Delphia © 2007
All Rights Reserved

3) DESCRIPTION:

This script consitst of ActiveX functions that are accessed through javascript such as read and writting to files. Moving, copying, deleting, finding attributes of files. It can also list all files in a folder, get the computer user name, domain name, and computer name. Supports ascii to binary conversion and the reverse. It also has a function to launch any application found on a computer.

This library only works with internet Explorer and it is intended for use with Microsoft Hypertext Application or .hta
Errors and limited functionality may occur if used in a .html or .htm

[Call Format:] $funcname(target,parameters)

Every function either returns True, False, or the Requested Data.
For query functions such as does a $FileExist() and $FolderExist() true and false represent yes and no respectively.
The $OpenFile() function returns the documents contents if true or false if a error occurs.
All other functions return True for action executed or false for action failed.

$OpenFile(file) -
opens file and returns text

$GetFolderFiles(folder) -
Returns array of files in target folder

$GetFileBaseName(file) -
Returns just the name of the file without the path or file extension

$GetFileExtension(file) -
Returns just the file extension without the path or name

$GetFileName(file) -
Returns the file name followed by the extension. No path

$GetParentFolder(file) -
Returns the parent folder of any file or folder

$CreateFile(file,datatowrite) -
Creates a file with specified data

$CreateFolder(folder) -
Creates a folder

$DeleteFile(file) -
Deletes File

$DeleteFolder(folder) -
Delets Folder

$FileExist(file) -
Returns true if file exists and false if it does not

$FolderExist(folder) -
Returns true if folder exists and false if it does not

$CopyFile(file,destionation) -
Copies file to the destionation

$CopyFolder(folder,destination) -
Copies folder to the destination

$MoveFile(file,destination) -
Deletes file from original location and moves to destination

$MoveFolder(folder,destination) -
Deletes folder from original location and moves to destination

$GetComputerName() -
Returns the name of the computer

$GetUserName() -
Returns the name of the user

$GetUserDomain() -
Returns the domain of the user

$LaunchApp(target_app) -
Launches the specified application. Eg $LaunchApp('cmd.exe')

$ToBinary(string) -
Returns string converted to binary

$ToAscii(string) -
Returns string converted to ascii



4) URL TO CODE:

or, ATTACHED BELOW (see #3 in guidelines below):

[Twey]

The $ character should be reserved for machine-generated identifiers.

This library would be much more useful if it were coupled with a Java applet rather than using ActiveX. That would extend its use considerably.

[magicgavin]

The point of this library is to add the advantage of modifying files using javascript. It is intended to be used with the .hta file format which is a format used for developing applications with Javascript. Why use java which requires SDK's, runtimes and compilers and why create something that already exists in Java. The Javascript method to access files other than Ajax is complicated and not readily available in fear of Script Kiddies gaining the power to access the file system. This script is designed for people interested in making client side applications with Javascript not Java.

[djr33]

Well, that sounds great and all.
But I'm using firefox. And so is basically everyone else here (or at least another browser than IE).
On the web, the stats are more toward IE, perhaps 60% IE - 40% not, but that is still a large user base who would have no access.

[Twey]

I think you've misunderstood me.

It is intended to be used with the .hta file format which is a format used for developing applications with Javascript.

I know what HTA is (and it's a terrible idea, Javascript is really not suited to this kind of application development, as a friend of mine who's spent several months trying to develop a usable set of Windows-style widgets will tell you). I was suggesting that with the addition of an applet this could be made to actually work cross-browser and cross-platform as well.

Why use java which requires SDK's, runtimes and compilers and why create something that already exists in Java.

Well, ActiveX requires Windows and IE. What's your point? What would be created would effectively be bindings to the Java applet; it wouldn't be necessary to recreate the functionality within Java.

The Javascript method to access files other than Ajax is complicated and not readily available in fear of Script Kiddies gaining the power to access the file system.

There is no Javascript method to access files (so far; Mozilla are working on it). What you're talking about is ActiveX, which is not Javascript. It's an entirely separate technology to which Microsoft has provided bindings -- much in the way I was suggesting providing bindings to Java, which would be more useful.

This script is designed for people interested in making client side applications with Javascript not Java.

Thus, the bindings. The user would not have to touch Java.

djr33, you're missing the point as well. The original script was designed for use with HTAs, which are an IE-only technology (and will run in IE no matter what browser you might use for surfing the Web, at least on Windows). In this capacity, it does work; I just think that that capacity is rather more limited than it need be.

[djr33]

I'm on a mac. And you're on Linux.
I have XP as well, but I dislike using IE, so why would I want to have a 'good' addition to this program?

Just because someone writes a great macro for word, that doesn't mean it's a good editor for webpages
(This is a metaphor, btw.... just in case someone doesn't catch that.)

[magicgavin]

Thanks guys for the comments. I hope the script will be useful to someone.

[Twey]

I'm on a mac. And you're on Linux.
I have XP as well, but I dislike using IE, so why would I want to have a 'good' addition to this program?

Thus, why I thought the capacity was overly limited. Using a Java applet it would no longer be IE- or Windows-specific.

[djr33]

I hope it's useful to someone too. Remember, the problem is with ActiveX in the first place, not your coding. Your code seems to be quite well thought out and usable, but it is just limited by the limits of the system.

[jscheuer1]

pcbuster would love this!