OBJST version 1.0- Start Dos and Windows viewers from Web Explorer! ------------------------------------------------------------------- Files included --------------- MAKEFILE, MAKEFILE.DEP: for IBM's C/Set++ (v2.0). viewst.cmd: REXX template for starting the viewer. objst.exe: program which starts the viewer objst.c: code for objst.exe readme.txt: this file Description and Instructions ---------------------------- This program, objst.exe, can be used to start Windows and Dos based viewers easily from Web Explorer. It can also be used to start OS/2 viewers. There are 2 problems it solves, the first is that WebEx won't easily pass any command line arguments to the program, besides the filename. You can use this method of starting viewers to do so. Secondly, for Windows and Dos programs, there hasn't been a way (AFAIK) to define any DOS Settings, for example, how much memory, to start the Windows program seamlessly, to start it in Enhanced Mode, etc. To tackle these problems, objst.exe will in fact open a program object you have created on your desktop. 1) You should put objst.exe somewhere on your path (though not necessary, just change the REXX file, which you have to do anyway). 2) For each viewer you plan on starting this way, make a program object. If you already have a program object for a viewer, great, but you should make a copy of it. The Parameters field on the first page will be overwritten (and not erased), so it shouldn't be the same object you use for general purposes. Make sure the Working Directoy field is empty. don't use a shadow of an existing viewer either (and don't copy a shadow, this just make sanother shadow). 3) For each viewer you will need to make a REXX .cmd file. I have included one, which you should make copies of and modify. The REXX is documented, please read it. WebEx will call this REXX .cmd file, and pass it the filename for the viewer to view. Basically, the REXX does the following: a) Copies the file passed to it (????????.tmp) to ????????.brl (brl are my initials). Why does it do this? Well, when the REXX script ends, WebEx will delete the .tmp file, and it will be gone before the viewer can view it. So, we must copy it before WebEx deletes it. However, this will litter your temp directory with .brl files, which must manually be deleted. Make a .cmd file wich does something like "del %temp%\*.brl", and make a program object which calls it. Then, you can call it whenever WebEx isn't using a viewer, you can put it in your startup folder, etc. In fact, I have my temp directory completely deleted everytime upon bootup. b) It then calls objst.exe. The first argument passed is the "object handle" (more on this later) of the object to start. After this, any command line arguments, and the filename to view, can be passed. My REXX script (viewst.cmd) documents this. objst.exe is the executable which tells OS/2 to open up the program object. c) Object handles. How to get them? I only know of one way, a freeware program called FeelX. Find it at: ftp://ftp-os2.nmsu.edu/os2/unix/feelx11a.zip. Install it (install the WPS object too!). To get the object handle, just drag and drop the object in question onto the Feelx WPS object. The object handle will automatically be placed in the clipboard. It is just a number (an integer, I think always 6 digits long). FeelX does many other things too, I find it one of my most indispensible OS/2 programs. 4) Ok, so the REXX script is set up to open the program object. You could try it out now from the command line if you'd like. You should probably put it somewhere on your path, but again I don't think this is necessary, you can specify the full path in the Web Explorer. 5) Start Web Explorer. Go to configure the viewers. Have it call the REXX file you just created. If you need to edit your extmap.ext and mailcap.cap files for this viewer, just call the REXX file followed by %s. Volia! You should now be able to use the Dos or Windows based viewer. I hope this isn't confusing. Here's a more specific example. Say you want to view Quicktime movies. You have Quicktime for Windows 2.0 installed, and can use the Windows Media Player applet to watch them. But, you want Web Explorer to load them up also. First, you'd go make a new program object for the Windows Media Player, setting the Dos Settings as necessary. Then you'd copy the sample REXX file to, say, qtw.cmd. You've installed FeelX, so you can get the object handle. Edit qtw.cmd, and put the correct object handle on the last line. Finally, in Web Explorer, configure the Quicktime viewer to call qtw.cmd. Now, when WebEx gets a quicktime movie, it will load it into the Windows media player applet. You can give the media player as much memory as you'd like, make it seamless, separate session, or fullscreen as you please. You have the full power of OS/2's program objects at your disposal to define exactly how you want the viewer to run. Disclaimer ---------- Use at your own risk. You are free to look at the code, see how it works, and use it for whatever. It is actually quite trivial. If you make any changes, email them to me, and I will see about including them in an updated version. Feel free to email if you have any ideas for enhancements, or a bug report. You are free to redistribute this archive, but it must remain unchanged. This program is freeware. Brian Landy blandy@ucsd.edu