AutoHotkey Community

[valenfor]

Good day everyone!

As you can see from my original message below, I started this thread looking for some help with DLLCALL in order to generate a simple include. This include could be used by all with sqlite3.dll in order to provide easy database access for AHK. Now I have seen in other threads where SQL has been requested or put on the Wish List ( http://www.autohotkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7355 ). I am polling to see how much interest there is.

As it turns out due to call back function requirements it will take more then a few dllcall's to make this work. I am concidering putting in the effor to generate a solution for the ahk community, however I want to know how many people would actually use it. Depending upon the response I will press forward, otherwise I will probably look at another avenue for resolving my own needs.

Thanks for your thoughts and for voting!

Kevin


------------------ original message ------------------------

So first my kudo's once again to AHK, I have been using it for over a year now. The one piece I have missed is a sql data source. I searched through the forums this weekend and saw a few notes about Sqlite but nothing that provided a concrete example of use inside a ahk script. So that has lead me on a mission.

I know how to use sqlite3.exe in a command line instance and I thought of several ways to hack it together however I think the most useful set of options would be by implementing the DLL functions. Now I have started working on a interface to the dll and am playing with dllcall. I understand the basics with dllcall however when looking at the C calls and trying to compare the pointer arithmetic I figured I would ask for help here first.

int sqlite3_open(const char*, sqlite3**);

From a C interface a char pointer usually points to more then just one character. And the sqlite3** return is of course the db handle. I understand that to a point in ahk we have to manage the conversion (from wrapping our minds around how it will be used) ourself. So of course since ahk doesn't have a pointer value per se (I understand we have variable references) its going to look as a integer number.

So now to my question - is this why I see most people are making wrapping dll's? I can do the same but still being a little new to ahk, I wanted to save some headache by checking the path I am looking at walking down before I do and find a dead end. Are most providing wrapper dll's for variable conversions or to fill the gap in interfaces? Can anyone provide some ideas on how to approach this? Should I use a dll spy type utility to extract the interfaces instead of the C interface documentation?

Thanks in advance, looking forward to providing a library we can all use.

Kevin

[PhiLho]

I am not too sure how to answer most of your questions...
I suppose you took a look at some DllCalls.
Sometime, when they are simple and / or called once, they are called as is.
Otherwise, we often write simple wrappers to simplify calls:

[valenfor]

PhiLho,

Yes that was helpful, thank you. It both confirmed some items that I thought were true as well as the example gave me more ideas. Now I have my first dllcall's to both open and close the database as well as saving off the database handle. Now comes the next question --- callback functions.

---- edited
I found my answer to the callback which is possibly having to find another way or wrap this dll in order to get SQL Queries executed. The problem is that the sqlite3.dll uses a callback to return rows etc right now.

Callbacks are not possible at this time as was answered...
http://www.autohotkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4441

-------

Thanks again, if I can cover the callback for returning large query data then I think I will be able to lick this dll and get a nice include for use here.

Kevin

[valenfor]

I just wanted to say thanks to another forum member I have a hint as to how I can handle call back functions. Unfortunately I won't be able to do much with this for several more weeks as I am moving for a new job. However I will keep in touch as I make progress. Thanks to everyone who has sent in links and comments.

I was asked how to handle opening and closing the db, so I just wanted to post that piece here for now.

[AHKnow*]

Yes and Yes!!

AutoHotkey and SQLite would be awesome.

[servezvous]

Hi,

I was wondering if any progress was made in regards to an DLL interface to SQLite.

If this could be supported, AutoHotKey could replace VB for my needs and that would be a huge time saver!

I'am dying to see that, so if anyone as news, please let me know!

[valenfor]

It is not forgotten, however I have moved out of the country and though my job is great (not something that requires 60 hours a week) I have been filling in my off time with relocation tasks. However seeing that the interest is more then there, I will see what I can do to get this back on the burner now.

So I have been fighting with MS C++ and the Sqlite3 DLL and not making too much progress. I have been wanting to get better at my C++ but then it comes down to needing to complete tasks. Which is really the reason I love AutoHotKey to begin with; it lets me get things done.

So I have decided to expand on my basic skills and am seeing what kind of magic I can work with BCX. I have a large data management project and I have been using Sqlite3 to manage the data. So I am going to try to make a DLL Wrapper that will allow us to use Sqlite with AHK easily.

Keep your fingers crossed...

Val

[servezvous]

I inquiered with a programmer at work and he might take time to create the basic interface for SQL Server. Not that I prefer this one, but that is what we use I guess.

Anyway, I'll let you know if I can get anything.

[twhyman]

any progress on the sql?

[valenfor]

I had created the source to export the basic connect and disconnect functionality, however every DLL I made has not been able to use the DLLCALL in order to invoke various methods - I still don't know why. Once I can figure this out and get the basic functions working, the rest should be pretty straight forward. If I get something through - you will see it here first.

V

[PhiLho]

Look at the ErrorLevel.
It can be a problem of calling convention, stdcall vs. cdecl or such.
See DllCall page for more info.
_________________
vPhiLho := RegExReplace("Philippe Lhoste", "^(\w{3})\w*\s+\b(\w{3})\w*$", "$1$2")

[majkinetor]

Hi there.

I didn't look intensly to see about yuor problems but I read first part of the message.

I think it is great you are doing this. As long as AHK has such comunity responsible users, it will stay at the top of automatition environments.


I will try to check out later to see if I can help. I do with sql every day, so if you have any questions or need help don't hesistate to ask.
Keep up the good work.

EDIT:

I create wrappers to dlls to avoid inpractical DllCall function, and to create interface in the spirit of AHK. Even the smallest error in DllCall will lead to bad results.
While doing wrapper to Tree View functions lately and data injection I spend many hours debuging around, several days...
SQL wrapper would be great, but it may be hard to implement (I hope not impossible).

I think that greatest addon to AHK would be ability to use function pointers. This would allow modular function patching and it will allow usage of API and DLL functions that use callbacks.
_________________

[Guest]

Hello,

as someone may know, there is a SQLite.au3 (AutoIt3) script, supporting direct use of SQLite3.DLL and SQLite3.exe.

So I tried to translate it. Had to read a lot, think a lot and try a lot to understand the DLLCalls. But now there is a first result:

[BoBo]

@ Guest/Gast
das nen ich doch beeindruckend . Im Deutschen Forum darfst du mir (und Millionen anderen ), dein Einverständnis vorausgesetzt, gerne AHK's DllCall() erklären.
Bis dann dann & thx for sharing it!

... and yes, I'd like you'd use a nick

[Chris]