Re: Question as to call external.c from my MetaCard stack.

Scott Raney ((no email))
Sat, 25 Jun 94 10:11:04 MDT

>
>
> I am new to this game, so please be patient and precise in your response.
>
> I have modified external.c to include certain API calls that I want to
> invoke within my Metacard stack. I have also created a stack with 3 buttons
> to call 3 distinct API calls. My problem is that I do not know how to
> invoke external.c correctly when the button is pushed. I tried open
> process already like:
> on mouse up
> ask "Please enter..."
> open process "external"
> end mouse up.
>
> And open process gives me an error.
>
> Please tell me what I am doing wrong.

Did you go through the external tutorial? If not, you should do that
first. You'll learn that you can't just execute a 'C' file, you have
to compile and link it first. Cloning and modifying this tutorial
stack is the best approach to writing a new external, since you can
make changes one at a time. If you just try writing an external from
scratch, it most likely won't work, and debugging externals is
extremely difficult (although not as difficult as debugging externals
in HyperCard, where a wayward external can easily lock up the whole
system ;-)

Externals are started up automatically when a stack is opened. There
is a stack property "externals" that is a list of these executables.
You can set it with the "Components" dialog box from the "Stack
Properties" dialog, or directly using the Message Box.

-- 
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* Scott Raney  303-447-3936            Remember: the better you look, *
* raney@metacard.com                   the more you'll see -- Lidia   *
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