How to make a program that works with another one?

[ZeHgS]

Hi guys!

Just for fun, I was designing a program to help me plan my projects.

Some of the features I was thinking of would are:
* writing pseudocode with hyperlinks to a place where I could write the actual code.
* time saving resources such as:
- linking a class definition to its declaration so that when I change, for example, its name, return type or arguments in the .cpp or .h file, it changes the corresponding one automatically
- linking a variable/function/etc to the places where it is mentioned so that when I change its name in the class definition, everywhere else is also changed
- automatic setters and getters for variables
- automatic nested for loops with x and y variables, etc.

Anyway, my question is, is there a way to make this program work alongside Visual Studio or at least some other program, almost like a plug-in? That way, I could create, for example, a toggle that would allow me to change between, for example, this

if (The mouse click was inside the rectangle)
{
     //<several underlined links>
     //Do something really complex in several 
     //detailed pseudocode steps, each possibly with its own link
     //</several underlined links>
}

into actual code like

if (x > Rect.x && x < Rect.x + Rect.w && y > Rect.y && y < Rect.y + Rect.h)
{
     //complex stuff
} 

in Visual Studio?

Also, how do, for example, bots or hacks for games work? How can a program influence another's functionality?

[ZeHgS]

Sorry for bumping, but the topic was already out of the first page with no answer.

[Dy7SLyTq]

a dll would be my best guess

[ZeHgS]

Could you please elaborate? What should I look into in terms of books or websites in order to learn to use .dll's in that way? Thanks a lot.

[Dy7SLyTq]

i havent written a dll before; i just know what it does. google a tutorial

[ZeHgS]

I have already tried that, even before your answer. I could not find anything specific to my requirements, as in something that would teach me to make programs work together, only definitions of what a .dll is.

[Dy7SLyTq]

then you didnt search nearly hard enough. i just googled it and found 5 tutorials off the bat

[andywestken]

almost like a plug-in?

In the Visual Studio case, they're referred to as add-ins

How to: Create an Add-In
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/vstudio/80493a3w%28v=vs.100%29.aspx

Unfortunately, the Express edition of Visual Studio does not support add-ins.

I know Code::Block and CodeLite both support plugins, and suspect that all non-trivial IDEs will do so.

An add-in/plugin is a DLL (or .so or .dylib) that exposes the correct API/interface for whatever it's plugging into. So if you don't know what a DLL is, you need to learn than first.

What is a DLL?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/815065

To add complexity, Visual Studio 2010 plug-ins use either a COM Automation or a .NET interface, so you're generally write them in C++ (with COM) or C++/CLI (or C#.) with .NET.

Andy

Visual Studio Add-in Library
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/109393/Visual-Studio-Add-in-Library

[ZeHgS]

Thank you very much Andy! That was very helpful. I will certainly look further into "add-ins".

[andywestken]

:-)

More reading...

Visual C++ Extensibility Object Model
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/174179de%28v=vs.100%29.aspx

Andy

PS regarding the title of this thread: How to make a program that works with another one?

That's the intent behind OLE (Object Linking and Embedding)

Object Linking and Embedding
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_Linking_and_Embedding

It's the mechanism which allows you to embed (e.g.) an Excel spread sheet in a Word document and edit it in place. With Word and Excel, it's two apps interacting, not an app and a DLL, as is usual for a plug-in.

[ZeHgS]

Thank you so much Andy! Your help has been invaluable.

Here is what I have gathered so far:

* .dll's
* Visual Studio Add-ins
* Visual C++ Extensibility Object Model
* OLE (Object Linking and Embedding)
* Socket programming

I will start looking into all of this! Again, thank you very much.

[S6k9GNh0]

You can use sockets which also provides remote capabilities. Some games do this with the server/client model then use either a loopback device or a secondary-interface (which just takes in a packet as usual but doesn't require a networking device).

I'd say a shared library is the best. You can also look into shared memory but I've not researched into this since I've seen much failure and complications surrounding this. But I believe Boost has an API or two to help with this!

[ZeHgS]

Thanks a lot!!