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comp.lang.ruby

Helix player bindings for ruby

ziyan

7/17/2005 11:04:00 PM

Hello all,

Does anyone know if it's possible to script the Helix DNA client engine
(https://client.helixcomm...) using Ruby?

Apparently the engine exposes it's fucntionality via COM interfaces
(based on a cross platform subset of MS-COM). Could ruby's COM support
be used, and if so would this work on *nix?

The Helix project has extensive support for Python but I'd rather
polish my ruby skills than charm snakes :).

TIA.
Regards
Ziyan Maraikar
Noterik BV.
2 Answers

Hal E. Fulton

7/17/2005 11:49:00 PM

0

ziyan wrote:
> Hello all,

Hi Ziyan -- see below.

> Does anyone know if it's possible to script the Helix DNA client engine
> (https://client.helixcomm...) using Ruby?

Never heard of it, but it sounds cool so far.

> Apparently the engine exposes it's fucntionality via COM interfaces
> (based on a cross platform subset of MS-COM). Could ruby's COM support
> be used, and if so would this work on *nix?

Yes and no. Here is my understanding:

1. Win32OLE will let you talk to an object's COM interface.
2. However, it only runs on win32.
3. There is a RubyCOM which may be different, though I don't
think it would help; and anyhow I think it may be abandoned.

However, I have had a sub-project in mind for awhile that would
'wrap' win32ole with druby (distributed ruby). That would enable
two things:

1. Easy control of a win32 app via a Ruby script *on* win32 (with
a nice rubyish API)
2. Control of a win32 app via a Ruby script *on Linux* (or elsewhere)
via the same Ruby-like API.

I think this is an important enough idea that it could be a project
or lib in itself.

Obviously it should be automated to whatever extent possible. But
it might be good to do one or two "one-offs" so as to get a feel
for how it should be abstracted. (On the other hand, I don't really
know COM, so someone else might not need those dry runs.)

Is that something you'd be interested in collaborating on?


Hal

daz

7/18/2005 1:08:00 AM

0


ziyan wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> Does anyone know if it's possible to script the Helix DNA client engine
> (https://client.helixcomm...) using Ruby?
>
> Apparently the engine exposes it's fucntionality via COM interfaces
> (based on a cross platform subset of MS-COM).
> Could ruby's COM support be used,


Yes - I can't think why it wouldn't.

> ... and if so would this work on *nix?


Ahh - I can't think how _that_ would. :-(

WIN32OLE uses the Win32 API - so I don't think it's even built on *nix
platforms. In other words, Ruby on *nix doesn't have COM support.


> The Helix project has extensive support for Python but I'd rather
> polish my ruby skills than charm snakes :).
>

It seems to be written by "RealNetworks, Inc" as a scripting interface
to their own software.

You might have to polish you Ruby skills with another project ;-)


daz