Hi there,
at the moment it is not possible to fetch the IDL-help texts at runtime
via reflection. For that reason I would like to request such a feature,
but before doing so, a discussion about the usefulness of such a feature
may be in order.
So please let me talk for a few seconds about MS Windows OLE, where it
is possible (if the software provides the information) to query the
documentation for the OLE classes, its methods, its attributes and its
events *at* *runtime*. Because of this, I was able a few years ago to
create a little utility which dumps the OLE interfaces (methods,
attributes, events) and formats them in HTML (using a CSS). In addition,
using MSIE and having ooRexx installed one could even switch sections
on/off (important e.g. for looking at the interfaces e.g. Excel or Word
supplies, looking at the defined constants which may go into the
hundreds (e.g. Excel 2003 defines 1,542 constants, Word 2003 defines
2,757 constants).
Anyway, it has become possible with this little utility to either supply
the PROGID or CLSID value of an OLE class and get its defined interfaces
back.
Here is a full and a compact list of the interfaces MS InternetExplorer
defines:
*
<http://wi.wu-wien.ac.at/rgf/rexx/orx13/tmp/InternetExplorer.Application_0.html
>
full listing (includes a constant section)
*
<http://wi.wu-wien.ac.at/rgf/rexx/orx13/tmp/InternetExplorer.Application_1.html
>
compact listing (folds attributes, does not document constants).
These listings can be printed out and may serve as some sort of
reference cards, which helps gain an overview about the features a
particular OLE class supplies. [The utility set is briefly described at
and could be downloaded from:
<http://wi.wu-wien.ac.at/rgf/rexx/orx15/readme.html>.]
---
Now turning to OOo: as anyone who wants to script/program an OOo
component knows, the research of the available interfaces may be quite
cumbersome, if clicking from one defined class to the next, then needing
to get back to the original area and follow another path (by e.g.
exploring the interfaces of another interface or service). Although
practically everything is documented (at least briefly), it is very hard
to gain an overview or being able to explore an area of interest just
using the IDL definitions on their own.
If there was an ability to use reflection to get at the information/help
text that goes with the IDL definition, then one would get the ability
to devise utilities which may help mastering different areas of OOo in
an innovative and (hopefully!) easier way. E.g. when turning to a
text-component service object, one is interested about its immediate
abilities, but also about those one can get access to by requesting
interfaces form it. It would be possible, to explore everything at
runtime (e.g. defining a depth of 3 links) and render the found
definitions together with their definition in a much more concentrated,
domain-related form.
Personally, I am convinced that such a utility would help jump-start
developers and scripters who are newbies, but also those who are turning
to a new area of OOo, with which they have never worked before.
Such a functionality becomes only possible, if it was possible to query
the text going with the IDL definition at runtime via reflection (e.g.
get the first sentence, get all text, get it as plain text or formatted
text, e.g. in HTML, etc.). This would imply that the IDL compiler would
include the text-information and the creation of a method allowing to
get at such text at runtime via reflection. (Also, of course, the
information would become readily available/updated, each time the IDL
compiler is run.)
So, what would you think (especially looking at what is possible in the
Windows world w.r.t. OLE supplying published information on its
definitions)?
Regards,
---rony
P.S.: I posted this to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> and <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> lists, because both may
be affected/interested in this.
