► |  | Mz COM: Racket as a Windows COM Object

1 | Loading Mz COM
2 | GUIDs
3 | Methods
4 | Events
5 | Errors
6 | Evaluation thread
7 | Acknowledgments

Mz COM: Racket as a Windows COM Object
1`` Loading Mz COM
2`` GUIDs
3`` Methods
4`` Events
5`` Errors
6`` Evaluation thread
7`` Acknowledgments

6.8
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## MzCOM: Racket as a Windows COM Object

Paul Steckler

MzCOM.exe is a Windows COM (i.e., Component Object Model) class wrapper for Racket.

During normal installation of MzCOM, the executable is registered as a COM object automatically. If that registration fails or if you move the Racket installation, re-register MzCOM.exe with

‹installation›\lib\MzCOM.exe /RegServer /v

The MzCOM.exe executable will find DLLs and library collections relative to its own path.

### 1`` Loading MzCOM

To load a COM object, COM hosts require a COM class name or a ProgID. MzCOM has the class name "MzObj Class" and the ProgID "MzCOM.MzObj.‹version›", where ‹version› is 6.8.

In the Visual BASIC 6 environment, from the Project|References (VB6), check MzCOM 1.0 Type Library. In Visual BASIC .NET, choose Project|Add Reference, and from the COM tab, select MzCOM 1.0 Type Library. In your code, declare a variable, then assign to it:

DIM schemeObject AS MzObj
SET schemeObject = NEW MzObj

From Visual C++:

#include "mzcom.h"
CLSID clsid;
IMzObj *pIMzObj;
CoInitialize(NULL);
CLSIDFromProgID(L"MzCOM.MzObj.<version>",&clsid);
CoCreateInstance(clsid,NULL,CLSCTX_SERVER,IID_IMzObj, (void **)&pIMzObj);

where <version> is the version number. You’ll need the definition of IID_IMzObj (see GUIDs). The header file "mzcom.h" is generated as "src\worksp\mzcom\" when building from the Racket source distribution. The above C/C++ code is for illustration; your actual code should check return values, of course.

Using mysterx to manipulate COM objects within Racket, you can load MzCOM with either

> (cci/coclass "MzObj Class")

or

> (cci/progid "MzCOM.MzObj.<version>")

Consult your documentation for loading MzCOM into other COM environments. MzCOM is compiled as a “dual-mode” class, meaning its methods may be called directly or by using OLE Automation.

### 2`` GUIDs

When compiled from the Racket source distibrution, the directory "src\worksp\mzcom\" contains the file "MzCOM_i.c" that contains GUIDs for MzCOM. Those GUIDs are as follows:

const IID IID_IMzObj =
{0xA604CBA8,0x2AB5,0x11D4,{0xB6,0xD3,0x00,0x60,0x08,0x90,0x02,0xFE}};
const IID LIBID_MZCOMLib =
{0xA604CB9C,0x2AB5,0x11D4,{0xB6,0xD3,0x00,0x60,0x08,0x90,0x02,0xFE}};
const IID DIID__IMzObjEvents =
{0xA604CBA9,0x2AB5,0x11D4,{0xB6,0xD3,0x00,0x60,0x08,0x90,0x02,0xFE}};
const CLSID CLSID_MzObj =
{0xA3B0AF9E,0x2AB0,0x11D4,{0xB6,0xD2,0x00,0x60,0x08,0x90,0x02,0xFE}};

which represent the IMzObj interface, the MzCOM type library, the IMzObjEvents interface, and the MzObj class, respectively.

### 3`` Methods

MzCOM support three COM methods:

- void About()

  Takes no arguments and displays an informational dialog.

- BSTR Eval(BSTR input)

  Takes and returns strings (specifically, BSTRs). The returned value is the result of evaluating the input expression, formatted as a string. The input string may contain several S-expressions. The embedded Racket updates its environment with each evaluation. Therefore, it is possible to define procedures in a call to Eval, and use the procedures in subsequent calls.

- void Reset()

  Resets the Racket environment to the initial environment. Also, the custodian for the primary Racket thread is invoked, shutting all its managed values.

### 4`` Events

MzCOM supports a single event.

- SchemeError()

  Passed a string (specifically, a BSTR) that explains the error.

### 5`` Errors

When an error occurs in MzCOM, it creates a COM error object. C and C++ clients can use GetErrorInfo to retrieve error information. Clients implemented in other languages typically have some equivalent means to obtain COM error information.

### 6`` Evaluation thread

The Racket evaluator runs in a Win32 thread created when MzCOM is loaded. If an expression kills the primary Racket thread, as in

> (kill-thread (current-thread))

then the evaluator Win32 thread is also killed. When that happens, subsequent calls to Eval will fail.

### 7`` Acknowledgments

MzCOM was developed in response to a query by Andre Van Meulebrouck. Andre also did extensive testing with Visual BASIC.

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