HOWTO: Control Microsoft Agent with Visual FoxPro

ID: Q191950


The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 3.0b, 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0


SUMMARY

Microsoft Agent is a set of programmable software services that supports the presentation of interactive animated characters within the Microsoft Windows interface. Developers can use characters as interactive assistants to introduce, guide, entertain, or otherwise enhance applications in addition to the conventional use of windows, menus, and controls. Microsoft Agent could be used, for instance, as a data validation alert, or even as a number reader for heads-down data entry. This article demonstrates how to use Microsoft Agent from within Visual FoxPro.


MORE INFORMATION

In order to use the sample code in this article, you need to install the Microsoft Agent core components. Use one of the following methods to obtain Microsoft Agent:

After you download and install the core components, download the Genie character data from the following URL:
http://www.microsoft.com/workshop/imedia/agent/characterdata.asp
The following sample code demonstrates several methods used to control a Microsoft Agent character.

Sample Code


   *-- Code begins here.
   PUBLIC oGenie, oAgent

   *-- Initialize the Agent object, which then allows us to
   *-- load and use characters.
   oAgent = createobject("Agent.Control.1")
   oAgent.connected = .t.

   *-- Load a character from the character definition.
   *-- Modify the path to point to where the character
   *-- definition is installed.
   oAgent.characters.load("Genie", ;
     "\program files\microsoft agent\characters\genie.acs")

   *-- Create the character object, the Genie in this example.
   oGenie = oAgent.characters("Genie")
   oGenie.Show
   Control = CREATEOBJECT("Form1")
   Control.Show
   READ EVENTS

   **************************************************
   *-- Form:         form1
   *-- ParentClass:  form
   *-- BaseClass:    form
   *
   DEFINE CLASS form1 AS form

      Top = 31
      Left = 80
      Height = 279
      Width = 368
      DoCreate = .T.
      Caption = "Agent Control"
      Name = "Form1"

      ADD OBJECT text1 AS textbox WITH ;
         Height = 25, ;
         Left = 11, ;
         Top = 30, ;
         Width = 337, ;
         Name = "Text1"

      ADD OBJECT command1 AS commandbutton WITH ;
         Top = 72, ;
         Left = 12, ;
         Height = 37, ;
         Width = 96, ;
         Caption = "Speak", ;
         Name = "Command1"

      ADD OBJECT label1 AS label WITH ;
         Caption = "Enter text below:", ;
         Height = 25, ;
         Left = 11, ;
         Top = 6, ;
         Width = 120, ;
         Name = "Label1"

      ADD OBJECT cmdmove AS commandbutton WITH ;
         Top = 228, ;
         Left = 36, ;
         Height = 37, ;
         Width = 84, ;
         Caption = "Move", ;
         Name = "cmdMove"

      ADD OBJECT spntop AS spinner WITH ;
         Height = 24, ;
         Left = 97, ;
         Top = 132, ;
         Width = 60, ;
         Value = 50, ;
         Name = "spnTop"

      ADD OBJECT label2 AS label WITH ;
         Caption = "Position Top", ;
         Height = 25, ;
         Left = 12, ;
         Top = 132, ;
         Width = 72, ;
         Name = "Label2"

      ADD OBJECT label3 AS label WITH ;
         Caption = "Move Speed", ;
         Height = 25, ;
         Left = 12, ;
         Top = 192, ;
         Width = 72, ;
         Name = "Label3"

      ADD OBJECT spnspeed AS spinner WITH ;
         Height = 25, ;
         Left = 85, ;
         Top = 192, ;
         Width = 72, ;
         Value = 1000, ;
         Name = "spnSpeed"

      ADD OBJECT command3 AS commandbutton WITH ;
         Top = 72, ;
         Left = 132, ;
         Height = 37, ;
         Width = 96, ;
         Caption = "Show Balloon", ;
         Name = "Command3"

      ADD OBJECT spnleft AS spinner WITH ;
         Height = 24, ;
         Left = 97, ;
         Top = 161, ;
         Width = 60, ;
         Value = 50, ;
         Name = "spnLeft"

      ADD OBJECT label4 AS label WITH ;
         Caption = "Position Left", ;
         Height = 25, ;
         Left = 12, ;
         Top = 161, ;
         Width = 72, ;
         Name = "Label4"

      ADD OBJECT command2 AS commandbutton WITH ;
         Top = 72, ;
         Left = 252, ;
         Height = 37, ;
         Width = 96, ;
         Caption = "Hide Genie", ;
         Name = "Command2"

      ADD OBJECT command4 AS commandbutton WITH ;
         Top = 144, ;
         Left = 240, ;
         Height = 25, ;
         Width = 37, ;
         Caption = "Up", ;
         Name = "Command4"

      ADD OBJECT command5 AS commandbutton WITH ;
         Top = 192, ;
         Left = 240, ;
         Height = 25, ;
         Width = 37, ;
         Caption = "Down", ;
         Name = "Command5"

      ADD OBJECT command6 AS commandbutton WITH ;
         Top = 168, ;
         Left = 204, ;
         Height = 25, ;
         Width = 37, ;
         Caption = "Left", ;
         Name = "Command6"

      ADD OBJECT command7 AS commandbutton WITH ;
         Top = 168, ;
         Left = 276, ;
         Height = 25, ;
         Width = 37, ;
         Caption = "Right", ;
         Name = "Command7"

      PROCEDURE Unload
         RELEASE oGenie
         RELEASE oAgent
      ENDPROC

      PROCEDURE command1.Click
         oGenie.Speak(ThisForm.Text1.Value)
      ENDPROC

      PROCEDURE cmdmove.Click

          *-- Move the character to the location indicated in the
          *-- spinners.
         oGenie.MoveTo(ThisForm.spnLeft.Value, ;
               ThisForm.spnTop.Value, ThisForm.spnSpeed.Value)
      ENDPROC

      PROCEDURE command3.Click

          *-- Show or hide the text balloon used when speaking.
         IF this.caption = "Hide Balloon"
            oGenie.Balloon.Visible = .f.
            this.caption = "Show Balloon"
         ELSE
            oGenie.Balloon.Visible = .t.
            this.caption = "Hide Balloon"
         ENDIF
      ENDPROC

      PROCEDURE command2.Click

             *-- Show or hide the character
         IF this.Caption = "Hide Genie"
            oGenie.Hide
            this.Caption = "Show Genie"
         ELSE
            oGenie.Show
            this.Caption = "Hide Genie"
         ENDIF
      ENDPROC

      PROCEDURE command4.Click

             *-- Move the character up, relative to its current
             *-- position.
             oGenie.MoveTo(oGenie.Left, oGenie.Top - 50,;
               thisform.spnSpeed.Value)
      ENDPROC

      PROCEDURE command5.Click

             *-- Move the character down, relative to its current
             *-- position.
         oGenie.MoveTo(oGenie.Left, oGenie.Top + 50,;
               thisform.spnSpeed.Value)
      ENDPROC

      PROCEDURE command6.Click

             *-- Move the character left, relative to its current
             *-- position.
         oGenie.MoveTo(oGenie.Left - 50, oGenie.Top,;
               thisform.spnSpeed.Value)
      ENDPROC

      PROCEDURE command7.Click

             *-- Move the character left, relative to its current
             *-- position.
         oGenie.MoveTo(oGenie.Left + 50, oGenie.Top,;
               thisform.spnSpeed.Value)
      ENDPROC

   ENDDEFINE
   *
   *-- EndDefine: form1
   **************************************************
   *-- Code ends here 


REFERENCES

(c) Microsoft Corporation 1998. All Rights Reserved. Contributions by Mike Stewart, Microsoft Corporation

Additional query words: kbVFp600 kbAnimantion kbinterop msagent

Keywords :
Version : WINDOWS:3.0,3.0b,5.0,5.0a,6.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto


Last Reviewed: July 29, 1999
© 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.