Creating reusable scripted components for DesktopX

Creating reusable scripted components for DesktopX - Part 1

Part 1 : An introduction to the author

Published on September 24, 2004 By pjpowell In Scripts

Before I start this set of articles I feel I need to give a bit of background as an introduction.

I have used DesktopX since pre alpha having been lucky enough to be involved since the very start of DesktopX. I have created a few themes and objects over the years and am particularly excited about the scripting in DesktopX. I see DesktopX as a programming environment.

My programming background is mainly in Delphi with a little bit of VB. I have no real C/C++/C# programming history and so am unable to make a decent plugin for DesktopX. So I decided to try and do the equivalent in DX VBScript. The first time I used VBScript was when making my first DX scripted object. I seldom plan my coding in any structured way and tend to fly about from idea to idea in no particular order. I do many things in slow, round-about ways that could be optimised (and usually end up being optimised once I know everything is working ok. I try to comment my code in a way that just about anybody could look at the code and understand what it's doing but often get caught up in the excitement and miss out comments. Well, that's out of the way so on with the main articles.

Comments

Michael Burris

on Sep 24, 2004

I'm impressed. I've been around DesktopX that long, too, and I still can't make anything worth keeping on my desktop - zero talent.

In response to your post, I set up my first blog here (amschat.joeuser.com) with my notes on what would make a killer widget. Feel free to rip off any or all of my ideas without attribution!

Larry Kuperman

on Sep 25, 2004

It is good to "see old faces in new places!" Greetings, Phil.

PJ is too modest. (At least by my standards!) PJPowell's DesktopX creations have been widely used and have even appeared in movies! When Colin Farrell played an elite programmer in the Touchstone Pictures movie "The Recruit" his desktop was an analog clock, created in DesktopX by none other than PJPowell.

Good to see you on JU.

pjpowell

on Sep 25, 2004

Thanks for the comment Larry and it's good to be here. I've wanted to start a blog for a while but just couldn't think of a good place to start. I do feel I need to point out the Recruit theme would have been nothing without the original graphics which Thredz (Neil Allardice), Dangeruss (Russ Schwenkler) and Tech13 (Michael Bodine) kindly allowed me to use and adapt. They are true artists and people I have respected hugely for a long time.

pjpowell

on Sep 25, 2004

mikeburris: I've read your article. An interesting concept and something I've pondered before. I may start to actually try to do something about it after this set of articles and the resulting control.

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