Accessing a windows API is pretty much the same as any api. Simply select
user32.dll or kernel32.dll (shell32, gdi32, etc), and select the desired
function. The function to use is the hard part. You can search the MSDN (ms
developers network) to see how each function works. I'd look at the lstrcpy
(in kernel32.dll) function. This function doesn't seem very sensible to use,
it copies one string to another. But in LabVIEW, you can use it to convert
the pointer (a numeric value, which points to a string) to a string (also a
pointer, but LabVIEW converts it to string). If you have an array of
strings, each string is terminated by a NULL (=0). So if you read a string,
add the string length +1 to the pointer to get the next string. Repeat
untill you get an empty string (the array is terminated by NULL NULL). It's
a hassle, but it works.
The LabVIEW API is a bit different. You don't select a dll, but LabVIEW.exe.
Executables can export functions just like dll's. The functions are not all
documented, but some are. The functions of interrest are probably one of
these: PToCStr, CToPStr, LToPStr or PToLStr. The prototypes are in the
LabVIEW directory under cintools\extcode.h.
Save your work before each run!
Regards,
Wiebe.
