COM Version Script Examples

VBScript examples show you how to manage scripts on systems that have multiple Mentor PCB software installs.

Note:

If you are running a 32-bit install on a 64-bit machine, ensure that you use 32-bit script hosts in SysWoW64.

To start a 32-bit command prompt, do one of the following, depending on your operating system:

Windows 7—Choose Start > Run, type %windir%\SysWoW64\cmd.exe, then click OK.
Windows 8—Press the <Windows>-R key combination, type %windir%\SysWoW64\cmd.exe, then click OK.

Example - Creating an instance of the last installed layout application

Dim app

' Create an instance of the Layout application (last install).
Set app = CreateObject("PowerPCB.Application")

Example - Creating an instance of the PADS VX.2.5 layout application

Dim app

' Create an instance of the Layout application (for PADS VX.2.5 install).
Set app = CreateObject("PowerPCB.Application.78")

Example - Using ReleaseEnvServer methods to create an instance of the layout application

' Get the environment of a specific SDD_HOME
Dim dllApp
Set dllApp = 
  CreateObject("MGCPCBReleaseEnvironmentlib.MGCPCBReleaseEnvServer")
Call dllApp.SetEnvironment("c:\\MentorGraphics\\PADSVX.2.5\\SDD_HOME")

' Launch the specific version of the Layout Application
Dim app
Set app = CreateObject("PowerPCB.Application" & "." & 
  dllApp.ProgIDVersion)
app.Visible = True

' Open a message box
MsgBox "Click OK to close PADS Layout " & dllApp.sddVersion, vbOKOnly, 
  "Layout Automation"

' Exit Layout
app.Quit

Example - ReleaseEnvServer Object

Option Explicit
On Error Resume Next
Dim textFile 
Dim strHome : strHome=""
dim strPlatform : strPlatform = ""

textFile = "TestOutput.txt"
' Get the application object
Dim dllApp
Set dllApp = CreateObject("MGCPCBReleaseEnvironmentLib.MGCPCBReleaseEnvServer")
Dim installedReleases

'Default environment -- no argument, write the parameters to a text file
dllApp.SetEnvironment("")
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, "Default Environment:" & vbcrlf)
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, "--------------------" & vbcrlf)
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, "PROG_ID_VER=" &  dllApp.ProgIDVersion & vbcrlf)
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, "SDD_VERSION=" &  dllApp.sddVersion & vbcrlf)
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, "SDD_HOME=" &  dllApp.sddHome & vbcrlf)
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, "SDD_PLATFORM=" &  dllApp.sddPlatform & vbcrlf)
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, vbcrlf)

' Specific environment -- set to PADS VX.2.5, write the parameters 
' to a text file
Call dllApp.SetEnvironment("c:\\MentorGraphics\\PADSVX.2.5\\SDD_HOME")
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, "Specific Environment:" & vbcrlf)
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, "---------------------" & vbcrlf)
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, "PROG_ID_VER=" &  dllApp.ProgIDVersion & vbcrlf)
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, "SDD_VERSION=" &  dllApp.sddVersion & vbcrlf)
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, "SDD_HOME=" &  dllApp.sddHome & vbcrlf)
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, "SDD_PLATFORM=" &  dllApp.sddPlatform & vbcrlf)
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, vbcrlf)

If(Err) Then
MsgBox Err.Description
Err.Clear
End If

' Get all PCB releases on this machine and output them to a text file.
installedReleases = dllApp.GetInstalledReleases
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, "List of installed releases:" & vbcrlf)
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, "---------------------------" & vbcrlf)
WriteReleaseInformationFile(installedReleases)
Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, vbcrlf)

If(Err) Then
MsgBox Err.Description
Err.Clear
End If

Function WriteTextToFile(fileName, text)
    Dim FSO
    Set FSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    Dim file
    Set file = FSO.OpenTextFile(fileName, 8,true)
    Call file.Write(text)   
    Call file.Close()
End Function

Sub WriteReleaseInformationFile(arrResults)
    Dim str: str = ""
    Dim i,j
    
    For i = 0 To UBound(arrResults,1)
        For j = 0 To UBound(arrResults,2)
 'wrap token in "" and add a ,
            str = str & """" & arrResults(i, j) & """" & "," 
        Next
        str = str & vbCrLf 'add newline after each release/row
    Next
            Call WriteTextToFile(textFile, str)   
End Sub