My plug-in needs to set some things every 30 seconds. Is there a good way to do it, or should I call an external program from my DLL?

In VB I guess?
Add a form, and add a Timer.
In the initialize function call:

Load Form1

And you can then use whatever you want, Form1.Timer1.Enable, Form1.Timer1.Interval.. Etc...

If you're working in C++, then let me know, and I'll knock up an example for that.

* Itsme-HcK lets raceprouk now.
If I can just keep the function running, just reply with that, I'll know what to do then.

To start the timer:
UINT timerID = SetTimer(NULL, 1, <delay in ms>, &TimerProc);

To kill the timer:
KillTimer(timerID);

To respond to timer events:
void CALLBACK TimerProc(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
    // Code to respond to timer
}

Timers on MSDN

That will make my plug-in run all the time, while it is only supposed to be called once in the <number> minutes...

void CALLBACK TimerProc(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
    // Code to respond to timer
    KillTimer(timerID);
}

Err, read what I said again.
I will have to parse the MSG's. (Which forces me to run the whole time.)

If you put KillTimer() in the TimerProc(), the TimerProc() will only be called once.

I don't know what you're trying to say... Off course your plugin is running all the time...that's usual for plugins...

If you want to do something every x minutes you just use raceprouk's code, and you place the code you want to execute in it.... You can also make a seperate dll for the code if you want to...

quote:

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Originally posted by Itsme-HcK
That will make my plug-in run all the time, while it is only supposed to be called once in the <number> minutes...

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quote:

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Originally posted by Itsme-HcK
Err, read what I said again.
I will have to parse the MSG's. (Which forces me to run the whole time.)

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Oh my.
You guys should READ.
What I'm saying is that, when I use the timer, I have to run the DLL ALL the time. So, when it's called, it will not execute that function, for it's still running the first function.

quote:

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Originally posted by Itsme-HcK
Oh my.
You guys should READ.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Itsme-HcK
What I'm saying is that, when I use the timer, I have to run the DLL ALL the time. So, when it's called, it will not execute that function, for it's still running the first function.

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Does MsgPlus parse my msg's too, then?

depends on what you actually want and what you mean by "messages".

Plus! doesn't "parse" messages from your plugin. It is the other way around, it send messages to your plugin so your plugin can parse them and return back a result.

quote:

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Originally posted by Itsme-HcK
Oh my.
You guys should READ.
What I'm saying is that, when I use the timer, I have to run the DLL ALL the time. So, when it's called, it will not execute that function, for it's still running the first function.

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Gah, ok.
When making a timer with the .net functions (the one you gave teh me), these are added to the message queue (read MSDN if you don't know them, it's the basic of almost every Windows program).
Added to this queue are also clicks with the mouse, actions, menu's, the whole crap. You have to parse those messages, so you can handle them. So, when you do that, the timer function will be called, resulting in a call to my function.
But, if the user doesn't send messages to buddies for say, 15 minutes, my plug-in isn't called the whole time. So isn't my function.
But, if MsgPlus! parses my messages too, that wouldn't be a problem, for MsgPlus! will then have it called. So, does it?
If it's not, I have to make an unending loop to get the results I want, which will probably crash MSN Messenger.

quote:

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Originally posted by Itsme-HcK
Gah, ok.
When making a timer with the .net functions (the one you gave teh me), these are added to the message queue (read MSDN if you don't know them, it's the basic of almost every Windows program).
Added to this queue are also clicks with the mouse, actions, menu's, the whole crap. You have to parse those messages, so you can handle them. So, when you do that, the timer function will be called, resulting in a call to my function.
But, if the user doesn't send messages to buddies for say, 15 minutes, my plug-in isn't called the whole time. So isn't my function.
But, if MsgPlus! parses my messages too, that wouldn't be a problem, for MsgPlus! will then have it called. So, does it?
If it's not, I have to make an unending loop to get the results I want, which will probably crash MSN Messenger.

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What I can understand from the last post of Itsme-Hck:
If add a plugin to MsgPlus!, it will run ALL the time, until Messenger is closed... If a user does not write to you in 15 minutes, your plugin is still "activated"/running...
This is of course logically to everyone.. Plugins don't just stop running because a person is not using Messenger..
If this is not what you are talking, I also have some sence that you are talking about Hooking or subclassing messages, recieved and sent by Messenger?...
2 Suggestions...
1: Try it out.. Your question seems very easy, though we are not sure we understand what you mean, but you seem to be confident in what's going on...
2: Write a better explantion, maybe come with some examples on what you are trying to achieve...

From what I could understand from the first post, you just want a timer that runs every 30 seconds, no matter what happens?... If so, just set the time in ms to 30000, and use raceprouk's code?...
If this is not what you want, you really need to explain better.. Because people seriously don't understand your post, and what you want to do...

Maybe I should try #winprog.
Of course, the plug-in runs the whole time, but it is not active.
There is no main function or such, it is only activated when MsgPlus calls a function.
To use Windows timers, you need to be active all the time, and it's not.
So, only if MsgPlus! parses the messages from the DLL, it can be used.
My simple question: Does it?

What messages?

Are you trying to say you want to send a message to the other user every 30 seconds or so?

About the active plugin, when you use a timer, you should start that in the sign-in event (see the Messenger API for that) and off course kill it in the sign-out event. Your callback function will be called every 30 seconds, so then  your plugin is active. If you want to send a message to all users you have to find the input box and use API calls (sendchar or something like that) to send the text....

Is this an answer to your question?

quote:

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Originally posted by Itsme-HcK
Maybe I should try #winprog.
Of course, the plug-in runs the whole time, but it is not active.
There is no main function or such, it is only activated when MsgPlus calls a function.
To use Windows timers, you need to be active all the time, and it's not.
So, only if MsgPlus! parses the messages from the DLL, it can be used.
My simple question: Does it?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Itsme-HcK
Maybe I should try #winprog.
Of course, the plug-in runs the whole time, but it is not active.
There is no main function or such, it is only activated when MsgPlus calls a function.
To use Windows timers, you need to be active all the time, and it's not.
So, only if MsgPlus! parses the messages from the DLL, it can be used.
My simple question: Does it?

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Gah, but the Windows messages need to be parsed before my function gets called. MsgPlus! would, logically, only parse its own messages, not mine.
Never mind anyways, you appearantly didn't read MSDN about messages.
I'll ask in #C++ or so.

Excuse me, but we do all read MSDN. I myself have written several WndProcs and a message loop or two. Hell, I linked you to MSDN! And the timer code I gave you bypasses all the message processing crap!

If you're worried about a message loop, don't be. So long as you call SetTimer() in the same thread as Initialize(), Messenger's own message loop will handle dispatching the timer messages.

Edit: I know Cookie, which is why I said the same thread as Initialize()

Then why the hell didn't you just SAY SO?
Howevers, then that's it.
Thank y00, for as far as it did come.

quote:

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Originally posted by raceprouk
If you're worried about a message loop, don't be. So long as you call SetTimer() in the same thread as Initialize(), Messenger's own message loop will handle dispatching the timer messages.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Itsme-HcK
Added to this queue are also clicks with the mouse, actions, menu's, the whole crap. You have to parse those messages, so you can handle them. So, when you do that, the timer function will be called, resulting in a call to my function.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Itsme-HcK
But, if the user doesn't send messages to buddies for say, 15 minutes, my plug-in isn't called the whole time. So isn't my function.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Itsme-HcK
Then why the hell didn't you just SAY SO?
Howevers, then that's it.
Thank y00, for as far as it did come.

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An application can process WM_TIMER messages by including a WM_TIMER case statement in the window procedure or by specifying a TimerProc callback function when creating the timer. When you specify a TimerProc callback function, the default window procedure calls the callback function when it processes WM_TIMER.

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I created timer function without much problem using the VB.Net sample.

Declare a timer object for the class as below
Dim _Timer As System.Timers.Timer

In the Initialize function, add

Try
            _Timer = New System.Timers.Timer(30000)
            AddHandler _Timer.Elapsed, AddressOf OnTimedEvent
            _Timer.Start()
        Catch ex As Exception
            LogError(ex.Message.ToString())
        End Try

        Initialize = True



LogError just writes to a text file

Add the Timer event(callback function)


Public Sub OnTimedEvent(ByVal source As Object, ByVal e As System.Timers.ElapsedEventArgs)
        '_Timer.Stop()
        LogError("Timer Event")
        DisplayToast("Hello World", "Plus Test", "http://www.google.com", True)
    End Sub


It works great. I am getting the "Timer Event" message in the log file every 30 seconds.

Now for my problem, DisplayToast does not work. If I put it in the Initialize function, it works. Can someone please explain ?

Thanks

Because the timer is (probably) in another thread, and MSG Plus! only accepts logs and toasts from the main thread. You will have to use delegates for it, Jedimark has written something about that in the past here...

Or simply create a window somewhere from one of the main plus! functions (thus this will be in the same thread) and when you create the timer, give the handle of that window to it. You don't need the callback function either...

all explained in MSDN... SetTimer()