Hi all,
We're starting to look at scriptable objects for Mathcad Prime 4.0. Mathcad 15 has two types of scriptable objects:
- Insert Component…- > Scriptable Object
- Insert Control -> Push Button, etc. (the so called scriptable controls a.k.a. Mathsoft controls)
We'd like to understand better the use of each type. Specifically, one proposal is that we could provide an alternative scripting mechanism in the form of a function:
The idea is fairly simple: execute an external script written in vb or jscript. The script could refer to inputs, x, y, z in this example, and could set outputs that in this example would be assigned to a, b and c.
For example, expression above, where “my-script.vb” is
Sub PushBtnEvent_Start()
Rem TODO: Add your code here
End Sub
Sub PushBtnEvent_Exec(Inputs,Outputs)
Rem first output is the sum of the arguments
Outputs(0).value = Inputs(0).value + Inputs(1).value + Inputs(2).value
Rem Second output is the product
Outputs(1).value = Inputs(0).value * Inputs(1).value * Inputs(2).value
Rem third is 3.14
Outputs(2).value = 3.14
End Sub
Is equivalent to
This type of script would not have an object in the worksheet, like the current Mathsoft controls. We're also designing input controls as buttons, sliders, text box controls etc.
Would you like to have scripts such as above?
How would you use each type and why do you prefer one over the other?
Thanks for helping us rethink this functionality.
Mona
We need to keep both the insert control and the insert scriptable object, although they could be combined into one menu item. A Control is just a scriptable object that is supplied by Mathsoft/PTC, whereas a scriptable object is a control (or possibly another COM object) supplied by someone else. The scriptable function is a great idea. Many controls are written as functions and are not used used as controls at all. The scriptable function would address this.
I also have the following requests:
1) Add some more standard controls for file handling. We should have controls for browse for file and browse for folder. We could also use some functions to check if a file or folder exists, to get a file's properties, and to get a list of files from a specified folder.
2) Allow controls to save their state when the worksheet is saved.
3) Add Python as a scripting language. It is way more powerful that VBscript or Jscript (it can handle binary files, it has math and scientific libraries available, etc). I don't expect to ever get this wish fulfilled, but I'm asking anyway 
4) One annoying feature of scripted objects and controls is the warning that we get every time the worksheet is opened. One solution to this would be to allow a user to generate a certificate, and use it to sign a control. So, as an example I could generate a certificate for my company. The certificate is in two parts: a private part, and a public part. I can use the private part to sign and lock the script in a control, and anyone else can use the public part to check it is really from me (this is standard public key encryption technology). That means Prime could look for any installed certificates, and if a certificate matches the control's signature then the control is deemed to be trustworthy, and Prime does not give the annoying script warning.
