SDS

VBA/ActiveX

Programming Overview of SDS (Solutions Development System)

SDS is an acronym for Solutions Development System, a C/C++ language interface compatible with the ADS® (AutoCAD® Development System) interface found in other CAD systems. SDS provides hooks into progeCAD, allowing you to create custom applications.

SDS communicates with the user and progeCAD via LISP (akin to the way that ADS works with AutoLISP® and other CAD systems). However, SDS greatly augments the capabilities found in LISP with a much more powerful command base that can also access the operating system. This allows you to create even more sophisticated custom solutions. And, because SDS applications are compiled, they are typically faster than LISP applications.

Migrating to SDS for progeCAD 7

SDS for progeCAD 7 is not binary compatible with SDS for progeCAD 6.x versions. For details, see Migrating SDS to progeCAD 7.

Prefixes to SDS Functions

If you're familiar with ADS, note that one primary difference between ADS and SDS is that most SDS functions have an sds_ prefix (except for special dialog-related SDS functions, which have the dlg_ prefix), whereas ADS functions have a variety of prefixes, such as ads_, acad_, and acrx_.

Functions Unique to SDS

SDS offers several additional capabilities beyond those available in ADS.

SDS Functions

Function	Description
sds_name_clear	Clears the entity name or selection set.
sds_name_equal	Checks if two entity names or selection sets are equal.
sds_name_nil	Checks if the entity name or selection set has been cleared.
sds_name_set	Copies one entity name or selection set to another.
sds_point_set	Copies a point from one variable to another.
sds_progresspercent	Displays the percentage done in a progress bar.
sds_progressstart	Starts the progress bar.
sds_progressstop	Ends the progress bar.
sds_readaliasfile	Loads the PGP file into progeCAD.
sds_sendmessage	Sends a message to the progeCAD command line.
sds_swapscreen	Flips the off-screen device context to the display.

ADS Functions Not Supported by SDS

The following ADS functions are not supported by SDS: ads_arxload, ads_arxloaded, ads_arxunload, ads_ssgetx, ads_ssGetKwordCallbackPtr, ads_ssGetOtherCallbackPtr, adsw_acadMainWnd, and adsw_acadDocWnd.

Selection Modes

progeCAD supports the following selection modes:

progeCAD selection modes

Mode	Meaning
NULL	(none) Single pick point
"B"	Box
"C"	Crossing
"CC"	Crossing Circle
"CP"	Crossing Polygon
"F"	Fence
"I"	Implied
"L"	Last
"O"	Outside
"OC"	Outside Circle
"OP"	Outside Polygon
"P"	Previous
"PO"	Point
"W"	Window
"WC"	Window Circle
"WP"	Window Polygon
"X"	All

Selection Modes Not Supported by progeCAD

progeCAD does not support the following selection modes found in other CAD systems: "G", ":?", ":D", ":E", ":N", ":S", ".", "#", "A", and "M".

SDS Return Codes

SDS functions return these request type codes:

Request	Code	Meaning
RSRSLT	1	Result is returned.
RSERR	3	Error in evaluation; no result is returned.
RQSAVE	14	progeCAD is saving the drawing.
RQEND	15	progeCAD is exiting.
RQQUIT	16	progeCAD is quitting.
RQCFG	22	progeCAD is returning from the Config command.
RQXLOAD	100	Load external functions.
RQXUNLD	101	Unload the application.
RQSUBR	102	External subroutine request.
RQHUP	105	progeCAD is disconnected from the application.
RQXHELP	118	Define help for the function.
RTERROR	-5001	An error has occurred.
RTCAN	-5002	User canceled the command by pressing Esc.
RTREJ	-5003	progeCAD rejected the request, probably due to invalid format.
RTFAIL	-5004	Link failure between SDS and progeCAD.
RTKWORD	-5005	Keyword returned from getxxx routine.
RTNORM	5100	Request succeeded.

Result buffer codes

Request	Code	Meaning
RTNONE	5000	No result.
RTREAL	5001	Real number.
RTPOINT	5002	2-D point (x,y-coordinate).
RTSHORT	5003	Short integer.
RTANG	5004	Angle.
RTSTR	5005	String.
RTENAME	5006	Entity name.
RTPICKS	5007	Pick set.
RTORINT	5008	Orientation.
RT3DPOINT	5009	3-D point (x,y,z coordinate).
RTLONG	5010	Long integer.
RTVOID	5014	Blank symbol.
RTLB	5016	Begin list.
RTLE	5017	End of list.
RTDOTE	5018	Dotted pair.
RTNIL	5019	Nil
RTDXF0	5020	DXF code 0 (used only by sds_buildlist).
RTT	5021	T (true) atom.
RTRESBUF	5023	Result buffer.

Tell me about...

Copying Code Examples from the progeCAD Developer Reference

Migrating SDS to progeCAD