SDK-Request: API-Documentation!

[BhaaL]

Evenin' Folks!

I'd like to see an API-Documentation for upcoming versions of the SDK.
The header files are basically documented, but they lack details to a certain degree that often makes development a bit hard for module/plugin coders.

The most practical reason for that: SendMessage to DD.
It isnt always exactly clear how to use certain Messages.
My most recent struggle: DDMODAPI_CHL_GET_POINTER.
Rather than reading the file directly, I wanted to use built-in stuff to let DD take care of that. Simply using it with SendMessage, passing a PCHL as lParam didnt work.
The question: Do I have to call DDMODAPI_CHL_LOAD first? Does it return a Handle/Pointer/whatever that has to be passed to CHL_GET_POINTER, which then returns a PCHL address as return value of SendMessage?

Stuff like that should be documented in some way, as it isnt always the most convinient way to "simply" ask some other coder that already found out how to do this and that *blinks over to ScanMan*.

I'd at least like to see some more verbose comments in the header files, like mentioned above telling us to call some other func first, or what types to pass/get back as return.
I do not expect some fully blown CHM Helpfile, but at least something that makes live easier for those who love DD, and want to enhance it

Greetings, BhaaL

[ScanMan]

Hi Bhaal

If you want to have access to all scanned and tuneable channels you should 'order' a pointer to the internal ChannelList like that (in Delphi)

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SendMessage(hwndDD, WM_MODULE_MSG, DDMODAPI_CHL_GET_POINTER, Integer(@chl));

with chl: PCHL;

To be simply up to date of the actual running channel you best should evaluate the DD-Event 'AfterChannelChange' like that:

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// After every successfull tuner-lock
function AfterChannelChange(pChannelInfo: PChannelInfo): BOOL; stdcall; export;
var
ch : array[0..63] of Char;
begin
Move(pChannelInfo.ChName, ch, 64);
CurrentSat := pChannelInfo^.wSatPos;
CurrentNid := pChannelInfo^.wNID;
CurrentSid := pChannelInfo^.wSID;
CurrentChId := pChannelInfo^.dwChId;
........
result := false; // or true ????
end;

If you are looking for a sqecial channel and its Data (see PChannelInfo) do it like that:

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for i := 0 to MAX_FAVORITES - 1 do
begin
if chl^.Favorites[i].FavName[0] <> 0 then // if entry is in use
begin
s := PChar(@chl^.Favorites[i].FavName);
end;
end;
for i:= 0 to MAX_CHANNELS - 1 do
if (chl^.Channels[i].dwFreq <> 0) and // if entry is in use
(chl^.Channels[i].ChType <> 3) then // if EntryType is not DATA
begin
...
s := PChar(chl^.Channels[i].ChName);
...
end;

Set a specific channel from your decision:

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SendMessage(Data.DDhwnd, WM_MODULE_MSG, DDMODAPI_SET_CHANNEL_BY_CHID, SetCHL);

SetChl is a real integer - NOT A POINTER TO !

I hope this could help you out

ScanMan

[BhaaL]

Heh, thanks for that

Yet I found out already why it didnt work for me:
Out of laziness (I wanted to avoid restarting DD every time I changed something on the code) I simply ran my module as external app, and ofc SendMessage with GET_CHL_POINTER returned an address that was outside my Application bounds

Still, more Comments for the Coders!

Greetings, BhaaL