Date:         Mon, 9 Mar 1998 13:41:56 -0800
From: "RTI- Hall, Michael R." <mikeh@RETAILPRO.COM>
Subject:      [IML] IFW:  Sampling an object attributes

Hi gang,

A little while back someone asked if it would be possible to write a program
which read an object attributes and then write them out to a file.  Now, the
really slick way would be to read the .iob file itself to get the
attributes, but, because I can't actually program anything, I can't do that.
Rather, what I wrote is a WinBatch script which will sample all of an
objects basic attributes (no brushes or textures) and write them out to a
specified file.  This file will be in the structure of an INI file.

Now, there are a couple of catches to this script:
1.)  It was written with an unregistered version of WinBatch, meaning it
can't be compiled (and is only good for windows versions of Imagine).  So,
you must have WinBatch (www.wilsonware.com -- I think, and you must have
windows).
2.)  Not every Imagine attribute can be sampled (anything which is specified
via a radio button, check box or combo box can not be sampled.  What I did
to handle that is prompt the user with selections from within the script.

I don't have a web page and I don't want to send this script to individuals,
so there are three options for me:
1.)  I can post it to a web page if someone will loan me the space (Mike
Bayona, you listening -- this would go well with my DOF tut ...)
2.)  I can post the contents of the script to the list and let anyone who
wants to use it copy it from the mail.  However, the script is a little long
(6K) and I don't think the ListAdmin (whoever that is nowadays) would
appreciate me sending that to everyone ...
3.)  Put this script aside because no one was really interested in it anyway
...

Finally, since this request came about due to someone wanting to sample
attributes and post them to the web, I am in the process of writing a second
script which will translate the INI file to HTML table format, which can
then be copied and pasted directly into an HTML document.  I am about half
done with the script, but ... should I continue?  Would anyone be interested
in it?  If anything, I might just finish it for myself.  I am coding the
table settings to my preferences with my browser (IE4), but anyone with a
text editor and some knowledge of HTML can modify the script to customize
the table.

Anyway, let me know ...

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