IrEye - Command Interface

IrEye - Infrared Remote Control

Command Interface

GENERAL

IrEye implements a command interface that allows everyone to easy develop new user commands in Java. With the help of the Java Native Interface it is also simple to use C++ routines for system-dependent operations.
Although most operations in windows can be done with simulated key-strokes, it is better to have specialized commands, that always work, even when the destination window is in the background. Take WinAmp for example: it is cool to control WinAmp with the remote control while writing emails.

Please email me if you develop new commands! Maybe you'd like to release them with IrEye.

OVERVIEW

Commands
IrEye commands are classes that extend ireye.irEyeCommand. By adding a new command to a command list in irReceiver-functions a new instance of this command is created and serialized (saved) with the remote control. When an irReceiver-function is executed, it calls the run() method of that command instance, which should be overridden. When a command is selected in the command list, its configuration() method is called to show the returned Component in the lower frame. If the command has instances, that should be changeable by the user, the configuration() method should also be overridden. At least the toString() method should be overridden as shown below to give the command a proper name.

Container classes
These IrEye commands are inner classes of the outer container class, which extends ireye.irEyeCommandClass. This container class consists of a static part and an instance part. IrEye creates only one instance of the container class. This instance is serialized on exit and deserialized on start of IrEye to save all non-static members. The configuration() method should be overridden to return a configuration panel with components that manipulate these non-static members. When the is deserialized or created, the init() method is called, which should be overridden and at least set a static pointer to itself, so that the commands can access the saved variables. The toString() method should also be overridden to name the container class. The static part contains the commands, a static pointer to the instance and static variables that allow communication between commands.

Naming and location
When IrEye starts, it makes a list of subdirs in the "...\ireye\commands\" directory and then tries to find following classes: "ireye.commands.>dirName<.>dirName<". For this reason the container class has to be in the package "ireye.commands.>containerClassName<" and be located in "...\ireye\commands\>containerClassName<\" ("..." is the path to IrEye). So to install new commands it is only necessary to copy the container directory to "...\ireye\commands\". Native libraries can also be located in the container directory. The loadeLibrary method loads a library relative to the "...\ireye\commands\" directory (see example).

EXAMPLE

package ireye.commands.winamp;	the command class package must have the format: ireye.commands.>className<
import ireye.*;	it is necessary to import ireye.*.
import javax.swing.; import javax.swing.event.; import java.awt.; import java.awt.event.;
public class winamp extends irEyeCommandClass {	it is important that the class has the same name as the ending of the package and that it extends ireye.irEyeCommandClass.
public static final String commandClassName = "NullSoft WinAmp";	define a String constant for the command class name as it should appear in the IrEye window.
private static winamp winamp = null;	winamp is the static pointer to the instance of the class winamp, which is set in the init() method.
private static native void send_WM_COMMAND(int command);
static { loadLibrary("winamp\\winamp_lib.dll"); }
public static class forward extends irEyeCommand {	the first command: commands must be public static
public void run() {	run(...) overridden
do {
send_WM_COMMAND(40148);
} while (syncDelay(winamp.seekSpeed));	syncDelay(...) see irEyeCommandClass
} // run()
public String toString() { return commandName(commandClassName, "Fast-forward 5 seconds"); }	toString() overridden
} // forward
public static class play_Location extends irEyeCommand {	the second command
private StringBuffer location = new StringBuffer();	instance members are serialized with the command
public void run() {
runWinamp("\"" + location.toString() + "\"");	runWinamp(...) uses winamp.winampPath
} // run()
public String toString() { return commandName(commandClassName, "Play location"); }
public Component configuration() {	configuration() overridden to return a Component that is shown in the configuration frame an manipulate location
return (new JScrollPane(new locationConfiguration(location)));
} // configuration()
} // play_location
private static class locationConfiguration extends JPanel {	private classes are not commands
private static StringBuffer path;
public locationConfiguration(StringBuffer path) {
this.path = path;
choosePathPanel pathPanel = new choosePathPanel(path, "choose location");
...
this.add(pathPanel);
} // locationConfiguration()
} // locationConfiguration
// ******** instance part ********
private int seekSpeed = 100;	instance members that will be saved
StringBuffer winampPath = new StringBuffer("C:\\Programme\\Winamp\\winamp.exe");
public void init() { winamp.winamp = this; }	init() is called on start and has to set the static pointer to this instance
public String toString() { return commandClassName; }
public Component configuration() { return (new JScrollPane( new WinAmp_configuration()) ); }
private class WinAmp_configuration extends JPanel {	a panel that manipulate seekSpeed and winampPath
public WinAmp_configuration() {	this panel is shown on a click in the command pool
...
this.add(seekSpeedSlider);
this.add(setPathPanel);
} // WinAmp_configuration()
} // WinAmp_configuration

Class ireye.irEyeCommand

public synchronized void run()