Understanding Syntax

In This Topic

Every keyword Help topic includes a syntax line that defines the syntax rules for that keyword. Following are some guidelines for understanding and using correct command syntax in your Visual Basic macros:

Keywords and arguments are not case sensitive. You can use uppercase or lowercase text.
Use square brackets ([ ]) to indicate that an argument is optional.
Use items shown in command language (that is, plain text — not italic) exactly as they appear in the syntax statement.
Italic words indicate placeholders for variable names, text, or values that you should supply.
Use arguments (except for named arguments) in the order shown in the syntax statement.
Enclose literal string arguments in quotation marks. (String variables don't require quotation marks.)
For strings that appear within other strings, use double quotation marks; for example:
ThisScreen.SomeMethod ("Say ""Hello"" to Jon")
Precede Reflection methods or properties with the Reflection object and a period. Or, use a With statement to identify the object.

The method and property signatures displayed in the Reflection VBA reference section typically refer to an object. For example:

object.GetText

The syntax you use to reference the object in this signature depends on whether you are calling the method from a Reflection macro, a session created at runtime, or a macro developed in another application, like Excel.

Let's take a look at how to use the syntax displayed in the Help for the GetText method.

IBM
Open Systems

The Reflection VBA Help displays the following syntax for the GetText method:

We can see at the top of the Help that this method is a member of the IbmScreen object so this is the type of object in the signature (displayed as object.GetText under Syntax).

It's a good idea to verify this membership by looking at the member list for the object.

If you are developing a macro for this session, you can use the ThisIbmScreen property to get this object.

The syntax for using GetText in a session	Copy Code
'You can reference this object directly Debug.Print ThisIbmScreen.GetText(1, 1, 50) 'You can also reference it using a With statement With ThisIbmScreen .GetText(1,1,50) End With

If you are developing a macro for a session that you create at runtime or a macro created from another application like Excel, you'll need to do a little more work to get the screen object before you call GetText.

The syntax for using GetText in a session created at runtime	Copy Code
Private Sub CreateReflectionIBMSession() Dim app As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Framework.ApplicationObject 'Declare frame, terminal, and view object variables: Dim frame As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects.frame Dim terminal As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Emulation_IbmHosts.IbmTerminal Dim view As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects.view Dim screen As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Emulation_IbmHosts.IbmScreen 'Create New instance of Reflection Set app = New Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Framework.ApplicationObject With app 'Wait until the Reflection is initalized Do While .IsInitialized = False .Wait 200 Loop 'Get a handle to the frame Set frame = .GetObject("Frame") 'Make the frame visible so we can view the workspace frame.Visible = True End With 'Create an Ibm3270 control and set the host address Set terminal = app.CreateControl2("{09E5A1B4-0BA6-4546-A27D-FE4762B7ACE1}") terminal.HostAddress = "demo:ibm3270.sim" Set view = frame.CreateView(terminal) 'Get the IbmScreen object Set screen = terminal.screen Debug.Print screen.GetText(1, 1, 50) '......... End Sub

The syntax for using GetText in a session created at runtime

Copy Code

Private Sub CreateReflectionIBMSession()
  Dim app As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Framework.ApplicationObject
  
  'Declare frame, terminal, and view object variables:
  Dim frame As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects.frame
  Dim terminal As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Emulation_IbmHosts.IbmTerminal
  Dim view As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects.view
  Dim screen As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Emulation_IbmHosts.IbmScreen
      
  'Create New instance of Reflection
  Set app = New Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Framework.ApplicationObject
  
  With app
    'Wait until the Reflection is initalized
     Do While .IsInitialized = False
       .Wait 200
     Loop
      
     'Get a handle to the frame
     Set frame = .GetObject("Frame")
      
     'Make the frame visible so we can view the workspace
     frame.Visible = True
  End With
                        
  'Create an Ibm3270 control and set the host address
  Set terminal = app.CreateControl2("{09E5A1B4-0BA6-4546-A27D-FE4762B7ACE1}")
  terminal.HostAddress = "demo:ibm3270.sim"
  Set view = frame.CreateView(terminal)
  'Get the IbmScreen object
  Set screen = terminal.screen
  Debug.Print screen.GetText(1, 1, 50)
  '.........

End Sub

The Reflection VBA Help displays the following syntax for the GetText method:

We can see at the top of the Help that this method is a member of the Screen object so this is the type of object in the signature (displayed as object.GetText under Syntax).

Note: It's a good idea to verify this membership by looking at the member list for the object.

If you are developing a macro for this session, you can use the ThisScreen property to get this object.

The syntax for using GetText in a session	Copy Code
'You can reference this object directly Debug.Print ThisScreen.GetText(1, 1, 50) 'You can also reference it using a With statement With ThisScreen .GetText(1,1,50) End With

The syntax for using GetText in a session created at runtime	Copy Code
Private Sub CreateReflectionOSSession() Dim app As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Framework.ApplicationObject 'Declare frame, terminal, and view object variables: Dim frame As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects.frame Dim terminal As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Emulation_OpenSystems.terminal Dim view As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects.view Dim screen As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Emulation_OpenSystems.screen 'Create New instance of Reflection Set app = New Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Framework.ApplicationObject With app 'Wait until Reflection is initalized Do While .IsInitialized = False .Wait 200 Loop 'Get a handle to the frame Set frame = .GetObject("Frame") 'Make the frame visible so we can view the workspace frame.Visible = True End With 'Create an Open Systems control and set the host address Set terminal = app.CreateControl2("{BE835A80-CAB2-40d2-AFC0-6848E486BF58}") terminal.ConnectionSettingsTelnet.HostAddress = "yourHostName" Set view = frame.CreateView(terminal) 'Get the IbmScreen object Set screen = terminal.screen Debug.Print screen.GetText(1, 1, 50) '......... End Sub

The syntax for using GetText in a session created at runtime

Copy Code

 Private Sub CreateReflectionOSSession()
    Dim app As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Framework.ApplicationObject
   
    'Declare frame, terminal, and view object variables:
    Dim frame As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects.frame
    Dim terminal As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Emulation_OpenSystems.terminal
    Dim view As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects.view
    Dim screen As Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Emulation_OpenSystems.screen
     
    'Create New instance of Reflection
    Set app = New Attachmate_Reflection_Objects_Framework.ApplicationObject
 
    With app
         'Wait until Reflection is initalized
         Do While .IsInitialized = False
             .Wait 200
         Loop
     
         'Get a handle to the frame
         Set frame = .GetObject("Frame")
     
         'Make the frame visible so we can view the workspace
         frame.Visible = True
     
     End With
                       
     'Create an Open Systems control and set the host address
     Set terminal = app.CreateControl2("{BE835A80-CAB2-40d2-AFC0-6848E486BF58}")
     terminal.ConnectionSettingsTelnet.HostAddress = "yourHostName"
     Set view = frame.CreateView(terminal)
     'Get the IbmScreen object
     Set screen = terminal.screen
     Debug.Print screen.GetText(1, 1, 50)
     '.........
End Sub