DLL FMXInno: Hidden Features Revealed

[BLACKFIRE69]

1) Today, I unlock the feature 'Runtime Scripts' for FMXInno for general use.

So, what are 'Runtime Scripts'? They are scripts that run at runtime without needing to be compiled at compile-time. This means that once you compile your Setup, you don't need to recompile it to apply changes made in 'Runtime Scripts'.

Enough explanations, let's dive into a simple example:

Here, I use the file extension '.fxs' for Runtime Scripts, but you can use whatever you want: '.pas', '.iss', '.txt', etc.

   Test_1.fxs
-------------------------------------------
program Test1CreateRect;   // This line is optional, so you can get rid of it.

var ARect: FRectangle;

procedure CleanUpRect;
begin
  ARect := nil;
end; 

begin
  ARect := InitRectangleHandle;
  ARect.FCreate(FMXFormHandle);
  ARect.SetBounds(200, 90, 250, 250);
  ARect.FillColor(ALRed);

  AExternalObj := ARect.Handle;
end.

   Example.iss
-------------------------------------------
var
  ARuntimeScript: FRuntimeScript;
  FirstRun: Boolean;
  AExternalObj: TFMXObject;
 
procedure ABtnOnClick(Sender: TObject);
begin
  if not FirstRun then    
  begin
      // Get the handle of the external object that was created with the external script.
    AExternalObj := ARuntimeScript.GetRegisteredLongIntVar('AExternalObj');
      // Call for cleanup.
    ARuntimeScript.CallProcFromScriptNoVar('CleanUpRect');
      // Remove the external object from FMXForm as well.
    FMXForm.RemoveObject(AExternalObj);
  end;

  ARuntimeScript.CompileAndRun;
  FirstRun := False;
end;

procedure InitializeWizard();
begin
  {FMX Form}
  FMXForm.FCreateFluent(WizardForm.Handle, False, False, 0.96, 0);

  {ABtn}
  ABtn.FCreate(FMXForm.Handle);
  ABtn.Text('&Run');
  ABtn.OnClick(@ABtnOnClick);

  {ARuntimeScript}
  ARuntimeScript.FCreate(ExpandConstant('{src}\_Scripts\Test_1.fxs'));
  ARuntimeScript.RegisterLongIntConst('FMXFormHandle', FMXForm.Handle);
  ARuntimeScript.RegisterLongIntVar('AExternalObj', 0); 
end;

1. This example will create a Rectangle (ARect1: FRectangle) at runtime, while the Setup is running.
2. While the Setup is running, make some changes to the Runtime Script and smash the 'Run' button to see the changes.

ARect.FillColor(ALGreen);  // ARect.FillColor(ALRed);

​

3. Try creating a similar object (ARect2) by following the 'ARect1' code. Once you save the file, click the 'Run' button.

var ARect, ARect2: FRectangle; 
 
begin
  ARect := InitRectangleHandle;
  ARect.FCreate(FMXFormHandle);
  ARect.SetBounds(80, 90, 200, 200);
  ARect.FillColor(ALRed);
 
  ARect2 := InitRectangleHandle;
  ARect2.FCreate(FMXFormHandle);
  ARect2.SetBounds(360, 90, 200, 200);
  ARect2.FillColor(ALBlue);
  ...
end .

* FMXInno has supported runtime scripts for quite a while with 'Lua'. Some may not be familiar with 'Lua', so i didn't promote it. On the other hand, 'FRuntimeScript' is Pascal, so everyone who uses InnoSetup can use this without any doubt.


[*] Built-In Features / Functions / Constants / Variables:

1. 'Runtime Scripts' has built-in support for FMXInno classes, so you can use them inside 'Runtime Scripts'.​

-- Currently, it only supports the 'FMX_Standard', 'FMX_Shapes', 'FMX_Additional', 'FMX_Layouts', and 'FMX_Effects' classes. because i'm too lazy to add all the classes at the moment. but in the future.​

2. 'Runtime Scripts' are not literally InnoSetup, so functions like "ExpandConstant" and "ExtractTemporaryFile" used in InnoSetup can't be used in runtime scripts.​

-- However, I've added some extra useful functions by default from 'System.SysUtils', 'System.Math', 'Winapi.Windows', etc., and you'll find them in the 'BuiltIn Features.txt' file.​

3. Added default variable 'Application: TApplication', so you can now use 'Application.ProcessMessages;' inside the runtime scripts.​

[*] Register Custom Types:

 Example.iss
-------------------------------------------
  ARuntimeScript.RegisterType('TDummyRec', 'record' +#13#10+
                                            ' PosX: Integer;' +#13#10+
                                            ' PosY: Integer;' +#13#10+
                                            'end;');

  ARuntimeScript.RegisterType('TsNum', 'Single');
 
 Test_1.fxs
------------------------------------------- 
var
  Shipping Fees: TsNum;
  ADummyRec: TDummyRec;

[*] Load External Libraries (DLLs):

You can call external DLLs inside runtime scripts in three different ways,

-- Supported flags: 'stdcall' , 'cdecl' , and 'delayload' .

1. System Libs:​

 Test_1.fxs
-------------------------------------------
function KillTimer(handle: HWND; TimerId: LongWord): boolean;
  external 'KillTimer@user32.dll stdcall';

2. Libs from custom path:​

 Test_1.fxs
-------------------------------------------
procedure MyDllFunc(hWnd: Integer);
  external 'MyDllFunc@"C:\Test\Libs\MyDll.dll" stdcall';

3. I've added three special constants to runtime scripts, but you need to define them manually first.​

a. 'Src':​

 Example.iss
-------------------------------------------
ARuntimeScript.RegisterSpecialSrcConst(ExpandConstant('{src}'));


 Test_1.fxs
-------------------------------------------
procedure MyDllFunc(hWnd: Integer);
  external 'MyDllFunc@"{src}\MyDll.dll" stdcall';

b. 'App':​

 Example.iss
-------------------------------------------
ARuntimeScript.RegisterSpecialAppConst(ExpandConstant('{src}\_ExtrnlDll'));


 Test_1.fxs
-------------------------------------------
procedure MyDllFunc(hWnd: Integer);
  external 'MyDllFunc@"{app}\MyDll.dll" stdcall';

c. 'Tmp':​

 Example.iss
-------------------------------------------
ARuntimeScript.RegisterSpecialAppConst(ExpandConstant('{src}\_ExtrnlDll'));


 Test_1.fxs
-------------------------------------------
procedure MyDllFunc(hWnd: Integer);
  external 'MyDllFunc@"{tmp}\MyDll.dll" stdcall';

d. You can also use 'files:' to define the path.​

 Test_1.fxs
-------------------------------------------
procedure MyDllFunc(hWnd: Integer);
  external 'MyDllFunc@"files:MyDll.dll" stdcall';

• In runtime scripts, 'files:' is equal to 'Tmp'.
• It doesn't extract the Lib to the 'Tmp' directory as InnoSetup does.

e. Added built-in support for 'CreateCallback' function.​

 Test_1.fxs
-------------------------------------------
  SetTimer(0, 0, 250, CreateCallback(@TimerProc1));

[*] Call a function/procedure declared in Runtime Scripts through InnoSetup:

There are two ways to call a function/procedure declared in Runtime Scripts via InnoSetup.

1. Without Parameters:​

 Test_1.fxs
-------------------------------------------
procedure SayHi;
begin
  ShowMessage('Hi, I am from the Runtime Script!');
end; 

 Example.iss
-------------------------------------------
  ARuntimeScript.CallProcFromScriptNoVar('SayHi');

2. With Parameters:​

-- Here you have to use FNewArray for Parameters.​

 Test_1.fxs
-------------------------------------------
procedure CalAddition(const x, y: Integer);
begin
  MyMathResult := x + y; 
end;

 Example.iss
-------------------------------------------
var
  AParams: FNewArray;
 
  {AParams}
  AParams.FCreate;
  AParams.AddInteger(32);
  AParams.AddInteger(37);
  ARuntimeScript.CallProcFromScript('CalAddition', AParams);

[*] Register InnoSetup's function/procedure and use them in Runtime Script:

You can register functions/procedures for Runtime Scripts that have been declared in the InnoSetup (.iss).
1. At the moment, it doesn't accept any parameters.
2. You have to use the Callback function.

 Example.iss
-------------------------------------------
type
  TDummyFunc2 = function: Integer;

function XWrapNoVarFuncNew(Callback: TDummyFunc2): Longword;
  external 'XWrapNoVar@files:FMXInno.dll stdcall delayload';

function GetValueFromInnoSetup: Integer;
begin
  Result := 69;
end;

procedure InnoMsgProc;
var
  LNum: Longint;
begin
  MsgBox('Hi', mbInformation, MB_OK);
end;

ARuntimeScript.RegisterProcNoVar(XWrapNoVarProc(@InnoMsgProc), 'procedure InnoMsgProc;');
ARuntimeScript.RegisterProcNoVar(XWrapNoVarFuncNew(@GetValueFromInnoSetup), 'function GetValueFromInnoSetup: Integer;');

 Test_1.fxs
-------------------------------------------
program Test7RegisterProc;

var
  LuckyNum: Integer;

procedure DoIt;
begin
  InnoMsgProc();
end; 

begin
  LuckyNum := GetValueFromInnoSetup();
  DoIt;
end.

[*] PreProcessor and Include Files:

Runtime scripts support preprocessors and include files.

 Test_1.fxs
-------------------------------------------
program Test10aIncludeFiles; // This line is optional, so you can get rid of it.

{$DEFINE WHO_ARE_YOU}

{$I ".\_Scripts\Test_10b.fxs"}

var
  S: String;

begin
{$IFDEF WHO_ARE_YOU}
  S := 'Mr. BLACKFIRE';
{$ELSE}
  S := 'Mr/Ms/Mrs. Nobody';
{$ENDIF}

  SayHi(S);
end.

[*] Syntax Highlighting in the Text Editor:

Open the '.fxs' file in your favorite text editor or IDE and select the file syntax as 'Pascal'. Now you're good to go.