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iPer 3 Plugin Specifications - Draft 1.1.
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iPer3.0.7.156 in fact already support "text effects" plugins and 
"image effects" plugins.
The purpose of a "image" plugin is to input a graphic file (gif or
jpg), to elaborate it, to output modifications in same file.
The purpose of a "text" plugin is to input text parameters (caption,
font, color, bgcolor, style, size), to elaborate it, to output 
elaboration to a graphic file (name is also given as parameter).
Parameters are passed through command-line. No OLE stuffs.



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*text*
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To install a text plugin you need to add registry keys like these:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VV\Iper\PluginText]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VV\Iper\PluginText\MyPluginText1]
"EffectName"="My plugin text 1"
"EffectPath"="c:\\tmp\\myplugin.exe"
"EffectPars"="/text"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VV\Iper\PluginText\PlugText2]
"EffectName"="Text eff 2"
"EffectPath"="c:\\windows\\myapp.exe"
"EffectPars"="/runiniperpluginmode /e2"

iPer calls the plugin exe with given parameters, plus these 
parameters:
/Icaption="Hello word!" /Ifont="Times new roman" /Isize=12
/Icolor=#aa0000 /Ibg=#ffffff /Ib=0 /Ii=0 c:\...\heretheresult.gif
(Parameters value are replaced with selected text block ones.
In the caption, an eventual "" means ". b=0 no bold, i=0 no italic)


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*image*
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To install an image plugin you need to add registry keys like these:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VV\Iper\PluginImage]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VV\Iper\PluginImage\MyPluginImg1]
"EffectName"="My plugin image 1"
"EffectPath"="c:\\tmp\\myplugin.exe"
"EffectPars"="/img"

iPer calls the plugin exe with given parameters, plus this
parameter:
c:\thepath...\theNameOfTheImage.gif


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* hints *
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A text plugin is very useful if you can select a text on
your web pages, then apply an effect, and repeat it on all
titles of the page.
If your software is (for example) tePRO.exe, you can quickly 
implement this in this way.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VV\Iper\PluginText\TextEffectPRO]
"EffectName"="Text Effect PRO effects"
"EffectPath"="c:\\windows\\tePRO.exe"
"EffectPars"="/effects"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VV\Iper\PluginText\TextEffectPROredo]
"EffectName"="Text Effect PRO repeat last effect"
"EffectPath"="c:\\windows\\tePRO.exe"
"EffectPars"="/redolasteffect"

The software tePRO.exe must memorize in some way the last effect
done for iper (for example in the same reg key, by using something
like "EffectLast").
Note this hint are also useful for images effects.
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That's all.
You can use any 156+ release of iPer to test plugins: when reg key
are found, a "magic" button will show for text and another for
images: select a text block or an image and use the button.
A sample plugin app (exe and delphi sources) are available at:
http://visualvision.com/download/plugapp.zip
It works with registry settings shown in previous paragraphs.
A real plugin app must also set the registry as above.

