[MSH Snapin] Need help implementing Out-Clipboard Snapin Well, while playing around with new MSH beta 3 feature, MSH Snapin, I came across with /\/\o\/\/'s MSH Clipboard use workaround blog.

Since, Msh engine is created using Muti-Thread Apartment model, it's still not possible to create or use an object that requires STA. /\/\o\/\/'s solution uses in-memory compilation and dynamic object instantiation using CodeDom namespace.

Well, since we have a new Snapin feature, I have decided to create my own "out-clipboard" cmdlet.

In the topic i have mentioned that, there is some problems with the Snapin. I can't seem to get an input to be passed from pipe although I have specified "ValueFromPipeline=true" in "Parameter" attribute. Oh well, it is far from being complete, but posting about this code to ask about the problem and how I should be improving it at usenet or at forums...

So far, only sending text to clipboard works...

MSH>Out-Clipboard "Hello, World"
Begin Processing...
Processing Record...
Setting String
End Processing...
MSH>"Hello, World" | Out-Clipboard
Begin Processing...
Processing Record...
Setting MshObject
End Processing...

I have pasted "Hello, World" in the second MSH prompt through mouse and then piped the data to "out-clipboard". The first case works while the latter case doesn't as I have mentioned above...


Comment on source:
This snapin basically creates a new STA thread and send input argument to clipboard through callback.

using System;
using System.Threading;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Management.Automation;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;

namespace snapins
{
    [RunInstaller(true)]
    public class OutClipboardSnapin : System.Management.Automation.MshSnapIn
    {
        public OutClipboardSnapin() : base()
        {
        }

        public override string Name
        {
            get { return "OutClipboardSnapin"; }
        }

        public override string Vendor
        {
            get { return "DontBotherMeWithSpam"; }
        }

        public override string Description
        {
            get { return "This snapin receives piped output into Clipboard"; }
        }
    }

    [Cmdlet("Out", "Clipboard")]
    public class OutClipboardCommand : Cmdlet
    {
        private Thread t;
        private object inputData;
        /// <summary>
        /// Input data to send to clipboard
        /// </summary>
        [Parameter(Mandatory = true, Position = 0, ValueFromPipeline=true)]
        public object InputData
        {
            get { return inputData; }
            set { inputData = value; }
        }

        protected override void BeginProcessing()
        {
            t = new Thread(new ThreadStart(SetObject));
            t.SetApartmentState(ApartmentState.STA);

            WriteObject("Begin Processing...");
        }

        protected override void  ProcessRecord()
        {
            WriteObject("Processing Record...");
            WriteObject("Setting " + this.InputData.GetType().Name);
            t.Start();
        }

        protected override void EndProcessing()
        {
            t.Join();
            WriteObject("End Processing...");
        }

        private void SetObject()
        {
            if (this.InputData.GetType() == typeof(string))
            {
                Clipboard.SetText(this.InputData.ToString());
            }
            else
            {
                Clipboard.SetDataObject(this.InputData);
            }
        }
    }
}

Tags : Monad msh

  ¶ 2:22 PM