ActiveX/Delphi

See also: Using libvlc with Delphi

This page describes how to use the ActiveX control with Delphi.

Other "how to" pages

Getting started

What you need

• Borland Delphi 3 or newer
• a running System with Microsoft Windows
• The VideoLan Client (VLC) including the ActiveX Plugin installed

Import the ActiveX-Component

• Start your Borland Delphi
• < Delphi2005: Select Components --> Import ActiveX --> VideoLan VLC ActiveX Plugin
• >= Delphi 2006: Select Components --> Import component --> Import ActiveX Control --> VideoLan VLC ActiveX Plugin
• Otherwise try creating a new package using the created AXVLC_TLB.pas

Confirm successfull installation

• You should now be able to add the TVLCPlugin from the ActiveX-Tab of your Component toolbox.

Usage Development-Time

The VLC-Player Object TVLCPlugin can be found in your ActiveX-Components Tabsheet. Place one of it in your Form1, place a TButton and use the following code:

 unit Unit1;
 
 interface
 
 uses
   Windows, Variants, Forms, Classes, Controls, StdCtrls, OleCtrls,
   AXVLC_TLB;
 
 type
   TForm1 = class(TForm)
     VLCPlugin1: TVLCPlugin;
     Button1: TButton;
     procedure Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
   private
     { Private-Deklarationen }
   public
     { Public-Deklarationen }
   end;
 
 type
   VLCPlaylistMode = TOleEnum;
 
 const
   VLCPlayListInsert      = $00000001;
   VLCPlayListReplace     = $00000002;
   VLCPlayListAppend      = $00000004;
   VLCPlayListGo          = $00000008;
   VLCPlayListCheckInsert = $00000010;
 
 var
   Form1: TForm1;
 
 implementation
 
 {$R *.dfm}
 
 procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
 begin
   VLCPlugin1.addTarget('C:\video.mpg', null, VLCPlayListInsert, 0);
   // you can use any MRL with parameters instead of 'c:\video.mpg' here
   VLCPlugin1.play;
 end;
 
 end.

Usage Runtime

If you're planning to use the VLC-Player in your application but don't know when and where, use this code to create the component on-demand.

 unit Unit1;
 
 interface
 
 uses
   Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Variants, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms, OleCtrls,
   AXVLC_TLB, StdCtrls, Registry, Dialogs;
 
 type
   TForm1 = class(TForm)
     Button1: TButton;
     Button2: TButton;
     procedure Button2Click(Sender: TObject);
     procedure Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
   private
     { Private-Deklarationen }
   public
     { Public-Deklarationen }
   end;
 
 var
   Form1: TForm1;
   VLCPlugin1: TVLCPlugin;
   blVLCPluginFound: boolean;
 
 type
   VLCPlaylistMode = TOleEnum;
 
 const
   VLCPlayListInsert      = $00000001;
   VLCPlayListReplace     = $00000002;
   VLCPlayListAppend      = $00000004;
   VLCPlayListGo          = $00000008;
   VLCPlayListCheckInsert = $00000010;
 
 implementation
 
 {$R *.dfm}
 
 procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
 var
   Reg: TRegistry;
 begin
   blVLCPluginFound := false;
 
   // Is VLC ActiveX Plugin installed on this PC?
   Reg := TRegistry.Create;
   try
     Reg.RootKey := HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE;
     if Reg.OpenKeyReadOnly('\Software\Classes\VideoLAN.VLCPlugin.1\') then begin
         blVLCPluginFound := true;
     end;
   finally
     FreeAndNil(Reg);
   end;
 
   if blVLCPluginFound then begin
     VLCPlugin1 := TVLCPlugin.Create(Self);
     VLCPlugin1.Parent := Self; // Means: Place the VLC-Player into Form1
     VLCPlugin1.Width  := 400;
     VLCPlugin1.Height := 300;
     VLCPlugin1.Top  := 50;
     VLCPlugin1.Left := 50;
     VLCPlugin1.Show;
     VLCPlugin1.addTarget('C:\video.mpg', null, VLCPlayListInsert, 0);
     // you can use any MRL with parameters instead of 'c:\video.mpg' here
     VLCPlugin1.play;
   end else begin
     ShowMessage('I am really sorry, but VLC (or its ActiveX Plugin) is currently not installed on this PC!');
   end;
 end;
 
 procedure TForm1.Button2Click(Sender: TObject);
 begin
   if blVLCPluginFound then begin
     VLCPlugin1.stop;
     FreeAndNil(VLCPlugin1);
   end;
 end;
 
 end.

Alternative way to bring VLC to your Delphi Application

Much easier way to bring VLC to your Delphi Application is to paste a TWebbrowser Object in your Form, is generate Code for the HTML and m3u file and let the Webbrowser load the HTML-file. For detailed information have a look at ActiveX/HTML.

You can also use LibVLC like in VideoLAN for Delphi.

See also

ActiveX/HTML