ActiveX/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 the ExternalAPI like in VideoLAN for Delphi.

See also

ActiveX/HTML