TABLE OF CONTENTS Intended for programmers new to Visual BASIC for Applications (VBA), this chapter explores how VBA relates to other programming solutions inside AutoCAD. We will present a comparison of VBA, Visual LISP, and AutoLISP for readers familiar with the AutoLISP language and associated methods of AutoCAD customization. We will also introduce the various components of the VBA programming environment and give an explanation of how to start VBA inside AutoCAD.
AutoCAD is one of the most open architecture-designed CAD/CAE/CAM systems with a large variety of programming options on the market. The base AutoCAD package (not AutoCAD LT, but regular AutoCAD) comes with five interpretive programming languages that can be used to customize the system. There are also libraries for use with other programming systems that will create new objects and interfaces with the system.
The five programming languages found inside AutoCAD are as follows:
a script file option containing AutoCAD commands that are played into AutoCAD in the order typed in the file;
a menu programming system that allows users to select commands with optional user input.
a menu statement language containing variables and elementary logic called DIESEL.
a complete language system based on the LISP language;
a complete language system that is an implementation of the BASIC language.
All of these programming options are provided with the standard AutoCAD package. They are not all provided with AutoCAD LT only scripts, menus, and DIESEL can be found in that environment.
The LISP-based language called AutoLISP (and Visual LISP) allows...
