The AttachTemplate/x-script code is a simple way of calling control/object's properties, methods/events using strings. The AttachTemplate features allows you to attach a x-script code to the component. The AttachTemplate method executes x-script code ( including events ), from a string, file or a safe array of bytes. This feature allows you to run any x-script code for any configuration of the component /COM, /NET or /WPF. Exontrol owns the x-script implementation in its easiest form and it does not require any VB engine or whatever to get executed. The x-script code can be converted to several programming languages using the eXHelper tool.

The following sample opens the Windows Internet Explorer once the user clicks the control ( /COM version ):

AttachTemplate("handle Click(){ CreateObject(`internetexplorer.application`){ Visible = True; Navigate(`https://www.exontrol.com`) } } ")

This script is equivalent with the following VB code:

Private Sub ToolTip1_Click()
    With CreateObject("internetexplorer.application")
        .Visible = True
        .Navigate ("https://www.exontrol.com")
    End With
End Sub

The AttachTemplate/x-script syntax in BNF notation is defined like follows:

<x-script> := <lines>
<lines> := <line>[<eol> <lines>] | <block>
<block> := <call> [<eol>] { [<eol>] <lines> [<eol>] } [<eol>]
<eol> := ";" | "\r\n"
<line> := <dim> | <createobject> | <call> | <set> | <comment> | <handle>[<eol>]{[<eol>]<lines>[<eol>]}[<eol>]
<dim> := "DIM" <variables>
<variables> := <variable> [, <variables>]
<variable> := "ME" | <identifier>
<createobject> := "CREATEOBJECT(`"<type>"`)"
<call> := <variable> | <property> | <variable>"."<property> | <createobject>"."<property>
<property> := [<property>"."]<identifier>["("<parameters>")"]
<set> := <call> "=" <value>
<property> := <identifier> | <identifier>"("[<parameters>]")"
<parameters> := <value> [","<parameters>]
<value> := <boolean> | <number> | <color> | <date> | <string> | <createobject> | <call>
<boolean> := "TRUE" | "FALSE"
<number> := "0X"<hexa> | ["-"]<integer>["."<integer>]
<digit10> := 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
<digit16> := <digit10> | A | B | C | D | E | F
<integer> := <digit10>[<integer>]
<hexa> := <digit16>[<hexa>]
<color> := "RGB("<integer>","<integer>","<integer>")"
<date> := "#"<integer>"/"<integer>"/"<integer>" "[<integer>":"<integer>":"<integer>"]"#"
<string> := '"'<text>'"' | "`"<text>"`"
<comment> := "'"<text>
<handle> := "handle " <event>
<event> := <identifier>"("[<eparameters>]")"
<eparameters> := <eparameter> [","<eparameters>]
<parameters> := <identifier>

where:

<identifier> indicates an identifier of the variable, property, method or event, and should start with a letter.
<type> indicates the type the CreateObject function creates, as a progID for /COM version or the assembly-qualified name of the type to create for /NET or /WPF version
<text> any string of characters

The Template or x-script is composed by lines of instructions. Instructions are separated by "\n\r" ( newline characters ) or ";" character.

The advantage of the AttachTemplate relative to Template / ExecuteTemplate is that the AttachTemplate can add handlers to the control events.