Softimage SDK Programmer's Guide > Customizing Softimage using the SDK > Custom Commands >

# Calling C++ Custom Commands from Scripting

When a C++ custom command returns an array, the value received by the caller depends on the scripting language, and whether a CValueArray or a CRefArray is returned. For example, if a command returns a CValueArray, then a JScript caller gets a safe array, but if a command returns a CRefArray, then a JScript caller gets an XSICollection.

Language | CRefArray | CValueArray
--- | --- | ---
VBScript | XSICollection | XSICollection
JScript | XSICollection | safe array
Python | XSICollection instance | tuple

## JScript Example: Calling a C++ command that returns an array

    //
    // GetValueArray() is a C++ custom command that returns a CValueArray
    //

    var aSafeArray = GetValueArray();

    var aVBArray = new VBArray( aSafeArray );
    logmessage( typeof( aVBArray ) );
    logmessage( aVBArray.dimensions() );

    // Access the VBArray directly
    for (var i=0; i <= aVBArray.ubound(1); i++)
    {
    	Application.LogMessage( aVBArray.getItem(i).fullname );
    }

    // Convert the VBArray to a JScript array
    var aJSarray = aVBArray.toArray();
    for (e=new Enumerator(aJSarray);!e.atEnd();e.moveNext())
    {
    	var o = e.item();
    	logmessage( o.fullname );
    }

    //
    // GetRefArray() is a C++ custom command that returns a CRefArray
    //

    var objects = GetRefArray();
    logmessage( objects.type );	//INFO : XSICollection
    for (e=new Enumerator(objects);!e.atEnd();e.moveNext())
    {
    	var o = e.item();
    	Application.LogMessage( o.fullname );
    }

## Python Example: Calling a C++ command that returns an array

    #
    # GetValueArray is a C++ custom command that returns a CValueArray
    #

    objects = Application.GetValueArray()

    Application.Logmessage( unicode(type(objects)) )#INFO : <type 'tuple'>

    for o in objects:
    	Application.LogMessage( o.name )
    	Application.Logmessage( unicode(type(o)) )#INFO : <type 'instance'>
    	Application.LogMessage( Application.classname(o) )

    #
    # GetRefArray is a C++ custom command that returns a CRefArray
    #

    objects = Application.GetRefArray()
    Application.Logmessage( unicode(type(objects)) )#INFO : <type 'instance'>
    Application.Logmessage( objects.type )# XSICollection

    for o in objects:
    	Application.LogMessage(o.name)

    for i in range(objects.Count):
    	Application.LogMessage(objects(i).FullName)

## VBScript Example: Calling a C++ command that returns an array

    '
    ' GetValueArray() returns a CValueArray
    '
    set objects = GetValueArray()

    logmessage( typename( objects ) )'INFO : Object
    logmessage( objects.type )'INFO : XSICollection

    for each o in objects
    	logmessage o.name
    next
    '
    ' GetRefArray() returns a CRefArray
    '
    set objects = GetRefArray()
    logmessage typename( objects )'INFO : Object
    logmessage( objects.type )'INFO : XSICollection
    for each o in objects
    	logmessage o.name
    next