FormCast

A .NET GUI framework for TCC batch scripts.

FormCast is a .NET plugin for Take Command Console (TCC) v36+ that turns BTM batch scripts into full Windows applications. Build native GUI forms, handle events, manage layouts, and ship script-driven tools that run like real desktop apps -- all from TCC.

Think of FormCast as a UI layer for TCC scripts.

Why

TCC scripts are powerful, but historically limited to console interaction. FormCast extends TCC with a structured UI layer so you can:

• add a structured UI layer on top of existing TCC workflows
• build interactive tools with validated input instead of manual prompts
• create script-driven utilities that behave like real desktop applications
• provide users with clear, guided interfaces instead of command syntax
• visualize progress, status, and results in real time
• package and run scripts in standalone app mode with no visible console

Example

A minimal form that captures input and exits:

call formcast-check.btm load

set h=%@formopen[form,hello,0,0,280,160]

set RC=%@formadd[%h,lbl1,label,20,18,100,20,Name:]
set RC=%@formadd[%h,name,edit,110,16,140,22,]
set RC=%@formadd[%h,ok,button,100,60,80,28,OK]

set RC=%@formset[%h,.,acceptbutton,ok]
set RC=%@formshow[%h,modal]

set name=%@formget[%h,name,text]
set RC=%@formclose[%h]

plugin /u FormCast

echo Hello, %name

Screenshots

Every image below was generated headlessly by FormCast itself via @FORMSAVEIMAGE and @FORMSAVECOMPOSITE. The capture script lives at examples/screenshots/capture-readme-images.btm and runs in unattended mode -- no window flashes in front of a user during the build.

Control showcase -- light theme (00-everything.btm)	Same form with dark theme
Hello world dialog (01-hello.btm)	Progress bar (03-progress.btm)
Navigable file picker (04-file-picker.btm)	Settings form (05-settings.btm)
Multiline MEMO (08-memo-notepad.btm)	dir /b | FORMPIPE into a MEMO (11-pipe-output.btm)
RICHMEMO log viewer (12-log-viewer.btm)	IDE layout (13-ide-layout.btm)
Tabs + GroupBox + ComboBox (14-tabbed-settings.btm)	Full app: menu + toolbar + editor + status bar (15-app-window.btm)
Visual designer: Toolbox + Canvas + Properties via @FORMSAVECOMPOSITE (formcast-visual-designer.btm)	Canvas with resize handles and snap-to-grid

What's in v1

Core UI

• 39 control types + 6 common dialogs: every WinForms control you need for app-like windows, including TOGGLE (on/off switch), MENUSTRIP, TOOLBAR, STATUSBAR, CONTEXTMENU, SEPARATOR, TABCONTROL, DATAGRID, TREEVIEW, SPLITCONTAINER, FLOWPANEL, TABLEPANEL, WEBBROWSER, and more
• Four layout managers: absolute, flow, grid, dock
• Nested PANELs with their own layout
• 216 stock icons across 16 categories, applied via stockicon prop; FORMICONS command for enumeration

Interaction

• FORMEVENTS polling pattern (recommended) for event-driven scripts via do ev in /p formevents
• @FORMBIND-style declarative event binding with click, change, focus, blur, dblclick, keypress, and close events
• on condition-driven polling via the events_pending bit
• Modal @FORMSHOW[h, modal] with optional WinForms.Timer auto-dismiss
• Keyboard shortcuts: acceptbutton/cancelbutton wire Enter/Escape to named buttons
• Live property updates: text, value, min, max, checked, position, size, splitterdistance update realized controls immediately

Data & Integration

• FORMPIPE streaming command to pipe command output into a MEMO or RICHMEMO control (dir /b | FORMPIPE %h memo)
• JSONC templates with ${var} substitution at load time
• Appearance system: backcolor, forecolor, font props on any control; theme (system/dark/light) with live switching and DWM dark title bar; anchor for resize behavior

Application Features

• Standalone app mode: myapp.btm /app hides the TCC console via @FORMCONSOLE[hide] -- the user sees only the FormCast window with a custom taskbar icon and title. Desktop shortcut support with zero-flash launch via start /inv

Advanced

• Three-window visual designer with Toolbox, Canvas (8-point resize handles, snap-to-grid, type labels), and Properties (PropertyGrid with live editing + Document Outline). Multi-select with Ctrl+Click for align, distribute, and size operations. Undo/redo, cut/copy/paste, context menus, and keyboard shortcuts. See examples/designer/formcast-visual-designer.btm
• FormCast.Host.exe scaffolding for cross-process global handles (the IRemoteFormRegistry decorator that uses it ships in v1.x)
• Forced shutdown contract: plugin /u FormCast cleans up every realized window before returning, so a misbehaving form can never outlive the plugin

Standalone App Mode

Run a BTM as a full desktop application with no visible console:

myapp.btm /app

The TCC console is hidden. The user sees only the FormCast window, with a custom taskbar icon and title. See Install below for the desktop shortcut recipe that launches /app mode with zero flash.

Quickstart

See docs/Quickstart.md. Then:

Topic	Read
Common questions by category	FAQ
Every @FORM* function and command	Function Reference
Step-by-step examples	Tutorial
JSONC template format	Template Reference
Visual designer	Designer Guide
How the plugin is wired	Architecture
Glossary of every term	Glossary

Requirements

To build:

• .NET Framework 4.8 runtime
• .NET SDK (or Visual Studio 2022+) with the .NET Framework 4.8 targeting pack

To run:

• Take Command / TCC v36 or later
• Windows 10 or later, x64. ARM64 works via x64 emulation.

Build

From the repo root:

dotnet build FormCast.sln -c Release

Output:

• src\FormCast\bin\Release\net48\FormCast.dll -- the plugin
• src\FormCast.Host\bin\Release\net48\FormCast.Host.exe -- the cross-process daemon (optional, used only by Global\ forms)

Install

1. Download the latest FormCast release zip from the releases page and extract it.
2. Copy the entire bin/ directory to a permanent location (e.g. C:\FormCast\bin\). All dependency DLLs must stay alongside FormCast.dll.
3. Set the FORMCAST_DLL environment variable:

set FORMCAST_DLL=C:\FormCast\bin\FormCast.dll

4. Load the plugin:

plugin /l %FORMCAST_DLL

@FORMVERSION returns the loaded version. To unload:

plugin /u FormCast

Desktop shortcut (zero-flash launch for /app mode):

Field	Value
Target	"C:\path\to\tcc.exe" /c start /inv /pgm "C:\path\to\tcc.exe" /c "C:\path\to\myapp.btm" /app
Start in	Directory containing the BTM
Run	Minimized

The FORMCAST_DLL variable is used by the /app standalone mode and the shared formcast-check.btm helper so BTM scripts can find the plugin without hardcoded paths.

License

MIT -- Copyright (c) 2026 Tim Butterfield

Acknowledgements

• JP Software for Take Command, TCC, and the v36 .NET plugin host (TC-DotNetPluginHost64.dll).
• The published TakeCommand.Plugin SDK header that documents the ITCCPlugin contract this plugin implements.