v0.8.0 — VBScript scripting host (run existing SolidWorks/Office VBA macros via .vbs)

Implements FR_vbscript_scripting_host.md. Adds a second script engine to run-script so .vbs files run against the same plugin globals (swApp/swDoc/xlApp/etc.) the Roslyn .csx host exposes. Same --session attach, same output capture, same exit-code mapping.

Why

SolidWorks's entire automation ecosystem is VBA. Forcing C# rewrites blocks every forum macro, every recorded macro, every shop's library from joining the combridge ecosystem. VBScript late binding also sidesteps the entire out/ref PIA quirk family the personal_rag documents — for SW automation specifically, VBScript is MORE robust than typed C# interop, not less.

Use it

' my_macro.vbs — no GetObject, no CreateObject. combridge already attached.
WScript.Echo "SolidWorks version: " & swApp.RevisionNumber
If swDoc Is Nothing Then WScript.Echo "no doc": WScript.Quit 0
WScript.Echo "Active doc: " & swDoc.GetTitle

combridge solidworks run-script my_macro.vbs -
combridge solidworks --session pid:18472 run-script my_macro.vbs -

Extension dispatch

Extension	Engine
.csx	Roslyn C# (existing, unchanged)
.vbs	New IActiveScript-hosted VBScript
.vba / .bas / .swp	Rejected with conversion-path hint (VBA ≠ VBScript)

Exit codes (parallel to .csx)

Code	Meaning
0	success (or WScript.Quit 0)
2	script not found
3	parse error
4	runtime error (Err.Raise, division by zero, COM exception)
5	host failure (e.g. VBScript removed from this Windows)
any other	value from WScript.Quit(N)

Implementation highlights

• Raw IActiveScript + IActiveScriptParse64 (FR Option B). No msscript.ocx dependency; 64-bit clean.
• Reflection-based globals injection. The host site enumerates the plugin's globals object's public properties and registers each as a named script item. Works equally for SwGlobals, ExcelGlobals, WdGlobals, etc.
• Honest skip lists. Value-type properties (boxed primitives/enums) and null reference properties can't go through IActiveScriptSite::GetItemInfo as IUnknown — both are skipped with a host-side warning above script output so authors aren't mystified.
• Phase detection via OnEnterScript (not OnStateChange(CONNECTED), which fires too late — caught and fixed via live division-by-zero test).
• WScript.Echo / WScript.Quit shim for cscript-compat. WScript.Arguments deliberately deferred to keep v0.8.0 scoped (use ScriptArgs like .csx).

VBScript deprecation — honest disclosure

Microsoft formally deprecated VBScript in 2024 with planned removal from a future Windows release. This host depends on the in-box vbscript.dll. When Microsoft removes it, CoCreateInstance will return REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG and this command will exit 5 with a hint pointing at .csx. Building on a deprecated runtime is the right call here (the existing VBA corpus is too valuable to leave unintegrated while we still can), but consumers should know they're investing in a runtime with a known sunset.

Future engines

ActiveScriptInterop.cs declares CLSIDs for both VBScript and JScript. Adding a JScript host is a one-line extension dispatcher + CLSID swap. PowerShell would be a different hosting story (Runspace, not IActiveScript) — future FR.

See CHANGELOG.md v0.8.0 entry for full implementation detail.