DIESEL: "Programming" in AutoCAD LT

DIESEL ("Dumb Interpretively Evaluated String Expression Language") is maybe one of the mostly overlooked customization options in AutoCAD. It's not a real programming language, but more than just command-scripting, since it i.e. supports if-statements. It's sometimes called a "macro language". And the good part about it is, that it can be used in AutoCAD LT (i.e. in tool palettes, in menus, in toolbars and in fields). Of course it works in the full AutoCAD version too and in BricsCAD where applicable since BricsCAD V9.

In the AutoCAD user help file there is a whole chapter about DIESEL under the "Customization" subsection. (Regarding pdf: This link leads to the customization guide for AutoCAD 2000 as pdf. Chapter 5 is about DIESEL which, I would say, did not change so much since then. But still - compare it with the latest customization guide in the help file.)

Beyond that here are some links to websites, where I found some more information:

D-I-E-S-E-L

Using the Diesel Macro Language

DIESEL programming in AutoCAD (zip)

How to Write a DIESEL Macro

The LT Side of Things: label "DIESEL"

CADing && Coding: label "DIESEL"

CADing && Coding: Perform Loop Operations in AutoCAD LT using DIESEL

D I E S E L (a general, program independent introduction)

Auto- & BricsCAD VBA Forums

With Infos on AutoCAD AND BricsCAD:
theswamp.org: VBA Forum !should know!
One of the most famous forums. I also found a few BricsCAD related threads there. For using the search option you have to be registered, but that is IMHO well worth it.

With Special Focus On AutoCAD:
Autodesk Discussion Groups: Forum: Visual Basic Customization

AUGI: VBA Forum

AutoCAD Everything: VBA for Beginners ForumAutoCAD Everything: Advanced VBA Forum

CADchat cad forums: Autodesk Programming

CAD Forum: AutoCAD
A general AutoCAD forum that is also used for programming topics.

With Special Focus On BricsCAD:
Bricsys BricsCAD Forum
The official BricsCAD forum. All kinds of questions, also programming related.

IntelliCAD.net: Customization Forum

Auto- & BricsCAD VBA Online Tutorials

First be aware that also for VBA there is a chapter in the AutoCAD Developer Reference that you find among the help files that come with your AutoCAD installation. Secondly I want to point out that the tutorials linked here are actually written for AutoCAD. If you want to write VBA code for BricsCAD I would suggest to have a look at the material here and then adapt it to BricsCAD by means of the VBA section in the BricsCAD Developer Reference.

HyperPics: Introduction to VBA for AutoCAD
HyperPics offers a very short intro to AutoCAD VBA ("Preview copy of the Introduction to VBA eBook") along with some code expamles ("Tutorials for Preview copy of Intro to VBA eBook") which really come in a zip-file and NOT as a pdf (as claimed on their page).

Writing AutoCAD Macros with VBA
The first chapter of the book "VBA for AutoCAD 2002: Writing AutoCAD Macros"

AfraLisp.net: VB/VBA Tutorials
Very well written tutorials by Kenny Ramage & David Watson. (In case the AfraLisp.net site gets display incorrectly in FireFox 3.5 or higher then look here.)

AUGIWorld: VBA Foundations
A tutorial in VBA programming for beginners in 12 parts

Google books: AutoCAD 2006 VBA: a programmer's reference
Almost all of the book by Joe Sutphin

Autodesk: AutoCAD VBA: Integrating with Microsoft Excel

Autodesk: AutoCAD VBA: Integrating with Microsoft Access

The Future of Auto- & BricsCAD VBA

Starting with AutoCAD 2010 VBA is NOT shipped with the installation package anymore. For right now (and maybe a few years to come?) you are still able to download and install it separately into AutoCAD (see here). But on the long run that means that VBA will cease to exist in AutoCAD. For BricsCAD it is the same although they sill have it installed in their pro-version by default. They say that it will still be around for some years, but since they always try to imitate AutoCAD it is obvious where it all will lead to.

Therefore to anybody who contemplates learning VBA I would suggest not to do it. Instead I would recommend to either learn AutoLISP instead, which also has pretty good ActiveX/COM support, or else to jump onto the VB(.NET)- or the C#-train if you dare and think you are capable of it. It definitely is harder to learn but if you have the time and determination then it is not impossible - even "on your own". (For that I will offer some links in the AutoCAD .NET section.)

Nevertheless I posted some VBA tutorial links on the corresponding page for those who need it at all cost.

And for those who want to migrate their existing VBA code to VB.NET this post (JTB World) and this post (Through the Interface) might be of interest.

AutoLISP Download-Sites (lsp- and vlx-files)

NEW: 10/22/2009: DailyAutocad: Free AutoCAD Downloads, Utilities & Tools

The programs / code on the following linked websites are / is protected by copyright laws and may be subject to various other restrictions. Please pay attention to the corresponding information on each of the linked websites.

FreeCADapps.com and FreeCAD / CAD Utilities are two database-sites offering access to various free CAD-add-ons including also AutoLISPs. Cadalyst CAD Tips: Category: LISP Code Modules offers a slightly different database for AutoLISP code.

Apart from these, here are some sites offering "their own" routines:

Leonid Nemirovsky's website (ordered in categories)

The Tech Center (AutoCAD-tested) (BricsCAD-tested) (ordered in categories)

ParaCADD (ordered in categories)
In the left menu look for the 2nd entry from the top: "Free AutoLisp".

(Asmi(Tools)): Free AutoLISP programs (ordered in categories)

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JTB World: AutoLISP

HyperPics: AutoLISP / Visual LISP Downloads

CAD Corner Canada

MENZI ENGINEERING

TEE SQUARE GRAPHICS' "Free Stuff" Page

AutoLISP Exchange: AutoLISP Code

CADforum powered by XANADU: Downloads: CAD freeware

DotSoft: AutoCAD Free Tools

Tekton Construction Services
In the left menu look for the entry "AutoLISP Pages".

JefferyPSanders.com
Scroll a little bit down and look for the subheading "Programs".

Tony Tanzillo's caddzone

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ManuSoft Freebies

SimpleCAD: AutoLISP Files

Vladimir Nesterovsky's Page

A'CAD Solutions: Downloads

CADMONKEYDOTCOM: AutoCAD LISP Routine Library

AutoCAD Programming Tips and Tricks: Examples

Mark Middlebrook's free AutoLISP programs

Contract CADD Group: AutoCAD - Lisp Programs

CADToolsOnline.com: Free Downloads

DailyAutocad: Free AutoCAD Downloads, Utilities & Tools

Reini Urban's xarch AutoCAD info + tools
The site is older (from 2002) and some links are dead but some stuff there could still be useful.

LispWiki

AutoCAD (and Intellicad/Bricscad) Wiki

AutoLISP Blogs and Similar Sites

NEW: 10/28/2009: CAD Panacea (label "Lisp")

JTB World Blog (label "LISP")

HyperPics: Beyond the UI (label "AutoLISP/Visual LISP")

Autodesk University Online Classes (keyword "LISP")

AutoCAD Services & Support (page "Customization")

Daily Autocad (label "AutoLISP")

Through the Interface (label "AutoLISP / Visual LISP")

Nikolay Poleshchuk's CAD Page (page "Articles")
There are only about 4 articles on this site, that IMHO might be of actual interest to english speaking AutoLISP programmers (Effective 10/13/2009). One of these, however, seems to be really really interesting for some: "Mysteries of Autodesk's Caves" - an article "on programming access to dynamic blocks from AutoLISP".

CADing && Coding (label "AutoLISP")

CAD Panacea (label "Lisp")

AutoLISP FAQ by Reini Urban (from the year 2002)

civil3d.com (category “Programming”)

Cadalyst (page "Software Tutorials")

CADdigest (page "Tutorials / AutoLISP")