Basic help for dummies, Please!

Basic help for dummies, Please!

• NZ_KarlB

  Hi Rick
  
  I posted a reply on the other thread last night that should have helped you.
  Here is the main bit:
  

  First of all add this to your start up code:
  
  SerialPort1.Encoding = System.Text.Encoding.Default
  
  otherwise if you happen to send charcter above 127 ($7f) they will show up as
  (spend a few days on this little chestnut)
  
  This is yor serial port routine:
  
  Try    'In case you can't open the port
                      SerialPort1.Open()
                      SerialPort1.Write(Message_out + Chr(13)) 'may want to fix to ("H1"+ Chr(13)) 
                      SerialPort1.Close()

                 Catch ex As Exception
                      MessageBox.Show( ex.Message) 'show error if any iei port already used
                  End Try
  

  
  

• G E E K

  Thanks to you both, Mick & samperiau, for trying to help me,
  but I feel like I've been dumped into a foreign country, and don't speak a word of their language.
  
  I did call my subroutine snippet from the help example within the method body as you suggested, and here it is:
  
  

  Public Class Form1

  Sub SendSerialData(ByVal data As String)

  ' Send strings to a serial port.

  Using com2 As IO.Ports.SerialPort = _

  My.Computer.Ports.OpenSerialPort("com2", 4800, IO.Ports.Parity.None)

  com2.WriteLine("H1" & vbCr)

  End Using

  End Sub

  End Class
  
  It shows no errors at the bottom of the screen(and I think that means the syntax is OK), but when I run it, nothing happens.  (No H1cr to com2)  I've also tried samperiau's suggestions of adding:
   
  SerialPort1.Encoding = System.Text.Encoding.Default
  or
  SerialPort1.Open()
                      SerialPort1.Write(H1 + Chr(13))
                      SerialPort1.Close() 
  
  But the syntax seems to be wrong for VB Express as I get a bunch of errors, most telling me the statements "SerialPort1" are not declared.
  
  The statement in my code:
  

  My.Computer.Ports.OpenSerialPort("com2", 4800, IO.Ports.Parity.None)

  I added the stuff between the parenthesis by clicking on a little pulldown menu that appeared when I cross the pointer over the first part of the statement.  Probably all wrong, but you have to get the baud rate, etc., in there somewhere.
  
  In my other line of code:
  
  com2.WriteLine("H1" & vbCr)
  
  Again, I'm not sure of the right syntax.  In Basic code, I'd just say: H1$="H1"+CHR$13, then use H1$ in the parenthesis.
  
  I agree, there's not much help out there on using the comports.  And anything I do find, assumes that I know a whole lot more than I do.
  
  Maybe if one of you guys could send me the whole code that I could paste into the form1 window.  The simplest code you can come up with that will send something to com2, maybe I'd work for me.  Other than that, somebody's going to have to come over here, knock me out of my chair, and show me!
  
  
    
  
  
  

  
  
  

• Xkutzy

  >you have to get the baud rate, etc., in there somewhere.
  
  Don't need to. For a simple start just use the serial port property windows and you can setup defaults from there. You really don't need much more than the above. I'm assuming that you have a serial port component loaded in you form.
  I quite understand you feelings about the lingo...haven't used Basic in about 12 years, last app was under DOS 5
  

• Jeremy Gauthier

  Those methods will work, but you will need to call them. They won't do anything if you just paste the code.
  
  For example call the GetSerialPortNames method at Form_Load.
  Double Click on the Form and you will be presented a new subroutine as follows:
  

  Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load End Sub

  
  now simply call your subroutine within this method body. i.e.
  
  

  Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load     GetSerialPortNames() End Sub

  
  

• Michal Laskowski

  Yes, thank you.  Please read my reply above.  I'm talking to two of you at the same time.  Double the help, and I'm still stalled!
  
  

• SpyderF16

  Gentlemen, persistence pays off.  I now have two buttons on the screen with message boxes that show when the buttons are pressed.  One sends H1cr to com2, the other sends H0cr to com2.  This toggles remote control on/off on a communications receiver.  Now that I have this figured out, I can control a myriad of features via the comports.
  
  Thanks for the help.
  
  Here is my working code:
  
  

  Public Class Form1

  Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click

  Using com2 As IO.Ports.SerialPort = _

  My.Computer.Ports.OpenSerialPort("COM2", 4800, 0, 8, 1)

  com2.WriteLine("H1" + Chr(13))

  End Using

  MessageBox.Show("Receiver On-Line")

  End Sub

  Private Sub Button2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click

  Using com2 As IO.Ports.SerialPort = _

  My.Computer.Ports.OpenSerialPort("COM2", 4800, 0, 8, 1)

  com2.WriteLine("H0" + Chr(13))

  End Using

  MessageBox.Show("Receiver Off-Line")

  End Sub

  Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

  End Sub

  End Class

  
  
  
• Basic help for dummies, Please!