Seeking Sample Code for Eltima's Virtual Serial Port ActiveX Control

[nigeldude]

I can see there are more posts on Serial port communication than I can count. Unfortunately there are some thing that i need to know in order to understand them, thing's that I don't know. I tried getting assistance from Eltima, but they weren't very helful with the info I needed.

I would love if someone could share a sample script that opens a port and receive data into a DBF table.
I'm not particular about which ActiveX I use, Once it gets the job done and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg, I saw one for almost $2,000. Not interested in that one.

I have 2 problems so far that I cant get help with reading the previous posts:
1) What all actions must be taken to accomplish each task and in what order?
2) When i went to use Read(), I'm not sure how to set the buffer and the bytes,

I am using a CipherLab Mobile Bar Code Scanner for inventory control

The data that it exports to a .txt file looks like this
606649710036,00002130,7,WD's Chocolate,03/12/201417:13:45
797249001249,00003730,3,Traveller 1 Bar,03/12/201417:13:55

Currently, I export the products table to a text file and use the scanners stand alone software to import that file into the scanner, then when the scanner is used to count the products in the store or warehouse, i use that same stand alone software to export the data from the scanner to a text file then import the text file in the A5 software.

[Ray in Capetown]

Re: Seeking Sample Code for Eltima's Virtual Serial Port ActiveX Control

You could try this

dim sp as system::io::Ports::SerialPort
sp.Open()
'I have no Port available, it returns ERROR: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.
'The port 'COM1' does not exist.
var=sp.ReadLine()
sp.Close()

Encouch that in suitable loops and checks and good luck.
But having said that I personally would choose to work with the TXT file, much more controllable with less effort.
I also wouldnt bother exporting the products, just read the scan and look up the SKU
Surely the scanner comes with Kb/wedge ? that would be first choice
As I recall COM1 was at address 379 - easy to look up in your BIOS - if you want to write at low level.

[nigeldude]

Re: Seeking Sample Code for Eltima's Virtual Serial Port ActiveX Control

Thanks Ray, even if I uuse the txt file, I still need to be able to control the entire process from withing A5.
I have seen any mention of Kb/wedge ion the scanner's documentation.

The code above, is that dependent on Eltima's ActiveX, or is it solely based on Windows?

[Ray in Capetown]

Re: Seeking Sample Code for Eltima's Virtual Serial Port ActiveX Control

It is dot net, A5 knows what to do with it.
Works in the IW (Interactive window)
Keyboard wedge is a term used for a piece of resident software sending external input through to the keyboard input to appear wherever you can type.
I don't use AS but am pretty sure you could read that file and delete when read, with AS but without going through it myself I cant tell you how,

I see you can do it with the Import Wizard. select ascii file - point to your file and it will prompt you further

[nigeldude]

Re: Seeking Sample Code for Eltima's Virtual Serial Port ActiveX Control

With your code above, first I was getting a message indicating the port didn't exist, I with in Device manager and change the COM port the device was on from COM6 to COM1, I no longer get that message, instead, about 5 seconds after running the script, I now see a dialog box, the title says "server busy", the details says "This action cannot be completed because the other program is busy, choose Switch to activate the busy program and correct the problem"