Subject: From: Date:

Re: [ECS] DDE from VB Steve Letkeman Fri, 19 Mar 1999 14:14:12 -0700

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Thanks to Dan Hoehnen and Mark I have a working test program
for those that are interested (or will be)

Create a VB project with one command button (command1) and
one text button (text1).  Set the form LinkTopic to "Any" and attach the
following code to the command button.  The name of the project and
form are testdde.

Private Sub Command1_Click()
If Text1.LinkMode = vbNone Then ' is it running?
  Text1.LinkTopic = "PGM->ECS|Any"
  Text1.LinkMode = 2        ' start up link in manual mode
End If
Text1.LinkItem = "S,testdde"   ' Service command, set to this program name
Text1.LinkRequest
Text1.LinkItem = "C,A"         ' Client ID set to 'A'
Text1.LinkRequest

' As a test, do this
Text1.LinkItem = "I,speech-interface-b" ' get status of interface-b, should
be displayed to text1
Text1.LinkRequest
End Sub


Another command button can be called once the first one is run

Private Sub Command2_Click()
Text1.LinkItem = "V,Attention"     ' ECS should respond with "yes"
Text1.LinkRequest
End Sub

OK, now that that is working I need to create some kind of event
within ECS to trigger my program.  I don't actually have any hardware
hooked to any of this and I still have no clue how to program/modify
the ECS program but this is a good start.

Steve


Zanthic Technologies Inc. located at    http://www.zanthic.com
68HC11/CAN (Controller Area Network) Development Systems and other
PC CAN interfaces including the CAN-4-EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port)

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Hoehnen <dhoehnen@infinet.com>
To: ecs-list@netbloc.com <ecs-list@netbloc.com>
Date: Thursday, March 18, 1999 11:46 PM
Subject: Re: [ECS] DDE from VB


>Steve,
>
>I have written ACE, which is written in VB and interfaces to ECS using a
>DDE link.  So, I can probably answer all your questions.  To send
>commands to ECS I have a textbox with the LinkTopic property set to
>"PGM->ECS|Any".  To send a command to ECS just set this textbox's
>LinkItem property to the command string to send and then call the
>textbox's LinkRequest method.  Like this:
>
>       frmMain.txtECSDDE.LinkItem = ecsmsg
>       frmMain.txtECSDDE.LinkRequest
>
>Of course, you will have to open the dde link first.  I use the manual
>mode and open the link like this:
>
>      frmMain.txtECSDDE.LinkMode = 2 'manual dde link
>
>If you want ECS to be able to send your program info and commands, then
>you need to do a few more things.  Set the LinkTopic property of your
>main form to "Any".  Then send ECS these 2 commands so that ECS knows how
>to connect via dde to your program.  My program executable name is
>ACE-S.EXE, thus the "ace-s" in my command.  You should use your
>executable name.
>
>  SendCommandToECS ("s,ace-s") 'tell ecs what name to use
>  SendCommandToECS ("C," & ECSClientID) 'tells ecs which dde link to use
>
>I hope this helps.  Let me know if you need more info.
>
>Mark, feel free to copy any of this and paste into your doc's.  Assuming,
>of course, that Steve says it works :)
>
>
>On Thu, 18 Mar 1999, Steve Letkeman wrote:
>
>> Yes......was it supposed to help? ;-)  Actually, I have been studying it
>> but so far I can't get VB to work and I just thought somebody might
>> have a working example.  I need to know what the linktopic and
>> linkitems are.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>> Zanthic Technologies Inc. located at    http://www.zanthic.com
>> 68HC11/CAN (Controller Area Network) Development Systems and other
>> PC CAN interfaces including the CAN-4-EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port)
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Mark Gilmore <omnip@usit.net>
>> To: ecs-list@netbloc.com <ecs-list@netbloc.com>
>> Date: Thursday, March 18, 1999 5:32 PM
>> Subject: Re: [ECS] DDE from VB
>>
>>
>> >Steve, did you see DDECLN.C ?
>> >
>> >Steve Letkeman wrote:
>> >>
>> >> More ECS newbie questions...Has anybody played around
>> >> with the DDE interface from VB?  The ECS documentation
>> >> (both sentences) on the topic are not as much help as I would
>> >> like ;-)
>> >>
>> >> Steve
>> >>
>> >> Zanthic Technologies Inc. located at    http://www.zanthic.com
>> >> 68HC11/CAN (Controller Area Network) Development Systems and other
>> >> PC CAN interfaces including the CAN-4-EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port)
>> >
>> >--
>> >Mark Gilmore
>> >Omnipotence (ECS Home Automation Software)
>> >omnip@usit.net
>> >http://www.usit.com/omnip
>> >
>>
>
>Dan Hoehnen
>dhoehnen@infinet.com
>He who dies with the most toys, wins!
>*************************************************************************
>* Home Automation Index: http://www.infinet.com/~dhoehnen/ha/list.html  *
>*                                                                       *
>* ACE Home Automation Software - Supports HomeVision, ECS and most      *
>*   other automation systems - Caller ID, Text-to-Speech, Internet and  *
>*   intranet support, Touchscreen support, E-Mail, much more...         *
>*                                                                       *
>* Port16.ocx & Port32.ocx - Give Visual Basic access to I/O ports       *
>*                                                                       *
>*       http://www.infinet.com/~dhoehnen/software/index.htm             *
>*************************************************************************
>
>
>
>
>
>

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