Communications Control for Visual Basic by Mark Gamber August 1992
Version 2.0

VBCOMM provides a communcations module for Visual Basic. TO begin using the
control, copy VBCOMM.VBX to your Visual Basic directory and select the
"File_AddFile" menu item to display a litbox of files. Select VBCOMM.VBX to add
the file to the toolbox.

VBCOMM only uses Windows communications calls and is thus subject to
policing of ports by Windows. In any given Windows session, anything can and
usually go wrong with communications, so no guarentees are implied. That out of
the way...

First step in using VBCOMM is to set up the port by setting property values.
Once a port is open, the properties should not be altered until the port is
closed again. You may initialize the port by setting the following properties:

Comport: Select from the following values:
0 - COM1:
1 - COM2:
2 - COM3:
3 - COM4:

Baud: Select from the following values:
0 - 300
1 - 1200
2 - 2400
3 - 9600
4 = 19200

Parity: Select from the following values:
0 - Parity off
1 - Parity even
2 - Parity odd

Data: Select from the following values:
0 - 6 bits
1 - 7 bits
2 - 8 bits

Stop: Select from the following values:
0 - 1 bits
1 - 2 bits

To open the port, set the "Enable" property to a non-zero number. The number
should remain non-zero until the port is closed by setting "Enable" to zero.
When the port is open, incoming characters will cause the "InQueue" routine to
be executed. Within this routine you can use DataChr and DataStr to retrieve
characters from the receiving queue.

Enable: 0 to close port, non-zero to open port.

DataChr: Sends and receives byte data values (0-255)

DataStr: Sends and receives data strings.


The zipfile contains Visual Basic example code using the VBCOMM module. For
more information on actual use, please look at the source code.
This software is public domain and may be freely distrbuted. As public
domain, the software is not officially supported. In using the software, the
user assumes responsibility for proper use of the software and the author is
not liable. Period. If the user is unable to comply, the user should destroy
the software immediately. The author may be reached on the following services:

America Online E-Mail: PCA MarkG
Compuserve Mail: 76450,2754
Internet Mail: [email protected]