Can I use VB to do a console prompt program? 1

[Gelane]

I just spent a couple of days writing a VB5 program that can't be used because I need it to be displayed on a Telxon radio-frequency scanner. We are going to telnet through the scanner to a server that will ask a user for input. My GUI forms will not work. I know in Oracle I can either go character based or GUI when I do a form. Is there anything like that in VB? This is a fairly simple program, asking for 4 different inputs that I check against flat files. I'm really in a time crunch, so if anyone can help I'd be very grateful. Thanks.

 

[jmarler]

Yes you can do it with Console APIs called from you VB application (or perhaps a better solution would be to just rewrite the code in C++) . . . however, you mentioned that the VB application needs to be displayed on on a Telxon radio-frequency scanner . . . please forgive my ignorance, but I do not know exactly what that is. Remember that VB5 will ONLY run on a Win32 platform, so if the scanner that you mentioned does have an OS and if it is not Win32, then you won't be able to run the VB app at all on it.
Having said that, here is a link that will list all of the APIs needed to manipulate the console window . . . these can be called from a formless VB application and make it appear as though you have written a VB console application.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/psdk/winbase/conchar_3vg3.htm

- Jeff Marler B-)

 

[Gelane]

Usually when we configure the scanners, we set them up as VT220s (?). Basically a terminal emulation process. Does that help any?

 

[jmarler]

OK . . . you are running a terminal emulation program on the scanners, but what Operating System is on the scanners . . . or is the emulation software the only software on the scanners? - Jeff Marler B-)

 

[Gelane]

Software
Operating System: MS DOS 5.0 or TCAL
RF terminal emulation: 3278, 5251 or ANSI/VT220

 

[jmarler]

I am not familiar with TCAL, but I am, of course, familiar with MS Dos 5.0.
I'm sorry to say, that there is no way you are going to get your VB app to run on your scanners. You will need to rewrite your code in a 16 bit C++ compiler (MS VC6.0 will not work for this as it too is designed for a Win32 environment) or assembler or any other languages that you'd like to use that would work in a Dos environment. Borland's C++ 4.5 or TASM 5.0 would both work fine in a DOS environment.
If you need any help with these, feel free to let me know . . . or if anyone else has a better idea, please step forth . . . - Jeff Marler B-)

 

[Gelane]

Jeff Marler,
This is probably because I gave you some wrong info, but I have been told it has to be a 32 bit app. I'll see if I can get more info today. Thanks for your help.

 

[chiph]

Gelane -

I'm afraid I don't understand the environment your app has to run in. From what I've read thus far, your Telxon unit is connected to the PC via a serial cable, and you're using Windows' Telnet program to connect to it. You want to have your VB program interact with the telnet session.

Correct?

Chip H.

 

[jmarler]

Gelane,
If what Chip suggested is your actual setup, then you can do what you want . . . assuming of course the the PC is running WIN32. Is Chips take on your setup correct? - Jeff Marler B-)

 

[Gelane]

That is not entirely right. The Telxon PT960 is an independent unit. We use them for some character-based Oracle applications in our factory. We also have some mainframe applications running on them, but these telxons are flashed differently than the Oracle ones. It is basically just a dos unit (like a pc) connected to a network, except it is radio-frequency. It can only handle character mode. I have been working with Jeff's 1st take on my problem today and I do believe this is my answer. Again thanks a lot. It's nice to know there are such helpful people out there.

 

[chiph]

OK, I worked with a scanner at my last job (from UDI) but it wasn't RF connected. Our users had to plug it in to download the results of their scanning, and I thought you wanted an automated way to do that.

Sorry if I muddied things up, glad you've got a handle on it.

Chip H.