Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!psuvax1!psuvm!hdk
From: HDK@psuvm.psu.edu (H. D. Knoble)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Which COMM packages have this script language feature?
Message-ID: <90248.122803HDK@psuvm.psu.edu>
Date: 5 Sep 90 16:28:03 GMT
Organization: Penn State University
Lines: 27

It would be quite useful for a study we're doing to know some COMM package(s)
script(s) that allow the COM port buffer to be captured in a script VARIABLE
rather than simply provide the typical   WAITFOR "text" waittime   facility.
The specification we're looking for is a COMM script syntax equivalent to:

      Syntax: INPUT n m &V
      Results: &V set and SUCCESS or FAILURE returned.
      Algorithm:
      Read the COM port for n seconds; make any characters arriving with
      no delay longer than say m seconds (or let m some built-in constant
      like m=1) accessible via the script variable &V. If anything arrived
      return SUCCESS, else return FAILURE.

Example of Use:   INPUT 60 2 &V1
                  IF success then DO
                    if &V1='>' then ...
                    else if &V1="Request: " then ...
                  ...
                  end
                  else ...
                  ...
                  poll the active COM port for 60 seconds; whatever characters
                  arrive (and stop arriving after a 2 second delay) make
                  accessible in the script variable &V1 and return SUCCESS.
                  If no characters arrive set &V1='' and return FAILURE.

Many thanks.   Skip Knoble, Penn State Center for Academic Computing.