Re: [Pharo-project] Questions of understanding

Mariano Martinez Peck <[hidden email]> writes:

> https://gitorious.org/cogvm/blessed/blobs/master/platforms/unix/plugins/
> SerialPlugin/sqUnixSerial.c

This code contains the old implementaton of the Serial Plugin not the
extensions of things like openPortByName. The Serail Plugin I'm talking
about has the following implementation on the Smalltalk Size



--
Q-Software Solutions GmbH; Sitz: Bruchsal; Registergericht: Mannheim
Registriernummer: HRB232138; Geschaeftsfuehrer: Friedrich Dominicus

But I think there are a few problems with Pharo 1.3 and Cog. AFAIKT one
needs AbstractLauncher. I shamlessly stole it from Squeak. If I do
not have it and start my generated CogVM I just get an open window with
some black rectangle  in the upper left.
This problem was  mentioned at:

http://code.google.com/p/pharo/issues/detail?id=4002

Now what did I have to do?
I downloaded the sources from squeak-vm and Cog and there are at least
two different C files and probably a header files with the prototyps:
The two files are
sqUnixSerial.c which is in  platforms/unix/plugins/SerialPlugin
SerialPlugin in src/plugins/SerialPlugin

It seems the first is the handwritten C-code

The first is needed to "offer" the functionality and the later is
probabl seems t be the interface to Squeak. I guess this is generated
code from some Slang code

which looks like this:

parityType dataBits: dataBits inFlowControlType: inFlowControl outFlowControlType: outFlowControl xOnByte: xOnChar xOffByte: xOffChar

       | cString |
       self primitive: 'primitiveSerialPortOpenByName'
               parameters: #(ByteArray SmallInteger SmallInteger SmallInteger SmallInteger SmallInteger SmallInteger SmallInteger SmallInteger ).
       self var: #cString type: 'char *'.
       cString := self allocateTerminatedString: deviceName.
       self cCode: 'serialPortOpenByName(
                       cString, baudRate, stopBitsType, parityType, dataBits,
                       inFlowControl, outFlowControl, xOnChar, xOffChar)'

which then write out the proper C code for that plugin.

You see I'm still ignorant on how this is all supposed to work.

Nevertheless copying the files at the proper places in the src and
platform tree. This codes get's compiled into the VirtualMachine.

And I can use this "machine" for accessing the serial interfaces, (it
even works for '/dev/ttyUSBx' devices. For me this is a great thing
because I'm forced to access some periperal devices via serial lines.

I need some extra hack in the generated file (I know this is "dirty" a
missing #define was introduced. I bet there is a better place for that
but in genrated code. But well it's  just an intermediate step.

If someone here may be interested just drop me a mail and with some help
we'll be able to modify the Cog sources cleanly to use this modified
Plugin for intefacing to serial lines in Linux.

I'm also quite aware that the Smalltalk side of the code could need a
little attention: It looks like:



nextPutAll: aStringOrByteArray
       "Send the given bytes out this serial port. The port must be
       open. "
       ^ port isString
               ifTrue: [self
               primWritePortByName: port
               from: aStringOrByteArray
               startingAt: 1
               count: aStringOrByteArray size]
               ifFalse: [self
               primWritePort: port
               from: aStringOrByteArray
               startingAt: 1
               count: aStringOrByteArray size]