Language - Visual Basic .NET: Difference between revisions

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<metadesc>Communicate over USB with sensors, controllers and relays with Phidgets! Our Visual Basic .NET library supports Windows using Visual Studio or Mono.</metadesc>
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Language]]
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We provide support for the Visual Basic .NET language on the Windows operating system. We also provide instructions on how to get your project started in a number of common development environments. Select your operating system and preferred development environment below, and follow the instructions to get your project running with Phidgets.


If you do not know which development environment you want to use, or your development environment of choice is not listed, we recommend starting with Mono as the simplest path to getting your code running. Visual Studio is the most popular way to build Visual Basic .NET projects, but it also has a steep learning curve.


Once you have set up your development environment to run with Phidgets, we recommend you follow our guide on [[Phidget Programming Basics]]. The guide will showcase the fundamentals of programming with Phidgets.
==Choose Your Development Environment:==
{{Language_-_Visual_Basic_.NET_Dev_Environment_Table}}


== Quick Downloads ==
== Quick Downloads ==
If you already know what you're doing and just need the files, you can find them all below.


=== Documentation ===
=== Documentation ===


*{{Phidget22API}} (Select C#/VB.Net from drop-down menu)
*{{Phidget22API}} (Select Visual Basic .NET from drop-down menu)


=== Example Code ===
=== Example Code ===


*{{SampleCode|VBNET|VB.Net Examples}}
*{{SampleCode|VBNET|Visual Basic .NET Examples}}
 
=== Libraries ===
 
{{WindowsQuickDownloads}}
 
== Getting Started with VB.NET ==
Welcome to using Phidgets with VB.NET! By using VB.NET, you will have access to the complete {{Phidget22API}}, including events. We also provide example code in VB.NET for all Phidget devices.
 
== Windows ==
{{Windows_Languages}}
 
===Visual Studio===
====Use our examples====
One of the best ways to start programming with Phidgets is to use our example code as a guide. In order to run the examples, you will need to download and install [https://www.visualstudio.com/ Microsoft Visual Studio].
 
 
Now that you have Microsoft Visual Studio installed, select an example that will work with your Phidget:
*{{SampleCode|VBNET|VB.NET Examples}}
 
 
Open the example project and start the example by pressing the ''Start'' button:
 
 
[[File:Csharp_visualstudio_run.png ‎|link=|center]]
 
 
The application will open the Phidget, list basic information about the Phidget, and demonstrate the Phidget's functionality. Here is an example of a Digital Output channel on a RFID Phidget:
 
 
[[File:Csharp_visualstudio_rfid.PNG|link=|center]]
 
 
You should now have the example up and running for your device. Play around with the device and experiment with some of the functionality. When you are ready, the next step is configuring your project and writing your own code!
 
====Configure your project====
When you are building a project from scratch, or adding Phidget functionality to an existing project, you'll need to configure your development environment to properly link the Phidget .NET library. To begin:
 
 
Create a new Windows Forms Application project:
 
 
[[Image:Vbnet_newproject.PNG|link=|center]]
 
 
Next, right-click to add a reference to the Phidget .NET library:
 
 
[[Image:CSharp_VS2015_Add_Reference.png|link=|center]]
 
 
On the following screen, click ''Browse...'' and navigate to the location of Phidget22.NET.dll:
*C:\Program Files\Phidgets\Phidget22\Phidget22.NET.dll
 
 
[[Image:CSharp_VS2015_Add_Reference_2.png|link=|center]]
 
 
Finally, to include the Phidget .NET library, add the following lines to main window class file:
 
<syntaxhighlight lang="csharp">
Imports Phidget22
Imports Phidget22.Events
</syntaxhighlight>
 
Success! The project now has access to Phidgets. Next, view the [[#Write Code | write your own code]] section located below.
 
===Mono===
====Use Our Examples====
One of the best ways to start programming with Phidgets is to use our example code as a guide. In order to run the examples, you will need to download and install [http://www.mono-project.com/download/ Mono] for Windows.
 
 
Now that you have Mono installed, download and unpack the HelloWorld example for C#:
*[{{SERVER}}/downloads/phidget22/examples/dotnet/csharp/Manager/Phidget22_HelloWorld_CSharp_Windows_Ex.zip HelloWorld example]
Note: The HelloWorld example is compatible with Mono because it does not use Windows Forms. All other C# examples use Windows Forms.
 
 
Next, copy Phidget22.NET.dll from type the following location:
*C:\Program Files\Phidgets\Phidget22\Phidget22.NET.dll
 
 
Place both the HelloWorld example and the Phidget22.NET.dll file in the same location. Your folder should now look something like this:
[[File:Vbnet_folder.PNG|link=|center]]
 
 
Open the command prompt at the folder location and enter the following command:
<syntaxhighlight lang='bash'>
vbnc /r:Phidget22.NET.dll Module1.vb
</syntaxhighlight>
 
This will create an executable file called ''Module1.exe''. Type in the following command to run the example:
<syntaxhighlight lang='bash'>
mono Module1.exe
</syntaxhighlight>
 
 
[[File:Vbnet_mono.PNG|link=|center]]
 
 
You should now have the example up and running. When you are ready, the next step is configuring your project and writing your own code!
 
====Configure your project  - IN PROGRESS (LUCAS)====
When you are building a project from scratch, or adding Phidget functionality to an exisiting project, you'll need to configure your development environment to properly link the Phidget .NET library.
 
To include the Phidget .NET library, simply add the following lines to your code:
<syntaxhighlight lang='CSharp'>
Imports Phidget22
Imports Phidget22.Events
</syntaxhighlight>
 
The project now has access to Phidgets. Next, view the [[#Write Code | write your own code]] section located below.
 
==Write Code==
 
By following the instructions for your operating system and compiler above, you probably now have a working example and want to understand it better so you can change it to do what you want. This teaching section has resources for you to learn from the examples and write your own.
Your main reference for writing VB.NET code will be the {{Phidget22API}} Manual.
 
=== Code Snippets ===
 
The following code snippets describe how to do various general tasks with Phidgets. You should be able to find places in the examples where these snippets exist, and modify them to suit your requirements.
 
==== Step One: Initialize and Open ====
 
The Open() function opens the software object, but not hardware. So, it is not a guarantee you can use the Phidget immediately.
 
For example, if we were using an Digital Input as our device, the create and open calls would look like this:
 
<syntaxhighlight lang='vbnet'>
device = New Phidget22.DigitalInput()
device.Open()
</syntaxhighlight>
 
==== Step Two: Wait for Attachment (plugging in) of the Phidget ====
 
To use the Phidget, it must be plugged in (attached). We can handle this simply by calling open with a number as a parameter in place of the basic open. This function works for any Phidget. This will block until a connection is made to the Phidget, or the specified timeout is exceeded:
 
<syntaxhighlight lang='vbnet'>
device.Open(5000);
</syntaxhighlight>
 
Sometimes, it makes more sense to handle the attachment via an event. This would be in instances where the Phidget is being plugged and unplugged, and you want to handle these incidents. Or, when you want to use event-driven programming because you have a GUI-driven program. In these cases, an event-driven code snippet to handle the attachment might look something like this:
 
<syntaxhighlight lang='vbnet'>
Private Sub device_Attach(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As Phidget22.Events.AttachEventArgs) Handles device.Attach
  Dim attachedDevice As Phidget22.Phidget = CType(sender, Phidget22.Phidget)
  Dim serialNumber as Integer
  Dim deviceName as String
  serialNumber = attachedDevice.DeviceSerialNumber;
  deviceName = attachedDevice.DeviceName;
  Console.WriteLine("Hello Device {0},  Serial Number: {1}!", deviceName, serialNumber.ToString());
End Sub
</syntaxhighlight>
 
==== Step Three: Do Things with the Phidget ====
We recommend the use of event driven programming when working with Phidgets. This allows the program to execute other tasks until the Phidget generates a new event. You can hook a custom function into an event trigger like this, using a Digital Input Phidget as an example:
 
<syntaxhighlight lang=vbnet>
Private Sub device_DigitalInputChange(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As Phidget22.Events.DigitalInputStateChangeEventArgs) Handles device.StateChange
  textBox1.Text = "State: " + e.State;
End Sub
</syntaxhighlight>
 
Some values can be directly read and set on the Phidget. These functions can be used inside a polling loop as an alternative to event driven programming. The line inside the loop would be something like this, after which you could do something with the value:
 
<syntaxhighlight lang=vbnet>
val = device.State;
 
device.State = true;
</syntaxhighlight>
 
==== Step Four: Close and Delete ====
At the end of your program, be sure to close your device.
 
<syntaxhighlight lang=vbnet>
Private Sub Form1_FormClosing(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.FormClosingEventArgs) Handles Me.FormClosing
    device.Close();
End Sub
</syntaxhighlight>
 
== Further Reading ==
 
[[Phidget Programming Basics]] - Here you can find the basic concepts to help you get started with making your own programs that use Phidgets.
 
[[Data Interval/Change Trigger]] - Learn about these two properties that control how much data comes in from your sensors.
 
[[Using Multiple Phidgets]] - It can be difficult to figure out how to use more than one Phidget in your program. This page will guide you through the steps.
 
[[Polling vs. Events]] - Your program can gather data in either a polling-driven or event-driven manner. Learn the difference to determine which is best for your application.


[[Logging, Exceptions, and Errors]] - Learn about all the tools you can use to debug your program.
===Libraries===


[[Phidget Network Server]] - Phidgets can be controlled and communicated with over your network- either wirelessly or over ethernet.
{{AllQuickDownloads}}

Revision as of 22:15, 28 February 2019


We provide support for the Visual Basic .NET language on the Windows operating system. We also provide instructions on how to get your project started in a number of common development environments. Select your operating system and preferred development environment below, and follow the instructions to get your project running with Phidgets.

If you do not know which development environment you want to use, or your development environment of choice is not listed, we recommend starting with Mono as the simplest path to getting your code running. Visual Studio is the most popular way to build Visual Basic .NET projects, but it also has a steep learning curve.

Once you have set up your development environment to run with Phidgets, we recommend you follow our guide on Phidget Programming Basics. The guide will showcase the fundamentals of programming with Phidgets.

Choose Your Development Environment:

Visual Basic .NET Development Environments
OS - Windows Windows

C VS WIN.png C VS WIN on.png

CS MONO WIN.png CS MONO WIN on.png

Quick Downloads

If you already know what you're doing and just need the files, you can find them all below.

Documentation

Example Code

Libraries

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