Multiscreen program

[SMcNeill]

Code: (Select All)

DIM SHARED AS LONG x, y, client

SCREEN _NEWIMAGE(640, 480, 32)

host = _OPENHOST("TCP/IP:7319") ' no host found, so begin new host

IF host THEN

    _SCREENMOVE 0, 0

    DO

        IF client = 0 THEN client = _OPENCONNECTION(host) ' receive any new connection

        IF client THEN SendXY

        x = x + 1: IF x > 1280 THEN x = 0

        CLS

        _PRINTSTRING (x, y), "Steve is Amazing"

        IF x > 1280 - _PRINTWIDTH("Steve is Amazing") THEN _PRINTSTRING (x - 1280, y), "Steve is Amazing"

        _DISPLAY

        _LIMIT 30

    LOOP

ELSE

    _SCREENMOVE 640, 0

    client = _OPENCLIENT("TCP/IP:7319:localhost") ' Attempt to connect to local host as a client

    DO

        GetXY

        CLS

        _PRINTSTRING (x - 640, y), "Steve is Amazing"

        _DISPLAY

        _LIMIT 30

    LOOP

END IF





SUB SendXY

    PUT #client, , x

    PUT #client, , y

END SUB



SUB GetXY

    GET #client, , x

    GET #client, , y

END SUB

Inspired by Tempodi's topic: https://qb64phoenix.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=2855

Here, I wanted to create a true multi-screen program. Nothing fancy, but something nice and simple to showcase how easy it is to actually do something like this.

Try run this:

1) Run this.
2) Run a second version of this at the same time while the first version is running.

Then let both versions run for a complete cycle or two, to see the simple effect.

Note: You may need to jump through whatever bells and whistles your OS requires for network/TCP-IP communications and such with your FireWall and Security.

[NakedApe]

Very cool! It (they) ran with no issues on my Mac. More dark magic from the Amazing Foo. 

[SMcNeill]

The first post was a very simple example of how you'd use two programs and have them communicate with each other, to produce a "multi-screen" program.   Below is a better example of this process at work, for those who might be interested in just running ONE program and letting it produce the multi-screens and handle everything for us.

Code: (Select All)

DIM SHARED AS LONG x, y, r, nul, client

SCREEN _NEWIMAGE(640, 480, 32)

host = _OPENHOST("TCP/IP:7319") ' no host found, so begin new host

IF host THEN

    _SCREENMOVE 0, 0

    SHELL _DONTWAIT COMMAND$(0)

    DO

        IF client = 0 THEN

            client = _OPENCONNECTION(host) ' receive any new connection

        ELSE



            x = x + 2: IF x > 1280 THEN x = 0

            CLS

            _PRINTSTRING (x, y), "Steve is Amazing"

            IF x > 1280 - _PRINTWIDTH("Steve is Amazing") THEN _PRINTSTRING (x - 1280, y), "Steve is Amazing"

            _DISPLAY

            _LIMIT 30

            IF _EXIT THEN x = -1: y = -1

            SendXY: GetXY

            IF x < 0 THEN SYSTEM

        END IF

    LOOP

ELSE

    _SCREENMOVE 640, 0

    client = _OPENCLIENT("TCP/IP:7319:localhost") ' Attempt to connect to local host as a client

    DO

        GetXY

        CLS

        _PRINTSTRING (x - 640, y), "Steve is Amazing"

        _DISPLAY

        _LIMIT 30

        IF _EXIT THEN x = -1: y = -1: SendXY

        IF x < 0 THEN SYSTEM

    LOOP

END IF





SUB SendXY

    PUT #client, , x

    PUT #client, , y

END SUB



SUB GetXY

    GET #client, , x

    GET #client, , y

END SUB

Note that this is a little different than before.  Here, you just run this program and it'll handle making both screens and interacting with them.

Also notice that once you _EXIT from one screen, it'll also automatically exit from the other screen as well. 

Two screens, working together for one program, and both ending at the same time. 

It this *isn't* a "multi-screen" program, I don't know what the heck it might actually be classified as. 

[Pete]

Okay, now that Biden is done ****ing in his big boy pants, here is what I put together a few years back involving two screen communication over tcp/ip...

Code: (Select All)

_SCREENMOVE 0, 0

title$ = "Messenger_Host"

_TITLE (title$)

_DELAY .1



_SCREENMOVE 0, 0 ' Set up this host window to the left of your desktop.

WIDTH 60, 25

PALETTE 0, 8

COLOR 7, 0

CLS

IF NOT _FILEEXISTS("messenger_client_lm.exe") THEN PRINT "Cannot find file: messenger_client_LM.exe. Ending...": END

DIM host_msg AS STRING, client_msg AS STRING

DO

    IF initiate = 0 THEN ' This only needs to be performed once, to open the client window.

        DO UNTIL x ' Stay in loop until window determines if it is the host or client window.

            x = _OPENCLIENT("TCP/IP:1234:localhost") ' Used to establish a TCP/IP routine.

            IF x = 0 THEN

                x = _OPENHOST("TCP/IP:1234") ' Note the host and clinet must have the same 1234 I.D. number.

                a$ = "Opening as host." ' x channel is now open and this window becomes the host.

            ELSE

                a$ = "Opening as client." ' Should not go here for this demo.

            END IF

            PRINT a$

        LOOP

        SHELL _HIDE _DONTWAIT "START messenger_client_lm.exe" ' Open the client window.

        initiate = -1 ' Switches this block statement off for all subsequent loops.

    END IF



    IF z = 0 THEN ' Initiates an open channel number when zero.

        DO

            z = _OPENCONNECTION(x) ' Checks if host is available to transfer data.

        LOOP UNTIL z

        PRINT "Connection established."

        _DELAY 1

        LOCATE 2: PRINT SPACE$(_WIDTH * 2) ' Remove previous text.

        LOCATE 3, 1

        GOSUB focus

    END IF



    ' Okay, time to input something on the host that will be communicated to the client.

    COLOR 7: LINE INPUT "Message to client: "; host_msg: PRINT



    PUT #z, , host_msg ' Input is now entered into TCP/IP routine.

    IF host_msg = "" THEN SYSTEM



    DO

        GET #z, , client_msg

    LOOP UNTIL LEN(client_msg) ' Exits loop when a return msg is received.



    COLOR 6: PRINT "Message from client: "; client_msg: PRINT



    host_msg = "": PUT #z, , host_msg$ ' Now put our client value back into the routine. Failure to do so would result in the client not waiting in the GET #x DO/LOOP.

    _KEYCLEAR ' Prevents typing before ready.



    GOSUB focus

LOOP



focus:

_SCREENCLICK _SCREENX + 60, _SCREENY + 10

RETURN

Code: (Select All)

title$ = "Messenger_Client"

_TITLE (title$)

_DELAY .1



DIM host_msg AS STRING, client_msg AS STRING

_SCREENMOVE 600, 0 ' Set up this client window next to your host window.

WIDTH 50, 25

PALETTE 0, 8

COLOR 7, 0

CLS

x = _OPENCLIENT("TCP/IP:1234:localhost") ' Used to establish a TCP/IP routine.

PRINT "Opened as client.": PRINT

DO UNTIL x = 0 ' Prevents running if this app is opened without using host.

    DO

        _LIMIT 30

        GET #x, , host_msg ' Waits until it receives message sent from the host.

    LOOP UNTIL LEN(host_msg)



    COLOR 6: PRINT "Message from host: "; host_msg

    PRINT

    _KEYCLEAR ' Prevents typing before ready.



    GOSUB focus



    COLOR 7: LINE INPUT "Message to host: "; client_msg: PRINT

    IF client_msg = "" THEN SYSTEM



    PUT #x, , client_msg

LOOP

END



focus:

_SCREENCLICK _SCREENX + 60, _SCREENY + 10

RETURN

To get it to work, compile the second one as: Messenger_Client_LM.exe

Next, SAVE and RUN the first one as: Messenger_Host_LM.exe

Type a message in the host and press Enter to send it. It will appear in the client, which will then prompt you to make a reply.

Note: It uses _SCREENCLICK for focus, so don't move the windows. If anyone knows a better API focus method, that actually works in practice, that would be nice. 

Pete

[SMcNeill]

Aye.  You see a lot of programs like this -- any chat server/client, or any multiplayer game works in this manner.  One program hosts; one program is the client.  You're right -- it's very similar to what I'm doing here.  The only real difference is I'm letting one program do both things for us, so it's BOTH the client and the host, and the host is doing all the actual work and calculations while the client has a much smaller area of responsibility.

Where do I see something like this perhaps being useful?

Mainly for folks who may want to create custom pop-up windows, similar to our _MESSAGEBOX or _INPUTBOX and  such.  

Structure your main program so it can handle command line instructions.   When you need a custom pop-up, SHELL Command$(0) with the proper parameter, and start a second instance of your program which uses that to create the pop-up for you.  Let both programs communicate back and forth, until the pop-up is finished, then close it and return control back to the main program.

I think that's about the main thing I'd use it for, I guess.

[TempodiBasic]

Hi Steve
it is a wonderful example!

Here the resut that I've got at its first run.



It shows an Y-order pass through the two applications.


I was thinking how modify the code to get an  One Y ordered scale to pass through the two applications.
This may need the absolute Y cohordinates of the text that goes through.