feature reques: additional pipe debug window

[rexxitall]

When one debug output is not enough ....
I am currently doing some cgi related stuff. (its not that easy to see anything when stdin stdout and stderr are redirected)
my problem is how to watch inside such a running cgi or i want to have a additional output window.
my solution is to have a small terminal program which just dump out strings send over a named pipe.

its very handy cause you also can send ansi chars and scroll for and back in the output window which can also be on a different sreen and is open al the time.

code to play with below:
regards Thomas

`
#include "windows.bi"
#include "win/winnt.bi"
#include "windows.bi"

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' PrintToConsole
' Outputs text to console using Windows Terminal's native scrolling
' Parameters:
' - textToPrint: The string to output
' - addNewLine: Whether to append a newline (default true)
' Returns: True if successful, False otherwise
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Function echo _
( _
ByRef textToPrint As String, _
ByVal addNewLine As Boolean = True _
) As Boolean
textToPrint=textToPrint & "*"
' Get standard output handle
Dim hConsoleOutput As HANDLE = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE)
If hConsoleOutput = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE Then
Return False
End If

' Prepare the output string
Dim outputText As String = textToPrint
If addNewLine Then
    outputText += Chr(13) + Chr(10) ' CR+LF
End If

' Write to console
Dim charsWritten As DWORD
Dim result As BOOL = WriteConsole( _
    hConsoleOutput, _               ' Console handle
    StrPtr(outputText), _           ' Text to write
    Len(outputText), _              ' Text length
    @charsWritten, _                ' Bytes written
    NULL _                          ' Reserved
)

' Return success status
Return (result <> 0) AndAlso (charsWritten = Len(outputText))

End Function

Sub PipeMonitor()
Const BUFFER_SIZE As Integer = 25 * 1024
Dim pipeHandle As HANDLE
Dim pipeName As String = "\.\pipe\testpipe"
Dim success As BOOL
Dim bytesRead As DWORD
Dim messageBuffer As ZString * (BUFFER_SIZE + 1)
Dim connected As BOOL

' Security attributes for the pipe
Dim sa As SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
sa.nLength = SizeOf(SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES)
sa.lpSecurityDescriptor = NULL
sa.bInheritHandle = True

While True
    ' Create the named pipe
    pipeHandle = CreateNamedPipe( _
        pipeName, _                         ' pipe name
        PIPE_ACCESS_INBOUND, _              ' read-only access
        PIPE_TYPE_MESSAGE Or _              ' message type pipe
        PIPE_READMODE_MESSAGE Or _          ' message-read mode
        PIPE_WAIT, _                       ' blocking mode
        1, _                               ' max. instances
        BUFFER_SIZE, _                      ' output buffer size
        BUFFER_SIZE, _                      ' input buffer size
        0, _                                ' client time-out
        @sa _                               ' security attributes
    )
    
    If pipeHandle = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE Then
        Print "Error creating pipe: "; GetLastError()
        Sleep(1000)
        Continue While
    End If
    
    ' Wait for client to connect
    'Print "Waiting for client connection..."
    connected = ConnectNamedPipe(pipeHandle, NULL)
    
    If connected = 0 Then
        Dim lastErr As DWORD = GetLastError()
        If lastErr <> ERROR_PIPE_CONNECTED Then
            Print "Connection failed: "; lastErr
            CloseHandle(pipeHandle)
            Sleep(1000)
            Continue While
        End If
    End If
    
   ' Print "Client connected"
    
    ' Read from pipe until client disconnects
    While True
        success = ReadFile( _
            pipeHandle, _                   ' pipe handle
            @messageBuffer, _              ' buffer to receive data
            BUFFER_SIZE, _                 ' size of buffer
            @bytesRead, _                  ' number of bytes read
            NULL _                         ' not overlapped I/O
        )
        
        If success = 0 OrElse bytesRead = 0 Then
            Dim errCode As DWORD = GetLastError()
            If errCode = ERROR_BROKEN_PIPE Then
         '       Print "Client disconnected"
            Else
                Print "ReadFile failed: "; errCode
            End If
            Exit While
        End If
        
        ' Process the received message
        Dim receivedMsg As String = Left(messageBuffer, bytesRead)
        receivedMsg = Trim(receivedMsg, Any !"\0") ' Remove null chars
        
        If Len(receivedMsg) > 0 Then
            echo( receivedMsg)
        End If
    Wend
    
    ' Disconnect and close pipe
    DisconnectNamedPipe(pipeHandle)
    CloseHandle(pipeHandle)
Wend

End Sub

' Start the pipe monitor
PipeMonitor()

and here the code to send to this pipe :

Function SayPipe(message As String) As Long
Print "" & message & ""
Dim hPipe As HANDLE
Dim bytesWritten As DWORD
Dim success As BOOL
Dim pipeName As String = "\.\pipe\testpipe"

' Try to open the named pipe
hPipe = CreateFile( _
    pipeName, _                ' pipe name 
    GENERIC_WRITE, _            ' write access 
    0, _                        ' no sharing 
    NULL, _                     ' default security attributes
    OPEN_EXISTING, _            ' opens existing pipe 
    0, _                        ' default attributes 
    NULL _                      ' no template file
)

If hPipe = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE Then
    ' Pipe not available
    Return 0
End If

' Write to the pipe
success = WriteFile( _
    hPipe, _                    ' pipe handle 
    StrPtr(message), _          ' message to send
    Len(message), _             ' message length 
    @bytesWritten, _            ' bytes written
    NULL _                     ' not overlapped
)

' Close the pipe
CloseHandle(hPipe)

If success = 0 Or bytesWritten <> Len(message) Then
    Return 0
Else
    Return 1
End If

End Function
`

[hustbeef]

Please review "Controls\MyFbFramework\inc\pipe.bi" and "Controls\MyFbFramework\mff\Console.bi" for potential examples or improvements.

[rexxitall]

was too complicated for me :) . i just need that simple thing for a terminal window and i do not want to use mff. I saw that you has such a thing. i know very well what you has written and what you has not written. i am curious. even i do not provide code for the IDE that you guys can do better and faster. So for sure i spy in it all :) I have other things to develop which ends in a lack of time. Its all about the idea not about the code. The main is to have one or many output windows which stay standalone and also on different screens with a very simple solution. I will add also ansi color support to read messages more easy in my version. Ive made such a thing for my c# coding where i also have the need of interprocess communication and where i want to see what is going on without rewriting the Microsoft VS IDE :). There i use chrome and JS to communicate with Autodesc REVIT or Autocad which then generates 3D objects. So i have enough overcomplicated toys to play with. (my day also just has 24 hours) grin I sponsor Xusingboy since years with some coffee, play and mess a bit around with the IDE which comes years to late for me (not ment as blaming - its just a fact) to be used in my projects and make from time to time language files. c# is to be used as company policy :/ . To dig dep in the samples i have given up :). They are great but just half the way useful (by nature). And for sure they need mff. I play on a terminal and also want to use my code without the need of mff which adds in my case just a additional layer of problems. So all i want is a nice handy working IDE to fiddle mit fbc64.exe under 64 bit windows. (And to make "stupid" comments on github if i have the feel it has sharp edges or feels unhandy or not logical to me. I write code since 1985 and have used many IDE tools. ) And most likely i have as civil engineer a different view to it all. You guys are that deep woben with your stuff that you might see not the forest cause you are surrounded by trees - as we say in Germany. So take it like it is, add the function to call the pipe and play around with it. In cases if the output window is to tiny, stdin stdout are used otherwise, you need a log without to have it open external in a editor and so on. If you like the idea - then make the thing just better - in your way :). The intention of my sample codes is usually just to save you guys a bit time to play with the idea behind.

[rexxitall]

BTW VBA and VB6 have something similar they call it intermediate window ;) There you can pit debug.print messages. But its not that handy as a independed pipe message window which can also support color by using ansi sequences. You has also to let the IDE open which is not needed with my solution. You could also add support to add the pipecall code only if its compiled and debugged with the ide #if and ' is your friend. Just to keep the basic code intact if the ide is not used. "'# dbgsay <whatever " might be a idea to add the pipecalls before compiling it. Anyhow ive to go back to my work - the cat needs food :)

[hustbeef]

There i use chrome and JS to communicate with Autodesc REVIT or Autocad which then generates 3D

That's great. Your experience is valuable. As a beginner, I'd appreciate a code example to help me learn.

[rexxitall]

Its not BASIC :) (and closed source) If you want some clever JS/c#/whatever tricks make your AI Agent more useable and use it :)