Crestron SIMPL+ - BUFFER_INPUT Declaration

Software Crestron SIMPL+
®
50 z SIMPL+
®
Language Reference Guide - DOC. 5797G
BUFFER_INPUT
Name:
BUFFER_INPUT
Syntax:
BUFFER_INPUT <var1[max_length]>[,<var2[max_length]>...];
BUFFER_INPUT <var[size][max_length]>;
BUFFER_INPUT<var[size[,<min>]][max_length]>;
Description:
Routes serial inputs from the outside SIMPL program into a SIMPL+ program under
the specified variable names. This is used when a serial string coming from a
communications port needs to be processed by a SIMPL+ program. When new data
comes in on a BUFFER_INPUT, the data is appended to the end of a
BUFFER_INPUT. If the buffer is full, the contents are shifted up and the new data is
appended to the end. This differs from STRING_INPUTs in that new data entering
into a STRING_INPUT variable replaces the previous string contents.
BUFFER_INPUTs may be processed with string handling functions. The GETC
function may be used to read a character from the beginning of the buffer and shift
the contents up by 1. Buffer inputs may be written to, so their data space may be used
as a storage spot for doing something such as parsing through a string without
declaring temporary storage. Refer to the discussion on arrays on page 46.
MAX_LENGTH may be a value up to 255 in SIMPL+ Version 1.00. SIMPL+
Version 2.00 and later allow for MAX_LENGTH to be up to 65535. For an array of
BUFFER_INPUTs, the maximum value of SIZE is 65535. Valid indices are 1
through the specified size.
Example:
BUFFER_INPUT FromComPort[100];
Signifies that a 100 character buffer with the name “FromComPort” is specified as a
BUFFER_INPUT.
BUFFER_INPUT ComBuffers[2][100];
Signifies that two 100 character buffers have been set up that may be referenced with
the names ComBuffers[1] through ComBuffers[2].
BUFFER_INPUT ComBuffers[2,2][100];
Same as above except both are always shown on the symbol.
Version:
SIMPL+ Version 3.01 for fixed size arrays and minimum sizes.
SIMPL+ Version 2.00 for BUFFER_INPUT arrays and MAX_LENGTH to 65535.
SIMPL+ Version 1.00 for everything else.
NOTE: BUFFER_INPUT variables may not be passed to functions in Version 3.00
for the 2-Series Control Systems. If you need to pass a BUFFER_INPUT variable to
a function, assign it to a locally declared variable and pass that variable to the function.
NOTE: <min> is the number of inputs shown at a minimum in SIMPL Windows. The
Default is 1. The user can expand the minimum up to the full size. Only the last array
of a type can have <min>. Refer to Arrays on page 31, and Declarations on page 45.